Getting into costume is something that just isn’t for certain parts of the year anymore. There are parties and comic conventions that beg you to come dressed for a good time. The right costume is waiting just a few feet away from you, where you sleep each night—the closet. Making a costume from the items in your closet is a breeze and tons of fun!
Not only will having a costume you made from things inside your closet make you stand out from the traditional costumes, but it will also show people that you are innovative and creative. If you don’t think you are, don’t worry! Read on and get some great ideas about costumes that you can make with items from your closet.
- Bat
- Coraline
- Wednesday Adams
- Cowboy/Cowgirl
- Scarecrow
- Cactus
- Cat Lady
- Netflix & Chill
Dressing Like a Bat is a Resourceful Costume
Taking things from your closet and creating a bat costume sounds like a joke, but it isn’t. It takes some major resource ability points to do most costume work, but not this one. It’s much more comfortable and comes off well with crowds. All you need is:
- Black Shirt
- Black Pants
- Old Broken Umbrella
With a few alterations to the umbrella, you can have a bat costume that Ozzy Osbourne would be tempted to bite the head off of. Be careful when removing the sharp spines from the umbrella. They can stick you in the arms or sides if not blunted or covered with foam.
Coraline is an Easy Costume That Will Get All The Attention
Coraline is an animated movie that is based on a brilliant Neil Gaiman book of the same name. This costume is easy to recreate, if you have large black buttons for the eyes. All you need is a set of overalls and a bright yellow rain jacket to complete the ensemble. This costume is a great idea that will score points with kids of all ages.
Wednesday Adams is a Great Costume for Girls of Any Age
Wednesday Adams has been a fixture in the American culture since the late 1960s. Her outfit from the TV show is unmistakable and so easy to pull off you won’t believe it. All you have to put this together is a black dress with tights and a white undershirt. Place the white-collar over the black dress and viola.
Cowgirl/Cowboy is a Great Costume Anyone Can Wear
Some American icons will never fade away. The cowboy is one of those icons. Add jeans and a button-up over some gnarly cowboy boots, and you are halfway there. No Cowperson costume is complete without a cowboy hat. Pick colors in a shirt and hat that match well to have the suit really pop.
A Great Fall Costume is a Scarecrow
It is incredible how many farm-inspired costumes there are. It speaks to this country’s beginnings as people who made their lives living off the land. Another of these holdovers is the scarecrow costume. All you need is a lovely worn set of overalls, Liberty if you got them, and a flannel shirt to top everything off. Bonus points for those who go full face paint.
Cactus is Easier and Funnier Than You Would Expect
A cactus is a plant that you recognize the spiky green plant no matter what part of the country you are from. It is an easy costume to recreate; it just takes a little elbow grease to make everything work just right. Take a green dress or sweatsuit and attack pieces of what yarn around the entire outfit. Add some flowers on top, and you are good to go!
Cat Lady is a Funny and Easy Costume Idea
This could be the most comfortable costume on the list and one of the most fun. All that is required is a set of pajamas and a robe. If you want to go all the way with it, get a few stuffed cats and dirty your clothes and hair. While lugging around a toy all night might not be a good idea, it would get some wonderful laughs.
Netflix and Chill is a Humorous and Resourceful Idea for a Costume
Netflix and chill is a term that we all know, and some would think it’s too risque for trick or treats. The tongue in cheek of this costume makes it worth wearing just for the laughs. Take some of your most excellent formal wear, red is the top choice, and plaster the Netflix logo on the front. Now take an ice bucket or pail and write ‘Chill’ on the side. Funny and inventive!
Group Costume Ideas
While you can come up with a costume that you can wear alone, you should also see what works with a group. You’d be amazed at how many characters have amorphous looks made using primary colors and simple clothing. Think of things that everyone has in their closet before jumping out into the night to snag some candy or drinks.
