One of my favorite aspects of Halloween season is dressing up. As part of my #31DaysofHalloweenOutfitChallenge, I decided to challenge myself to wear a Halloween costume, cosplay, or bound each day of October. Since getting to stores isn't safe for a lot of us this year, I figured I'd share some of the looks I came up with which use either items that I think many people are likely to have around the house or which should be DIYable with common household supplies. Hopefully these can give you some ideas for costumes you can piece together with materials you already own.
A lot of the costumes do include rompers or dresses, because I have those in my closet, but I know not everyone will have these types of items. However, just because I use an item doesn't mean that's the only way to orchestrate the costume. Matching a character's color scheme or vibe goes a long way, and there are no rules requiring you to style your look around the gender that these characters had in their source materials.
For more inspiration, check out my Three Cheap and Easy Halloween Costume Ideas and More Cheap and Easy Halloween Costume Ideas posts, and follow along on Instagram either through my account, @amberscraftaweekblog, or using #31DaysofHalloweenOutfitChallenge. For even more DIY costume ideas, check out these Meowth, Magikarp, and Vaporeon looks, these Pikachu ears, this paper doll costume, this Astrophysicist Barbie look, this Ricky's Girlfriend (from The 'Burbs) costume, these Dana Scully and Fox Mulder looks, this Yellow Ribbon scary story costume, and these Daphne Blake and Shaggy Rogers looks.
Items I used:
*White dress or romper (could be a wedding dress)
*Black faux leather or leather jacket
*Carving knife
*Dark eyeshadow
*Black lipstick
*Fishnets
*Combat boots
Putting the look together:
Looking for a way to re-use your wedding dress? If you got married in white, then this may be the perfect costume for you. My wedding dress is blue, so I couldn't use it for this look, but luckily I had a white romper on hand that I thought had the right vibe. To finish this look, you really just need a (faux) leather jacket and some dark makeup, although the carving knife is a nice touch.
Items I used:
*Blue dress or romper
*Black bow headband
*Key shaped locket necklace
*Pearl jewelry
*Black shoes
Putting the look together:
Speaking of wedding dresses, here's me repurposing mine for this Alice in Wonderland look. I have done a ton of Alice bounds (bounds are similar to costumes, but they tend to be more about matching the character's vibe than replicating their look exactly) and would love someday to write a post on all of them. This is my "fancy Alice" look, but when I wear just the romper without the overskirt, I have a look that's closer to the classic Disney Alice.
With Alice, since there are so many variations on her, you have a lot of leeway. Pick the items that you think best represent her. For me, it's the black bow and the blue dress. If you don't have a black hair bow of your own, here's how you can make one using black ribbon and a headband. From there, I'd recommend trying to add a few jewelry items or accessories which you feel give off Alice's vibe or have a Wonderland feel. I have some key shaped jewelry items, a cat pearl ring, white tights, black and white striped knee socks, and a "drink me" vial pendant necklace that I'll alternate using to switch up my Alice look so I'm not always wearing the same thing. I also have a pinafore apron that I sewed that I'll add for a more classic Alice look, and if you have a plain white apron, that could be a nice addition to your costume.
Items I used:
*Coral colored bodysuit
*Light wash denim shorts
*Brown belt
*White shoes
Putting the look together:
My key objective here was finding items in the right color palette that resembled the ones Jennifer Grey wears in the film. I didn't have her iconic white Keds (or any white sneakers), so I opted for a pair of white heels instead. Since these are regular clothes, and this outfit isn't as recognizable as Baby's pink dress look, be prepared to explain it to people. Unless perhaps your pals on the Halloween Zoom party are all die hard Dirty Dancing fans.
Items I used:
*Pink romper and pink tulle skirt (or you could use a pink dress instead)
*Pink heels
*Bobby pins
Putting the look together:
Okay, I've done Baby's pink dress look before on this blog, so maybe this one's cheating. But I had a flouncy skirt and better heels this time around, so I couldn't help but share. Got a flouncy pink dress? Then you're good to go. If you have long hair, you can always put it in a faux bob to better match Jennifer Grey's hair in the film. Here's a faux bob tutorial that I've worked from before.
