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Celebrate Halloween to its fullest by creating your own costume—even if you don’t have months to prepare. Using craft supplies and closet basics you already have on hand, you can make a wide array of creative looks. This year, set out to make DIY costumes for the entire family (kids, couples, and even pets) for a completely homemade Halloween full of happy memories.
4 Adorable Last-Minute No-Sew Costumes for Halloween
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Scarecrow Costume
Pick up a pair of denim overalls and stitch on a couple of scraps of fabric for the base of this cute scarecrow costume. Don’t forget a floppy hat, yarn pigtails, and drawn-on freckles to complete this easy ensemble.
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Octopus Costume
![Octopus]()
While this costume looks impressive, it’s a fairly simple DIY. Four pairs of striped tights transform into tentacles (thanks to a bit of cotton batting) to turn any kid into their favorite sea creature.
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Mime Costume
![Mime]()
Practice your wordless humor and grab a pair of white gloves to put together a simple French mime costume. Top things off with a bold striped shirt and white pancake makeup.
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Taco Costume
![Taco Costume]()
Why limit yourself to just eating your favorite food when you can easily personify it for Halloween too? While this taco costume looks impressive and complicated, it’s actually quite simple to construct: start with a brown dress, then add felt toppings and a foam shell.
Taco Costume from Aww Sam
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Flapper Costume
![Flapper]()
Celebrate Halloween Roaring Twenties style by recreating the trendiest outfits of the Jazz Age. Embellish a little black dress (grab the one that’s just gathering dust in your closet) with fringe and pearls, then don’t forget to set your hair in pin curls overnight for the perfect flapper look.
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Firecracker Costume
![Firecracker]()
Club Crafted
Combine your love for the Fourth of July with Halloween this year by embodying a festive, sparkling firework. A bright red lip or glittering eye makeup tops this look off.
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Family Superhero Costumes
![Superhero Costumes]()
Capitalize on the superhero craze this Halloween by designing your own heroes inspired by your family’s strengths. Create your own color schemes, sigils, and masks using everyday arts and craft supplies.
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Felt Robot Costume
![Felt Robot Costume]()
While cardboard shipping boxes are tempting media for a robot costume, they often leave the wearer immobile and uncomfortable. Opt instead to create the cogs and gears from felt, then glue them to a sweatshirt for an easy, homemade costume (doable in an afternoon or two).
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Girl Scouts Costumes
![Girl Scouts]()
Lend a nostalgic vibe to your Halloween costume by going as a girl (or boy) scout. Add creative merit badges to add another cheeky layer to these outfits. (Try: trick-or-treating, apple bobbing, or pumpkin carving)
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Greaser Couples Costume
![Greaser Couples Costume]()
Get ready for the sock hop or the drive-in this Halloween by channeling the 1950s (or at least the movie "Grease"). This idea makes a great group costume, too, just iron on (or hand paint if you’re feeling brave) a personalized group name to the back of each member’s jacket.
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X-Ray Skeleton Costume
![X-Ray Skeleton]()
Update a classic Halloween costume (the skeleton) a la this clever idea. Use a cardboard shipping box to mimic the shape of an x-ray machine, and stencil in a set of bones.
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Sailor Costume
![Sailor Costume]()
Gather all your navy blue and white striped clothing to put together a classic sailor costume. Top things off with a simple boater’s cap (or fashion one from posterboard if you have trouble sourcing one) and a vibrant red scarf.
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Fox Costume
![Fox Costume]()
A set of plain pajamas is all you need to get started on this adorable fox costume. In fact, you can easily transform a pair of PJs into a puppy, bear, or bunny too. Pro tip: skip the potentially messy fabric dying steps by sourcing a onesie or twin set in your preferred color online.
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Paint Swatch Costume
![Paint Swatch Costume]()
Inspired by a recent room remodel? Recreate your favorite paint swatch by hand-dying a cotton dress. It’s easier than it sounds, and a few bits of self-adhesive ribbon and lettering make this finished costume look super professional.
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Deviled Egg Costume
![Deviled Egg]()
Have a penchant for puns? Take your fondness for wordplay to Halloween with this clever Deviled Egg Costume. Don’t forget a pair of red horns and a spiked tail (make them from craft foam or felt in minutes).
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Taxidermy Deer Costume
![Taxidermy Deer]()
For those whose creativity lies more withe makeup application than sewing, a taxidermied animal costume is perfect. If you can create a pair of antlers, then the rest of your outfit is completely open to interpretation.
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Bubble Bath Costume
![Bubble Bath Costume]()
Ditch the predictable bunch of grapes balloon-based costumes and opt instead for a creative bubble bath-come-to-life. This is a great handmade costume that your little one can participate in making, and you’ll be grateful for the second pair of lungs when inflating all those balloons.
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Sriracha Hot Sauce Costume
![Sriarcha Costume]()
The biggest hot sauce fans will already own a tee shirt with their favorite brand’s logo, but you can always create and apply an iron-on to a plain tee too. An easy, colorful homemade paper cap tops the costume off.
