29 cheap and easy Halloween costumes you can make at home

Halloween costume ideas

by Kayleigh Dray |
Updated on

Looking for a killer cheap and easy Halloween costume you can make at home for you and/or your children? Well, you've come to the right place.

We've all been there: for whatever reason (time, money, pure laziness) you've found yourself without a Halloween costume. But if that's YOU right now (hiya!), don't panic, because we're here to help.

We've scoured the internet and pulled together all the last-minute back-of-the-wardrobe Halloween costume inspiration you need.

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29 CHEAP & EASY Halloween Costumes you can make at home SWIPE

Supergirl in disguise Halloween costume1 of 29
CREDIT: Pinterest

Supergirl in disguise Halloween costume

Is it bird? Is it a plane? No, it's... ah, you get the picture.

Difficulty rating: Ridiculously easy

Cost: Cheap - bag that Superman top from Primark and you're onto a winner.

Cool points: All of them, ever. This is gorgeous.

rainstorm Halloween costume2 of 29
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Rainstorm Halloween costume

Difficulty rating: Not much. As long as your home is full of cotton wool and old beads.

Cost: Cheap (see above)

Cool points: Brain/rain - see what we did there? It's the choice for pun-lovers.

Where's Wally Halloween costume3 of 29
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Where's Wally Halloween costume

THERE HE IS!

Difficulty rating: Hardly at all - it's all about accessorising. In red and white only. Anyone can do that, right?

Cost: You probably already own the top required, but if not you could just get yourself down to your local Primark for a cheap one.

Cool points: Well, you'll blend into the crowd, but not TOO much - as Where's Wally books have proven time and time again.

M&Ms Halloween costume4 of 29
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M&Ms Halloween costume

Amazing group costume idea? We think so.

Difficulty rating: A child could do it.

Cost: Mega cheap.

Cool points: You definitely get a handful for nostalgia.

Regina George Halloween costume5 of 29
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Regina George Halloween costume

Mean Girls fans will definitely love this one.

Difficulty rating: If you can use scissors, you can do this. WE BELIEVE IN YOU!

Cost: You probably have everything you need in your wardrobe.

Cool points: Erm, hello? It's REGINA GEORGE! Your hair will be full of secrets.

Oh Deer Halloween costume6 of 29
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Oh Deer Halloween costume

Whether you're Bambi or an unfortunate deer-in-the-headlights, this is one you can recycle again at Christmastime.

Difficulty rating: The trickiest bit is the antlers - unless you buy them ready-made.

Cost: Not too bad - unless you don't own a furry gilet. Which would be unfortunate.

Cool points: You're more cute than cool, but that's not a bad thing.

Cat Halloween costume7 of 29
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Cat Halloween costume

What's new pussy-cat?

Difficulty rating: As difficult as you want it to be - you can draw on a few whiskers or go super-sultry cat, like this lady did.

Cost: Cheap - you just need black clothes (you own them, trust us), material to make a tail and ears. Which you can buy, if you're so inclined.

Cool points: You'll be feline fierce in this one!

iPod Halloween costume8 of 29
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iPod Halloween costume

Hey look, for a long time it was Apple's hottest musical accessory.

Difficulty rating: None - it's just some cutting and sticking.

Cost: Almost nothing, if you already own a tube dress. Which we bet you do.

Cool points: You're an iPod. What do you think?

Skeleton Halloween costume9 of 29
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Skeleton Halloween costume

Bones are always spooky. Fact.

Difficulty rating: Probably quite - you'll need a steady hand and some skill with the scissors. Also some basic knowledge of human anatomy.

Cost: Nada. Just an old t-shirt.

Cool points: Pretty cool - skeletons are cool, right?

Stretchy smile Halloween makeup10 of 29
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Stretchy smile Halloween makeup

This is genuinely terrifying.

Difficulty rating: It'll take a little time and effort to get the full effect, but it should be no problem to a makeup queen.

Cost: If you own makeup, you should be fine.

Cool points: Erm, how about ALL OF THEM?!

Scarecrow Halloween costume11 of 29
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Scarecrow Halloween costume

It's called a SCARE-crow, isn't it?

Difficulty rating: Unless you're afraid of straw, not difficult at all. If you are, time to move on to the next idea.

Cost: You should have everything you need at home, minus the straw, but, if not, get thee to a Primark.

Cool points: We guess it depends on your opinions on farmer chic.

Bank robber Halloween costume12 of 29
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Bank robber Halloween costume

Burglar, robber, thief - call it what you will, it's a classic.

Difficulty rating: Super low - although drawing dollar signs can be tough.

Cost: We bet you already have everything you need in your wardrobe.

Cool points: You'll definitely have swag (see what we did?)

Mary Poppins Halloween costume13 of 29
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Mary Poppins Halloween costume

Supercalifragilisticepsialidocious stuff.

Difficulty rating: It could be tough to source all the pieces of this costume, we shan't lie.

Cost: Probably the most expensive on this list.

Cool points: Practically perfect in every way.

Energiser Bunny Halloween costume14 of 29
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Energiser Bunny Halloween costume

In a word? Fabulous.

Difficulty rating: Mostly simple, apart from the little drum. Good luck crafting that from an old butter tub!

Cost: Super cheap - who doesn't have pink clothes?

Cool points: Bunnies are more hot than cool - just ask Bridget Jones!

Maleficent Halloween costume15 of 29
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Maleficent Halloween costume

If it's good enough for Angelina, it's good enough for us.

Difficulty rating: Fiddly, but not taxing.

Cost: Cheap enough - you'll always need toilet roll and tin foil, after all. And you just need to team it with a black dress!

