Halloween 2015: 17 cheap, easy and awesome DIY Halloween costume tutorials

1. The Mad Hatter

“You’re entirely bonkers - but I’ll tell you a secret: All the best people are.”

Ah, the Mad Hatter; one of the most iconic characters in all of literature, he’s just creepy enough to make it onto our Halloween costume list.

Check out the video tutorial below:

A lot of this one is down to clever makeup and accessorising; you can do an awful lot with a waistcoat and pocket watch, after all.

But we particularly love this DIY tutorial as it shows you how to make your very own top hat from scratch, using cardboard, scissors, felt, ribbon, and a bit of creativity.

We’ll definitely be giving it a go - how about you?

“They are a true monster lover’s dream come true.”

Zombies are pretty much the go-to costume for anyone struggling to think up an idea for Halloween, and that’s because you can turn almost any old outfit into tattered zombie rags.

All you need to do is get ripping and dipping with red food dye.

But the secret to looking like a GREAT zombie, as opposed to a last-minute one, is all down to great makeup.

Check it out:

Pale face, bloodied mouth, shadows under the eyes and barely there lips?

It might look tricksy, but it’s VERY simple to recreate for yourselves.

Just don’t blame us if you send people screaming in your wake.

“Why so serious?”

The Joker is an instantly recognisable villain of the DC Comics world and, thanks to the Batman movies, plenty of people will get the reference (even if they aren’t into their comic books).

Again, this costume is reliant on you having great makeup (not to mention a green wig).

Check it out:

Amazing.

you can team yours with a purple blazer and tie, as shown in the video, or opt for a purple vest top and green bow tie instead - completely your call.

Either way, they’ll get it. Trust me.

“The living are made of nothing but flaws. The dead, with each passing day in the afterlife, become more and more impeccable to those who remain earthbound.”

The Sugar Skull look is chilling, yet also so very beautiful - and we love how this tutorial adds a twist to the classic Day of The Dead look.

Check it out:

From the makeup to the headband to the costume itself, this one is pretty in-depth - but, as you can see for yourselves, the effects are well worth it.

“And remember that, in a world of ordinary mortals, you are a wonder woman.”

If you fancy being the good guy as opposed to the terrifying bad guy this Halloween, why not try donning a homemade Wonder Woman costume?

Check it out:

The genius with this tutorial is that you can adjust it to suit you; make the skirt as short (or long) as you like, feel free to add sleeves to your basque and go CRAZY with the makeup.

Love it.

“It is plain as anyone can see, we’re simply meant to be.”

Tim Burton has given us plenty of amazingly creepy characters to fall in love with over the years, but none have been as enduring as The Nightmare Before Christmas’s Sally.

Check it out:

Team it with a red wig and a raggedy dress (stick a few brightly coloured patches to a brown or yellow gown, using a black marker to create an OTT cross-stitch design) and you have a winner.

“You know, you could stay forever, if you want to. There's one tiny thing we have to do first... "

If you haven’t seen Coraline yet, you need to; it might be billed as a kid’s movie, but it’s absolutely terrifying.

The Other Mother - aka the doppelgänger who lives inside the walls - lures a little girl away from her real mother with treats and games… but she has one desire: to sew buttons into her eyes and keep her in the dark forever.

Yup, like we said - it’s chilling.

Check it out:

Team it with a black dress or skirt-and-jumper combo, grab yourself a needle and thread, and carry about a box of buttons.

Don’t blame us if children start crying when you appear.

“Assemble the minions!”

They’re minions to evil villains, which makes them (technically) bad guys and therefore suitable for Halloween.

Even if they ARE ridiculously cute.

Check it out:

We love it. We love it SO much it hurts.

How about you?

“Funny how you feel most alive when your heart skips a few beats.”

This one was too sweet not to include - you can always make it more Halloween-appropritae with a little fake blood…

Check it out:

Ah, a tutu. We’ve always wanted a tutu.

“Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble…”

What could be easier than a classic witch, eh?

And, with this tutorial, you get a few exta-special tips to make sure yours looks just that little cooler than all the other hags gathered around the cauldron this Halloween.

Check it out:

Simple, yet effective.

We’re definitely on board - or should that be ‘on broom’?

“I’ll get you, my pretty - and your little dog, too!”

Up the ante with your witch costume and take inspiration from The Wizard of oz this Halloween.

As you may have guessed, there’s a LOT of green makeup involved.

Check it out:

Wicked.

“According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves.”

If you don’t have a white sheet lying around the house, it’ll be easy enough to bags at your local Wilkinson’s - which means that this Greek Goddess costume is easily within your grasp.

Check it out:

So beautiful, so powerful, so terrible.

Anyone else tempted to give this a go?

“There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us.”

Catwoman is part evil, part good - and a LOT mischievous.

Even better, she has an intently recognisable - and EASILY recreated - costume.

Check it out:

Purr-fect.

“Dolls with no little girls around to mind them were sort of creepy under any circumstances.”

If you’re anything like us, you’re easily scared of dolls. Those staring eyes, those painted smiles… it’s enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.

And this costume recreates all of that terror - and beauty - perfectly.

Check it out:

Team with a raggedy dress, pigtails and dolly shoes (or a plastic knife) to complete the look.

“I don't care how you kill the little beasts, but do it, and do it now!”

Anyone who murders innocent animals for fashion is pure evil in our eyes - and none more so than puppy-napper Cruella DeVil.

Thankfully, her outfit is VERY easy to put together, without harming a single critter.

And yeah, we admit it, it’s pretty stylish too.

Check it out:

If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.

“Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.”

Ah, the Devil - talk about one-upping all the other evil villains on this list, eh?

Another classic Halloween staple, this tutorial teaches you how to team your simple red costume with some seriously red-hot makeup.

Check it out:

Burn, baby, burn.

“Hi, I'm Chucky. Wanna play?“

This doll… this doll gave us nightmares. Honestly it did.

So it makes sense that it’ll want to pop out to play on halloween, doesn’t it?

Check it out:

Team with a red wig, a brightly coloured stripy t-shirt, and jeans or denim shorts.

Grab a plastic knife for true horror appeal.

Which of these Halloween DIY costumes will you be trying this year? Let us know via Facebook or Twitter (@CloserOnline) now.