Items I used:
*Doll-like dress or romper
*Tights
*Heels
*Bow
*DIY wind up key
*Black liquid eyeliner
*Black eyeliner pencil
*Setting spray
*Pearl jewelry
Putting the look together:
For this cracked doll costume, all you need are clothes that look doll-like to you and some eyeliner to draw on the cracks. I like to draw the cracks with an eyeliner pencil first, so it's easier to clean up if I mess up, and then go over them with liquid eyeliner to make them darker. Setting spray is optional, but it can help make the cracks last longer, especially if you have oily skin.
You can add all sorts of embellishments, such as a wind up key (see this tutorial) or ball joint tights. Or stitched tights if you're going for a doll with a cloth body but porcelain head. I wore a similar look last year for Halloween, so if you want to see a slight variation on this look, check out this post (the costume is about midway through the post).
Items I used:
*Plaid shirt
*Tan jumper
*Brown belt
*Brown shoes
*Scarecrow hat
*Scarecrow gloves
*Stitched tights
*Orange eyeshadow
*Gold eyeshadow
*Red lipstick
*Black pencil eyeliner
*Setting spray
Putting the look together:
The scarecrow is a fantastic costume option for many reasons. The makeup is what makes the look, so as long as you have the right makeup on hand, you have the main tools you'll need. I, as usual, didn't work from a tutorial and winged it, but if you're looking for a scarecrow makeup video tutorial, this one looks good.
For clothes, you've got a lot of options. A plaid shirt and denim jeans or overalls are classic, but scarecrows can wear all sorts of clothes. This look is also great if you live in a cooler climate, since you can bundle up and add layers without it looking awkward. You can also add fun scarecrow accessories if you'd like, but you don't have to. Here's my look minus the hat and gloves, and I'd say it still gives off strong scarecrow vibes:
Items we used for the crow:
*Black cardstock or construction paper
*Scissors
*Tape
*Black clothes
Putting the look together:
Need a match for a scarecrow costume? Enter the crow. Construct a beak shape from black paper and pair it with black clothes and you're good to go. You could add some elastic to hold it to your head, but Brian ended up taping his to his nose. It's not the most elaborate costume, and there are nicer ones you can make if you have more time, but it should work in a pinch.
Items I used:
*Red cloak
*Red liquid lipstick for scratches
*Dark eyeshadow for scratches
*Plastic axe
Putting the look together:
If you have a red cloak or cape, that's basically all you need for Little Red Riding Hood. Accessorize with a basket or a fake axe, if you'd like, and use liquid lipstick and a little eyeshadow for some scratches from your confrontation with the wolf (here are seven tutorials for making fake cuts without using special sfx products, including the all makeup one I loosely followed). But all that's the cherry on top. If you have the cloak, people will probably recognize you.
Items I used:
*Bobby pins. ALL the bobby pins
*White romper
*White leggings
*White shoes
Putting the look together:
Princess Leia's cinnamon bun hairstyle is so iconic that if you pair it with an all white ensemble (or another look she wears in the films), people will know who you are. Brian was in a virtual meeting at work, and I had to walk past his desk, where his low resolution webcam was, and someone said to Brian something along the lines of, "I see Princess Leia walking around in the background." So even though I didn't feel like it was the greatest match for Leia, it was super recognizable (and also my most liked look on my @all_of_my_outfits Insta). Here's the tutorial I tried to follow for the hair.
Items I used:
*Blue romper or dress
*White long sleeved shirt
*Brown shoes
*Book bag/book
*Book pendant
Putting the look together:
Instead of trying to match characters exactly as they were depicted in film, why not give them a modern upgrade? For me, the key elements I wanted to incorporate to make this feel Belle-like were the blue and white combo and books. It's not a replica of Belle's look, but I think it still has strong Belle vibes, especially with all the book elements.
Items I used:
*Yellow romper or dress
*Book pendant
Items I used:
For more inspiration, check out my Three Cheap and Easy Halloween Costume Ideas and More Cheap and Easy Halloween Costume Ideas posts, and follow along on Instagram either through my account, @amberscraftaweekblog, or using #31DaysofHalloweenOutfitChallenge. For even more DIY costume ideas, check out these Meowth, Magikarp, and Vaporeon looks, these Pikachu ears, this paper doll costume, this Astrophysicist Barbie look, this Ricky's Girlfriend (from The 'Burbs) costume, these Dana Scully and Fox Mulder looks, this Yellow Ribbon scary story costume, and these Daphne Blake and Shaggy Rogers looks.