Some great ideas for group costumes are:
- Tourist
- Flight Attendant
- Hippie
- Skeleton
- Decade(s)
- Men In Black
Tourists are Another Great Costume that is Easy to Do
Who doesn’t recognize a loud Hawaiian shirt and bulky fanny pack while on vacation? People all over the globe will instantly recognize this costume that is wacky and easy to make. Take a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of khaki shorts atop knee-high socks and sandals. If you want to add a dinky hat or sunscreen on the nose, you are going the extra mile.
Flight Attendant is an Easy and Recognizable Costume
When you file into your seat on the airline, the flight attendants make sure you get where you are going safely and without too much trouble. Dressing up as one of these heroes of the skies is easy. All you need is:
- Blazer
- Pencil Skirt.
- Snazzy Scarf
- Smart Hat
Once you get this one together, you get a dead ringer for a flight attendant. These are fun in a group and super easy to get together. If you can try and coordinate the colors so that everyone fits the same scheme makes it appear that you work for the same company.
No Matter How Old They are, Hippies Never Go Out of Style
One of the most classic and effortless looks to pull off on Halloween is the hippie costume. Jeans and tye-dye will make you fit into any Phish concert or trick-or-treat outing with equal measure. Add some round colored glasses and headband to give it some kick. This works even better if you have bell bottoms or flares with a fringe vest.
A Skeleton is a Timeless and Scary Costume Anyone Can Wear
Having black clothes is a theme when it comes to Halloween. For a skeleton costume, break out your:
- Black Shirt
- Black Pants
- Cut out some white bones with construction paper.
- Attach them to your clothing.
This look is clean and smooth and will be a treat if you can find glow in the dark construction paper. If a group of glow in the dark skeletons show up, then you know that party is about to get started. If you want to put on the dog, break out the top hats and canes.
Why Dress Up as Someone When You Can Dress as a Decade?
One thing that will always be tucked away in the back of your closet is older clothes. If you dig deep enough, you just might find the threads to dress from whatever era you have. The most popular period is going to be the 1970s. All you need is a flashy suit or slinky dress topped with some afro or teased hair, and you are ready to rock, or disco at least.
Men In Black is a Simple and Fun Costume for Groups
As long as there have been stories about UFOs, there have been stories about a secret government agency that covers up their existence. They are always identified by their black suits with dark sunglasses. This is an easy one to get together and works even better if you have some tiny alien toys to flash about.
Dressing Up Couples with Items From Your Closet
Halloween is one of those times when it just might be ok for you and your mate to dress alike. In fact, Halloween is one of the only times that you are allowed to do this. Couples’ costumes can be sweet while also having a significant bit of fun in them. Try and have fun with a couple’s costume and play heavily on the one-and-one theme.
Some of the best ideas for a couples costume you can make at home are:
- Deer and Hunter
- Wayne and Garth
- Mickey and Minnie Mouse
- Sandy and Danny
- Minions
Dressing as a Deer and Hunter is a Fun Easy Costume Idea
One of the most comfortable costumes you can make, no matter your crafting skills, is a deer costume. It is easy to put together if you have a brown dress, and with a little extra white makeup, you can style the eyes to complete the outfit. This would be a great idea to pair with a hunter’s costume.
Hunter’s clothes are easy to find. If you have an avid outdoorsman in the couple, this one is as simple as it gets. The hardest part of this one is the bright colors you need for effect. Use some:
- Good Camo
- Bright Blaze Orange Hat or Vest
If you want to kick it up a notch, you can have an arrow sticking out of the deer costume while the hunter carries a bow. This costume works great for couples and if the guy wants to be the deer, try it out! Take some chances and see what works.
Wayne and Garth are a Dated But Funny and Easy Costume
Party on, Wayne! Party on, Garth! That could be you! This 90s duo doesn’t make many new costume lists, but going as the Aurora, Illinois pair is sure easy. All you need is a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. The Garth should have a white band shirt of some type and a flannel shirt over the top. Wayne just needs the black tee and trademark hat.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse are a Safe and Effective Costume
Nobody hates on the Mouse. Mickey and Minnie have been a power couple in the United States for going on one hundred years. This couple’s costume is going to be really easy to pull off, and the voices are lots of fun as well. All you need is black sweats with a polka dot handkerchief, and you are channeling your inner Minnie.