Cool points: Did we mention Angelina already? Exactly.

The Little Mermaid Halloween costume16 of 29
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The Little Mermaid Halloween costume

Ariel, as a hipster. Inspired.

Difficulty rating: Not tough - just follow the colour scheme!

Cost: Could be a little costly - especially if you need to buy the wig, the clothes AND Flounder!

Cool points: Hipster Ariel gets all the cool points available, trust us.

Cowgirl Halloween costume17 of 29
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Cowgirl Halloween costume

Well howdy there, partner!

Difficulty rating: Can you put a hat on by yourself? Then not tough.

Cost: Not much - trust us.

Cool points: Yeeee-ha!

WW2 poster girl Halloween costume18 of 29
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WW2 poster girl Halloween costume

It's the original girl power look.

Difficulty rating: None - the toughest bit is tying that headscarf.

Cost: You should have everything you need already, so free.

Cool points: You definitely get points for historical accuracy on this one.

Minnie Mouse Halloween costume19 of 29
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Minnie Mouse Halloween costume

A Disney classic.

Difficulty rating: Easy as pie.

Cost: Minnie-mal. Geddit? Like minimal, but with... forget it.

Cool points: Minnie Mouse is the coolest ever.

Starbucks cup Halloween costume20 of 29
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Starbucks cup Halloween costume

Frappucino, anyone?

Difficulty rating: You will have to craft a straw from loo rolls - and cut out the logo - but we have faith in you.

Cost: Not much - you can swap the furry scarf for bubble wrap or cotton wool if needs be!

Cool points: What could be more cooling than an ice-cold Frappucino, eh?

Broken doll Halloween makeup21 of 29
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Broken doll Halloween makeup

Creeeeepy.

Difficulty rating: Strong makeup skills required.

Cost: Basically free, if you have makeup.

Cool points: Shiver-down-your-spine cool, but cool, nonetheless.

Medusa Halloween costume22 of 29
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Medusa Halloween costume

Yup, the one with snakes in her hair.

Difficulty rating: If you don't own a white dress, you can make a toga from a white sheet - and it's not tough. Just ask YouTube.

Cost: Cheap as chips. Ancient Greek chips.

Cool points: Medusa's the original stone cold fox!

Lady Gaga Halloween costume23 of 29
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Lady Gaga Halloween costume

So many Lady Gagas to choose from, but this seems most appropriate for Halloween.

Difficulty rating: That skull makeup could be tough for some, we imagine.

Cost: Not much, unless you can't get your hands on a shirt and tie.

Cool points: Gaga has a LOT of fans, so we're presuming very.

Velma Halloween costume24 of 29
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Velma Halloween costume

The coolest and smartest member of the Scooby gang is a must for Halloween.

Difficulty rating: Not hard. Trust us.

Cost: You may have to hit up Primark, but we imagine pretty cheap.

Cool points: She's the coolest gal in Coolsville!

Voodoo doll Halloween costume25 of 29
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Voodoo doll Halloween costume

Ouch. That's all.

Difficulty rating: Easy-peasy, although you will have to fashion an oversized heart and some pins.

Cost: This should be easy enough to do with budget gear, like straws and face paint.

Cool points: We're thinking more chilly than cool.

Strawberry Halloween costume26 of 29
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Strawberry Halloween costume

This is adorable, isn't it?

Difficulty rating: That little hat looks fiddly, but it shouldn't be too tough.

Cost: Think green paper, sellotape, scissors and a red top.

Cool points: You're a strawberry, man - what do you want us to say?

Pinball machine Halloween costume27 of 29
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Pinball machine Halloween costume

Retro funtimes, eh?

Difficulty rating: You will have to do a lot of sewing or gluing, but other than that - not high.

Cost: You should be able to do it for less than £20.

Cool points: Everyone wants to play with a pin-ball machine!

Jack Sparrow Halloween costume28 of 29
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Jack Sparrow Halloween costume

You have to do a pirate at least once in a lifetime, right?

Difficulty rating: This is literally just putting on clothes. You can do it!

Cost: Not a lot - with some snipping and imagination you can make this from the stuff in your wardrobe.

Cool points: Enough to sink the Black Pearl

Mime artist Halloween costume29 of 29
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Mime artist Halloween costume

This one speaks for itself - or doesn't.

Difficulty rating: Makeup may be tricky, but the sourcing of black and white clothes should be easy as pie.

Cost: Minimal. Just like conversation is with a mime.

Cool points: Mimes aren't cool, to be honest - but this costume is pretty nifty!

In the gallery above are 29 cheap, easy and genius DIY costumes you can knock up in no time. From Lady Gaga to Velma from Scooby Doo, Mary Poppins and a scarecrow, you seriously don't need to spend a fortune or use up too much time to create these costumes.

So have a quick look through and see if you'll probably find that you have most of the items required for the outfits suggested. Well, some of them anyway.

WATCH: TOWIE's Saffron, Junaid, Roman and Jordan tease what's in store this season

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The Kindness Co-op Boo t-shirt

The Kindness Co-op Boo t-shirt1 of 1
CREDIT: The Kindness Co-op

The Kindness Co-op Boo T-Shirt, RRP £14

But if you need a really, REALLY simple Halloween outfit for your little one, how about the Kindness Co-op's ghost t-shirt?

It comes in sizes from age three to age 14, and is scarily cute.

Not only that, with every purchase, the Kindness Co-op will make a donation to YoungMinds, a charity on a mission to make sure young people get the best possible mental health support and have the resilience to overcome life’s challenges.

A (little bit) creepy t-shirt that comes with good karma? We're sold.

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