Last-minute Halloween costumes: (easy, low-cost, DIY, fun)

Last-minute Halloween costumes are a reality sometimes even though Halloween rolls around the same date every year. I remember when I was in grad school, I was supposed to be out of town the day my friend was hosting a Halloween party. But I ended up being in town, costumeless, just hours before the party. So, what did I do? I wrapped myself in aluminum foil (it’s actually great for keeping you warm!) and turned myself into a fork, proving that last-minute Halloween costumes are doable and can be super-creative, fun, clever, and best of all — easy and low-cost.

easy Halloween costume — Last-minute Halloween Costume: Fork!

10 Last-Minute Halloween Costumes (for kids . . . or adults!):

Using Stuff You Probably Have:

THE FORK. What you need: tin foil, cardboard, scissors, a head band, transparent tape. Cut the cardboard into the shape of the fork tines, and cover the cardboard with tinfoil. Adhere the cardboard tines to the headband and place on your head. Wrap your body in aluminum foil (after one final potty break!), and fasten pieces together as needed with clear tape. I think I used packing tape. Scrunch the foil around joints to help it keep its shape and stay in place, even through movement.
FRIED EGG. That same day when I transformed myself into a fork, my sister gave me another idea: a fried egg. What you need: White clothes, yellow construction paper, scissors, tape, and a friend willing to dress up as bacon (that’s optional, of course). Simply put on the white clothes, cut out a big yellow circle and tape it onto your belly. Voila. I suppose you could be fried or sunny side up. What a good conversation starter.

Using Boxes as the Base:

RUBIK’S CUBE: I was so excited at how this one came out, and at how simple it was to create. What you need: a box that fits around your body, lots of construction paper, black electrical tape, scissors or a box cutter. Cut out the bottom of the box — that’s where your body/legs will be. Cover the rest of the box with all different colors of construction paper, overlaying them in the configuration of the colored boxes on a Rubik’s cube. Separate the colors with black electrical tape. It’s your choice whether to create a Rubik’s cube that is solved (you show-off!!!) or jumbled (up for the challenge).
FISH TANK: This one is similar to the Rubik’s cube idea. What you need: a box that fits around your body, scissors, markers, clear packing tape, blue construction paper to cover the box, other colored paper for fish, coral, underwater plants. Cut out the bottom of the box. Cover the rest with the blue paper (it’s the water). Cut out a variety of fish, plants, coral, bubbles, etc. and tape or glue them onto the box. Cut out arm holes and a hole for your head. Add some flair with a treasure chest if you want!

easy Halloween costumes — Rubik’s Cube and Fish Tank

Super-easy Poster Board Costumes: (maybe the easiest things on Earth for last-minute Halloween costumes)

There is almost no limit to what you can do with this costume-making convention. What you need: Two full-size pieces of poster board (or oak tag, as we called it when I was a little kid!), whichever color suits your costume theme. You’ll also need scissors, some extra poster board to use for shoulder straps, or some ribbon, tape, possibly a stapler, and colored paper for if you need to add detail to your piece of poster board. For each of the below costumes, you decorate one poster board, which will serve as your front panel. Decorate the second poster board if needed, as that will be on your back. Connect the two together with ribbon or with strips of extra poster board, creating shoulder straps. Just be sure to leave space for your head so you can easily slip this on/off.

As I mentioned, the ideas here are endless. But here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

A CANDY BAR: When I spent a semester in Spain during college, I dressed as a Kit Kat (the way they look in Europe) for a carnival.
PLAYING CARDS: See picture below of my husband, the Ace.
REMOTE CONTROL: I started making this one tonight at 6:11pm and finished at 6:57pm. That’s pretty quick, especially considering that during that time, I cut out shapes in the dark while my kids played with flashlights, I broke up a wrestling match, and I poured at least 16 drinks for my kids.
SMART PHONE: I haven’t made this one, but you’d do it the same way as the remote control.
MARTIAN: I had fun creating that costume with my mom in 1984. Yes, I’m that old. I remember thinking the aluminum foil was so cool. I’m starting to see a trend in costumes and foil and me. Hmmmm.

Using Streamers:

RAINBOW: This is even more simple than the poster board ideas! What you need: Streamers in the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet), and tape. Start wrapping red streamers around your ankles and continue up your body with each color so that you end up looking like a walking rainbow.

A variation on this could be to dress like a PIXIE STICK: What you need: a roll of streamers, white clothes, tape. Wear all white, wrap your chosen color of streamer into diagonal stripes on your body. You’ll end up looking like a walking Pixie Stick, or maybe like a candy stick.

I hope you find these last-minute Halloween costume ideas helpful! I’ve made a lot of them, had fun doing it, and got some great comments on the results! Now here’s what I need YOUR help on! After my boys spooked themselves out the other day, they’re rethinking whether or not to wear their scary zombie costumes (I hope no!). So, R was brainstorming alternatives, and he jokingly said he wanted to dress up as a toothbrush. I assumed it would be easy — wear the same color shirt and pants, tape on a piece of paper with a brand name on it, and make a toothbrush head out of a shoe box. Easy, right? Well, I have a hilarious and horrible attempt at the toothbrush head. We laughed HARD. And he won’t be using this alternate costume. Do you know how to make a cool toothbrush costume? If yes, please let me know.