Tiffany Valentine (aka the Bride of Chucky)
Items I used:
*White dress or romper (could be a wedding dress)
*Black faux leather or leather jacket
*Carving knife
*Dark eyeshadow
*Black lipstick
*Fishnets
*Combat boots
Putting the look together:
Looking for a way to re-use your wedding dress? If you got married in white, then this may be the perfect costume for you. My wedding dress is blue, so I couldn't use it for this look, but luckily I had a white romper on hand that I thought had the right vibe. To finish this look, you really just need a (faux) leather jacket and some dark makeup, although the carving knife is a nice touch.
Alice in Wonderland
Items I used:
*Blue dress or romper
*Black bow headband
*Key shaped locket necklace
*Pearl jewelry
*Black shoes
Putting the look together:
Speaking of wedding dresses, here's me repurposing mine for this Alice in Wonderland look. I have done a ton of Alice bounds (bounds are similar to costumes, but they tend to be more about matching the character's vibe than replicating their look exactly) and would love someday to write a post on all of them. This is my "fancy Alice" look, but when I wear just the romper without the overskirt, I have a look that's closer to the classic Disney Alice.
With Alice, since there are so many variations on her, you have a lot of leeway. Pick the items that you think best represent her. For me, it's the black bow and the blue dress. If you don't have a black hair bow of your own, here's how you can make one using black ribbon and a headband. From there, I'd recommend trying to add a few jewelry items or accessories which you feel give off Alice's vibe or have a Wonderland feel. I have some key shaped jewelry items, a cat pearl ring, white tights, black and white striped knee socks, and a "drink me" vial pendant necklace that I'll alternate using to switch up my Alice look so I'm not always wearing the same thing. I also have a pinafore apron that I sewed that I'll add for a more classic Alice look, and if you have a plain white apron, that could be a nice addition to your costume.
Frances "Baby" Houseman from Dirty Dancing
Shorts and Bodysuit Look:
Items I used:
*Coral colored bodysuit
*Light wash denim shorts
*Brown belt
*White shoes
Putting the look together:
My key objective here was finding items in the right color palette that resembled the ones Jennifer Grey wears in the film. I didn't have her iconic white Keds (or any white sneakers), so I opted for a pair of white heels instead. Since these are regular clothes, and this outfit isn't as recognizable as Baby's pink dress look, be prepared to explain it to people. Unless perhaps your pals on the Halloween Zoom party are all die hard Dirty Dancing fans.
Pink Dress Look:
Items I used:
*Pink romper and pink tulle skirt (or you could use a pink dress instead)
*Pink heels
*Bobby pins
Putting the look together:
Okay, I've done Baby's pink dress look before on this blog, so maybe this one's cheating. But I had a flouncy skirt and better heels this time around, so I couldn't help but share. Got a flouncy pink dress? Then you're good to go. If you have long hair, you can always put it in a faux bob to better match Jennifer Grey's hair in the film. Here's a faux bob tutorial that I've worked from before.
Cracked Porcelain Doll
Items I used:
*Doll-like dress or romper
*Tights
*Heels
*Bow
*DIY wind up key
*Black liquid eyeliner
*Black eyeliner pencil
*Setting spray
*Pearl jewelry
Putting the look together:
For this cracked doll costume, all you need are clothes that look doll-like to you and some eyeliner to draw on the cracks. I like to draw the cracks with an eyeliner pencil first, so it's easier to clean up if I mess up, and then go over them with liquid eyeliner to make them darker. Setting spray is optional, but it can help make the cracks last longer, especially if you have oily skin.
You can add all sorts of embellishments, such as a wind up key (see this tutorial) or ball joint tights. Or stitched tights if you're going for a doll with a cloth body but porcelain head. I wore a similar look last year for Halloween, so if you want to see a slight variation on this look, check out this post (the costume is about midway through the post).