Mickey’s costume is also going to be ridiculously easy. It will be even more recognizable to younger kids who will love it. What you need for the Mickey costume are:
- Set of black sweats
- Red shorts with white piping
The piece that makes these costumes work will be the ears; if you are lucky enough to have a set be sure to slap them on and wear them like there is no tomorrow.
Grease Created Some Great Couples Costume Ideas
It shouldn’t be a mystery now that Grease is a guilty pleasure movie that just about everyone in the country has seen. If they haven’t seen the movie, they are sure to have seen one of the many take-offs you see in popular media. Sandy and Danny have some easy costumes that are recognizable and fun to wear.
As common as black tights are, a pair in the closet works for this one. Use a black tube top and black leather jacket to make it seem like the real deal. When it comes to Danny Zuko, it’s all about the gelled hair and jacket. The shoes and pants can be a bit of color but should be black to make it go the distance.
Being Minions is Fun and Gives an Excuse to Be Silly
When Despicable Me hit theaters in 2010, Minions claimed their place in American pop culture lore. They are silly and speak in gibberish, which is a fun option for those couples who want to see how far they can take it. This one is lots of fun and super easy to get up all the pieces that you need.
The main parts of this costume are the bright yellow shirt and overalls. This makes the minion’s general shape and gives you the option to go with a set of goggles or make a gigantic eye out of construction paper. What minions costume would be complete without a banana? Snag a real or fake one and set out for candy and fun!
One-Item Costumes That Are to Die For
When you get into a full-blown costume search, you begin to see single items that make an entire outfit work. This one-piece is something that everyone will recognize and bears close to icon status. These costumes are all related by one thing, they only need one accessory, besides clothes, to make it work as a costume.
The best one-item costumes are:
- Cat
- Ghost
- Vampire
- Nerd
- Robber/Burglar
A Cat is a Super Easy and Classic Costume
The only real thing you need to make a cat costume is cat ears. You can use paint for the whiskers, and typical sweats or leggings make a fantastic catsuit. Keeping to solid colors is best with this one, and coloring your ears to match your coat will give it a bit of pop that might be missing.
If a Ghost Costume Works for Charlie Brown, It Works For You Too.
We all know that Chuck has some of the most horrible luck ever. His Halloween costume is no different when he has more than two holes in his ghost costume. All you need for a ghost costume is a sheet. Once the sheet is draped over your body, make some tiny holes to work as a guide when you create eye holes.
Vampires are Always an Easy Costume That Needs Only Fangs
What makes a vampire costume? Fangs, that’s it. Vamps have been on such a trip through pop culture that virtually any outfit that you have can be turned into a vampire costume by adding fangs. 18th Century Dandy costume? Heavy Metal Biker costume? Tennis Pro? All costumes that become a vampire by adding fangs.
Nerds Rule the World and Have Great Costumes as Well
Being a nerd used to be something that derailed you from being cool or having any fun outside of Star Trek and action figures. Today, nerds are the backbone of pop culture and tech crazy society, and their costume is more an homage than a slight. All it takes to be a nerd is some big taped-up glasses. Slick your hair back, hike your pants up, and let’s roll!
A Robber Costume is Simple to Pull Off And Fun to Play In
Being a robber or burglar is something that most people don’t think of as a costume. This costume is so simple that you may never choose another costume once you know how to do it. All it takes for you to make any dark-colored costume a burglar costume is a Domino mask. These little masks cover only the eyes and are trademark burglar gear.
Conclusion
Some people will balk at the idea of making or using a costume you already have. Not only can you come up with some unique and hilarious ideas if you sit down and think about it, but you will build some self-esteem. DIY-ing your costume is a major signal for innovation and smarts.
Whether going in a group or as a couple, there is lots of runway to work from in your closet. If you are going to distress or dirty up clothes, make sure that they are older and not items that cannot be replaced. No matter what you choose, making your costume and getting out for a party or some family fun is sure to make the night.