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Minnie Mouse Costume
![Minnie Mouse]()
While this one comes together much easier if you can find a polka-dotted dress, you could stamp paint a plain red frock to resemble Minnie Mouse’s outfit easily enough. This is a great option for those celebrating Halloween in cooler climates—the black leggings and undershirt keep you comfortably covered.
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Boba Tea Costume
![Boba Tea]()
A handmade, pom-pom embellished dress is cute all on its own, but when paired with a thick straw headband, it becomes an adorable boba tea costume. Try varying the dress color for a different “flavor” of bubble tea.
Boba Tea Costume from Aww Sam
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Hot Air Balloon Costume
![Hot Air Balloon Costume]()
Sure to catch the attention of the neighborhood (or costume contest), this hot air balloon ensemble is cheery, creative, and fun. Don’t forget a set of goggles for your mini-aviator, and finish the effect with a flight suit or bomber jacket.
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Crayon Costume
![Crayons]()
This set of costumes is a great solution for a bunch of kids with different personalities. Everyone can select their favorite color to dress as, and can even make the paper crayon accessories with little or no adult help.
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Cool Cucumber Costume
![Cool Cucumber]()
Go with monochromatic green, embellished slightly with strips of felt, to mimic a fresh cucumber. Don’t leave home without your cool accessories, though. Grab some sunglasses, a backward baseball hat, or even a few drawn-on tattoos.
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Rate Race Costume
![Rat rac costumes]()
Do you have a group of kids at home that needs a quick group costume? Consider making a few sets of mouse ears, noses, and tails to turn your little ones into rodents, then finish the wordplay with racing bibs and running shoes.
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Flamingo Costume
![Flamingo]()
Raid the bachelorette party section of your party supply store to score a few pink feather boas for a homemade flamingo costume. Bonus: If you use double-sided tape or hot glue to construct your bird, this outfit becomes completely no-sew.
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Pineapple Costume
![Pineapple]()
Diary of a Debutante This costume is all about the headgear: the leafy pineapple topper. Consider going all-in by adding texture to a yellow dress with fabric paint or beads and a tropical flower or two.
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Pac-Man Costume
![Pac Man Costume]()
For the arcadephile, create this Pac-Man inspired dress with simple felt cut-outs. One of the best parts of this project? It’s completely no-sew. Create a few based on other games too for an on-theme group costume.
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Essential Oil Costume
![Essential Oil Costume]()
Flexible cardboard is the base of many costumes, and it definitely does the trick here. Once you have the general shape, an essential oil costume could easily become a bottle of perfume, or a vase (just add a homemade flower hat).
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Miss Universe Costume
![Miss Universe]()
Practice that beauty queen wave and dazzling smile with this Miss Universe outfit, you’ll be the star of the show this Halloween. Construction paper stars and planets pinned to a glittery dress drive home a literal interpretation of the pageant title.
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Birds of a Feather Costume
![Birds of a Feather]()
This colorful costume for a pair couldn’t be easier—a few faux feathers here and there are all you really need to transform a bright sweater into vibrant foliage. Add a beak made from construction paper and elastic string to take these costumes up a notch.
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Wind-Up Doll Costume
![Wind-Up Doll]()
Running super short on time? This costume is the perfect solution for a busy parent. Construct a wind-up key from recyclable materials, and affix to the back of a babydoll dress. Your costume is complete.
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Jellyfish Costume
![Jellyfish]()
Perfect for the child (or adult) who’s a bit costume-averse, this jellyfish ensemble is all about the props. So, keep your comfortable clothes on while still getting into the dress-up spirit of the holiday.
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Mixtape Costume
![Mix Tape]()
Go a little retro this Halloween by creating a mixtape, but this time make it wearable. It's the perfect costume for the resident DJ of the party.
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Nerd Costume
![Nerd]()
No need to run out to the craft store or costume shop for this outfit, just grab a few items from your closet. Don’t hesitate to mix colors, clash patterns, or overdo it on the scholastic accessories to make your nerd costume really come to life.
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Popcorn Costume
![Popcorn]()
Whether you’re headed to the movies or the county fair, it’s hard to resist a bag of buttery popcorn. Embody your favorite salty, tasty treat this Halloween with a few yellow balloons and a red-and-white striped outfit.
Popcorn Costume from Aww Sam
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Lucy and Ethel Costumes
![Lucy and Ethel]()
Grab your bestie and pay homage to a well-loved comedic duo with this retro costume. Hit the thrift store for A-Line midi skirts, silk scarves, and prim blouses to make these outfits simple to construct and easy on the wallet.
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Life Gives You Lemons Costume
![Life Gives you Lemons]()
Capture your favorite idiom, in costume form, this Halloween. A sunny yellow outfit and basket of citrus are all you need for a smart, DIYed ensemble this year.
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Snapchat Flower Crown Filter Costume
![Flower Crown]()
Open your favorite social media app to gather inspiration for a simple Halloween costume. To bring a Snapchat filter to life, make your own paper flowers, form into a crown, and add dewy makeup. Get creative with your outfit here; there’s no wrong way to interpret a face filter.
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Operation Costume
![Operation]()
Bring your favorite board game to life with a few simple felt cutouts glued to a sweatsuit. Bonus points for making a buzzing sound whenever anyone touches you.
