Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

I love Halloween.

I love the candy and pumpkin-themed goodies and adorable trick-or-treaters, but mostly, I love costumes. And what I possibly love even more than costumes themselves is the creative quest to assemble/make said costume out of whatever ordinary pieces I can find around the house, in thrift stores, or at the grocery store -- no visits to cheesy Halloween stores required.

Even if you are just staying home handing out candy to tiny ghouls, princesses, and super heroes, you can get in the spirit of things with minimal effort. Below, I have assembled several of my favorite links for easy/DIY costumes. Enjoy!

original photo, here.

Modcloth always has my favorite costume ideas based on real articles of clothing from their site. This Breakfast at Tiffany's ensemble is easy and spot-on. All you need is a Little Black Dress, some statement jewelry, and, if you want to up your game, some long black gloves.

Photography: Janae Hardy; original photo, here.

One of my favorite blogs, A Beautiful Mess, consistently has great ideas for DIY costumes. Isn't this Peter Pan-themed family great? Also, their last-minute couples costumes are easy and cheap.

Pop Sugar just put out a huge list of DIY costumes. I don't like all of them, but this Rosie the Riveter idea is great!

My take on Joan from Madmen

If you don't want to get too costumey, you can look to your favorite TV shows for inspiration, like I did in these ordinary outfits based on TV: 1, and 2. A few tweaks would transform them into "real" costumes.

Also, it's easy to buy just one special Halloween piece and add to ordinary clothes to create a costume. 

For example: 

For a Man: Any shirt+Jeans+large, round battery-operated light taped to the inside of a shirt = Tony Stark:

 For a woman: Jeans+T-shirt+Cat ears and tail = Member of Josie and the Pussycats:

And from the TBTuesday costume, up top: old bridesmaid dress + wings = fairy princess.

Finally, let's not forget our furry friends:

Wendy McGee/Crosswind Studios: See photo here.

Cats in costumes are the greatest. I just wish I could get my kitties to endure the adorable indignity! See more here. Then, check out this story on a brilliant pet owner who dressed her dogs up as  Khaleesi and her dragons.