Scarecrow
Items I used:
*Plaid shirt
*Tan jumper
*Brown belt
*Brown shoes
*Scarecrow hat
*Scarecrow gloves
*Stitched tights
*Orange eyeshadow
*Gold eyeshadow
*Red lipstick
*Black pencil eyeliner
*Setting spray
Putting the look together:
The scarecrow is a fantastic costume option for many reasons. The makeup is what makes the look, so as long as you have the right makeup on hand, you have the main tools you'll need. I, as usual, didn't work from a tutorial and winged it, but if you're looking for a scarecrow makeup video tutorial, this one looks good.
For clothes, you've got a lot of options. A plaid shirt and denim jeans or overalls are classic, but scarecrows can wear all sorts of clothes. This look is also great if you live in a cooler climate, since you can bundle up and add layers without it looking awkward. You can also add fun scarecrow accessories if you'd like, but you don't have to. Here's my look minus the hat and gloves, and I'd say it still gives off strong scarecrow vibes:
Bonus: Scarecrow and Scared Crow Couples' Costume
Items we used for the crow:
*Black cardstock or construction paper
*Scissors
*Tape
*Black clothes
Putting the look together:
Need a match for a scarecrow costume? Enter the crow. Construct a beak shape from black paper and pair it with black clothes and you're good to go. You could add some elastic to hold it to your head, but Brian ended up taping his to his nose. It's not the most elaborate costume, and there are nicer ones you can make if you have more time, but it should work in a pinch.
Little Red Riding Hood
Items I used:
*Red cloak
*Red liquid lipstick for scratches
*Dark eyeshadow for scratches
*Plastic axe
Putting the look together:
If you have a red cloak or cape, that's basically all you need for Little Red Riding Hood. Accessorize with a basket or a fake axe, if you'd like, and use liquid lipstick and a little eyeshadow for some scratches from your confrontation with the wolf (here are seven tutorials for making fake cuts without using special sfx products, including the all makeup one I loosely followed). But all that's the cherry on top. If you have the cloak, people will probably recognize you.
Princess Leia
Items I used:
*Bobby pins. ALL the bobby pins
*White romper
*White leggings
*White shoes
Putting the look together:
Princess Leia's cinnamon bun hairstyle is so iconic that if you pair it with an all white ensemble (or another look she wears in the films), people will know who you are. Brian was in a virtual meeting at work, and I had to walk past his desk, where his low resolution webcam was, and someone said to Brian something along the lines of, "I see Princess Leia walking around in the background." So even though I didn't feel like it was the greatest match for Leia, it was super recognizable (and also my most liked look on my @all_of_my_outfits Insta). Here's the tutorial I tried to follow for the hair.
Belle from Beauty and the Beast
Blue Dress Look:
Items I used:
*Blue romper or dress
*White long sleeved shirt
*Brown shoes
*Book bag/book
*Book pendant
Putting the look together:
Instead of trying to match characters exactly as they were depicted in film, why not give them a modern upgrade? For me, the key elements I wanted to incorporate to make this feel Belle-like were the blue and white combo and books. It's not a replica of Belle's look, but I think it still has strong Belle vibes, especially with all the book elements.
Yellow Dress Look:
Items I used:
*Yellow romper or dress
*Book pendant
*Artificial red roses
Putting the look together:
Here's another modern spin on one of Disney's beloved princesses. I opted for a yellow romper instead of Belle's classic ballgown, mainly because I don't have a yellow ballgown, or the room in my house to store a ballgown. With the book pendant and red roses, I think this look still gives off Belle vibes, but a more modern, semiformal Belle style.
Putting the look together:
Here's another modern spin on one of Disney's beloved princesses. I opted for a yellow romper instead of Belle's classic ballgown, mainly because I don't have a yellow ballgown, or the room in my house to store a ballgown. With the book pendant and red roses, I think this look still gives off Belle vibes, but a more modern, semiformal Belle style.
Daphne Blake (featuring Shaggy Rogers)
*Purple romper or dress
*Lavender headband
*Purple shoes
*Green scarf
*Lighter purple removable vinyl
*Colorista hair makeup in bronze-auburn
*Magnifying glass
Putting the look together:
I've put together a Daphne Blake look before on this blog (see this post), but this updated look has some details that the previous one didn't, so I figured I'd include it. First of all, notice that stripe at the bottom of my romper? That's removable vinyl. If you need to add details to a costume, but don't want to permanently alter your costume, then removable vinyl is your friend. To give this romper a little more of a Daphne vibe, I just cut off a few strips of removable vinyl, stuck them to the bottom of the romper, and when I was done, peeled them off. I wouldn't recommend using it on delicate fabrics necessarily, but I've used it on sequined materials and cotton/polyester without issue.
Instead of hair chalking, I've shifted over to using hair makeup, which is less mess and less hassle. Unfortunately, Colorista doesn't have a color yet that's a perfect match for Daphne (or other fictional redheads), but if I apply the bronze-auburn very lightly, brushing out most of the color as I go, I can get something that kind of works.
Queen of Hearts
Items I used:
*DIY crown
*Red romper or dress
*Heart belt
Putting the look together:
The Queen of Hearts is another character who has been depicted in many different ways over the years, so you have quite a lot of freedom when it comes to your look. I opted for lots of red and heart details to convey my Queen of Hearts vibe. I threw together a quick crown from gold cardstock and added glittery red hearts, but if you don't have cardstock, yellow and red construction paper should work. Your crown will just be a little flimsier. Also, I like to cut tiny slits toward the bottom of my crowns so that I can slide bobby pins through to hold them on my head.
Witch
Items I used:
*Black romper
*Velvet bell sleeved top
*Bat belt
*Spellbook necklace
*Buckle booties
I have done so many witchy looks over the years (see, eg., me in 2016 and me in 2017). In fact, my witch costume was the first costume I featured on my blog, and the hat and cape I sewed for it were some of my first machine sewing projects. The version I have pictured above isn't the most elaborate witch look I've put together, but it's one of the more accessible ones because you don't have to sew anything. If you don't already have a witch hat, you can throw one together from cardstock or construction paper and glue it to a headband. Or you can go without a hat, because plenty of witches don't wear hats.
Cat
Items I used:
*DIY cat ears
*Black clothes
*Red ribbon
Putting the look together
The cat is probably one of the most universal Halloween costumes there is. It makes sense; cats are adorable, and cat costumes are fairly easy to assemble. All you need are a set of ears and some clothes in a color scheme that matches your vision for your cat look. I went with all black, because black cats are awesome. Don't have a pair of cat ears? Cut ear shapes out of felt and glue them to a headband. Seriously, if you're looking for one crafting material to invest in, make it felt. It is relatively inexpensive and oh so versatile. But if you don't have any felt on hand, you could use colored paper or painted cardboard in a pinch. Try adding some ribbon or a choker for a collar.
Prom Queen
Items I used:
*Party dress
*Tiara
*Sash
Putting the look together:
Some of the best horror movies happen at the prom, so why not throw together your own prom royalty look? I bought a tiara for this, but you can always throw together a paper crown (see Queen of Hearts above for an example). I cut out one face of a paper bag and used some ribbon to tie it around my DIY wedding bouquet to make it look more prom and less wedding. I also bought the sash, but I think with the crown and flowers, people will get prom or pageant vibes even without a sash.
Bonus: Zom(bie Prom) Queen
Items I used:
*Prom Queen outfit (see above)
*Crimson paint for fake blood spatters for sash
*Red food coloring + caramel sauce for fake blood
*Black, purple, and gray eyeshadow for bruising effect
*Brown eyeshadow for contouring
Putting the look together:
The zombie bride has been done to death (pun absolutely intended). If you're looking for a glam zombie transformation, why not try prom royalty? Just take your prom look and add some fake blood and makeup to make your face look bruised and sunken in, and you're good to go. If you have a prom sash you don't mind messing up, you could also splatter some crimson paint on it for fake blood spatter. Muss up your hair a little and place your crown off center because the living dead aren't too concerned about appearances. They're just looking for their next meal.
I hope this post gave you some ideas for your future costumes. If you end up using any of them, I'd love to see what you come up with. Tag me with #31DaysofHalloweenOutfitChallenge or @amberscraftaweekblog on Instagram, add pictures to my Amber's Craft a Week blog Facebook page, or shoot me an email at hathaway.amber@gmail.com. I can't wait to see what you come up with!
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