25 Best DIY Halloween Costumes for All Ages
Spend less on a DIY Halloween costume this year with these effortless outfit ideas.
Looking for an easy DIY costume this Halloween?
Spend less on costumes this year and check out these super fun, cheap, unique, and easy DIY Halloween costumes for all ages! See which ones our team wore!
Also, don’t forget to check the thrift shops in your area as they probably have great pieces for these costumes too.
1. Old lady DIY Halloween costume
Photo credit: Just Simply Mom
How adorable is this little baby?! An old lady DIY costume would be the perfect way to dress up your little one this year.
Better yet, make it a group costume!
Our Hip sidekick Lina’s daughter and her friends put together this adorable group of DIY old lady costumes from Goodwill. We can’t get over how cute the whole ensemble turned out!
As another idea, you could even make this idea into a Golden Girls costume if you’re a big fan of the hit TV show.
Check out how Stetson pulled off this costume idea with thrift store finds! 😆
Here’s what Lina had to say about it:
“Last year my daughter and her friends wanted to be old ladies so I visited Goodwill and grabbed a skirt suit with a matching purse and even a cane! LOL, it turned out so cute, and they had a blast.
The wig and glasses were from Amazon. I love scouring thrift stores for Halloween costumes as it’s so much less expensive than the store and so much more creative!”
2. Scarlet Witch Comic Book DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: Taylor Joelle Blog
With the hit release of many Marvel projects, specifically Wanda Vision on Disney+, DIY Comic Book Scarlet Witch and Vision would be an awesome costume! In the show, Wanda and Vision even dress as themselves from the comic book. The costume is very simple to make for both little ones and adults.
For adults, Vision and Wanda’s DIY costumes are very easy to make and give an old-school, classic approach to the popular Marvel Figures. As for Wanda, you really just need the headpiece, bodysuit, pink tights, and a cape.
And for Vision, it’s just a yellow cape, yellow gym shorts, and a green bodysuit. Don’t forget to check out your local thrift store too as you might be able to pick up these individual pieces for a steal!
3. Baby lamb DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: Make-it-Love-it.com
Perfect for a first Halloween, this Baby Lamb Costume is adorable for your little one. If you’re not good with sewing, this is an easy costume to customize using fabric glue instead! Really all you need is a black outfit for your baby and a bunch of jumbo cotton balls!
4. Cotton candy DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: HelloWonderful.com
How absolutely precious is this costume idea? This clever cotton candy DIY looks so good, I’m ready to take a bite out of this little cutie!
Amazingly enough, all you really need is a fitted light pink outfit, some pillow filling, Design Master spray, a white poster board, and ribbon to complete the look.
5. Basketball Belly DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: Costume-Works.com
I love how one of the most simple DIY Halloween costumes is super creative! This woman came up with this Basketball Player Costume because everyone kept referring to her pregnant belly as a “basketball belly”. She took it literally, painted her stomach, and voila! If you know a teen who has an old basketball uniform laying around and you already have the paint, this costume could essentially be free! So cute and clever! 🏀
6. Ballerina Jewellery Box DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: Love-the-Day.com
Are your little ones mesmerized by their jewelry boxes? You can dress your little one up in this creative DIY Ballerina Jewelry Box Costume. Simply use one of your delivery boxes as the base of your box and paint and add accessories to create the perfect jewelry box. Add a tutu skirt and ballerina flats, or if you already have a little ballerina at home, this DIY Halloween costume could also be nearly free! 👏🏻
7. Glow in the dark stick figure DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: Parade.com / Visual Burrito
This DIY stick figure costume is cracking me up! How cute would your little one look, running down the street, collecting candy looking like this? 😅 All you’ll need is a black outfit, some clear packing tape, and glow sticks! It’s THAT easy and incredibly cute! As a bonus, the black outfit can be worn multiple times after Halloween’s over. 👏🏻
Just be sure you have enough time to throw this one together right before your party or for trick-or-treating as the glow sticks will lose their glow after a few hours.
8. Fart DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: ToddMinus
This kid was literally a fart for Halloween. LOL! What a little stinker! To look the part, just dress head to toe in brown and throw some brown and green tulle together into a big ball until you get the look you’re going for!
9. Stranger Things DIY Halloween Costume
Is anyone else a huge Stranger Things fan?! With Season 4 finally making its debut, it’s giving all the fans a reason to dress up.
A couple of years ago Stetson pieced together this Stranger Things costume and he shared how he did it on a budget:
“If I can do this, so can you! Finding the plaid shirt and little vest was pretty easy and I felt confident about sticking to my under $10 budget. But then I remembered I don’t have hair so that kinda blew my budget. I had no luck at GOODWILL, so I went back to Savers and found the best bowl-cut-looking wig I could find. The wig cost me $6.99 so not bad at all. It was fun trying to do a costume on a budget and think it came out pretty awesome. LOL!”
Hip Tip: Love thrift store shopping?! We chatted with an ex-Goodwill employee, and she shared how you can save BIG all year long.
10. More kids from Stranger Things
Lina outdid herself a couple of years ago finding not one perfect costume to replicate, but TWO! In fact, she even did it all at the thrift store, so, for all you Stranger Things fans out there, these costumes are possible without spending a ton of cash!
To nail the looks, she really focused on nailing the perfect colors for the costume so you have the essence of their characters, without the huge price tag of identical costumes!
Here’s what Lina had to say about her thrift store costume finds:
“I was lucky enough to find the Ghostbusters costume and had my daughter wear a black backpack she already had, holding a portable air pump that resembled a ghost. 👻 LOL! And as for my son, I found a green camp t-shirt that was similar in color to Dustin’s shirt.
I actually shopped in the woman’s section to find the vintage jogging shorts and discovered the trucker hat in the accessories. The wig was from a Bob Ross costume from the previous year so we were lucky enough to re-purpose that!”
11. DIY Morton Salt Girl DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: BaublestoBubbles.com
I recently saw someone on TikTok sharing this idea and LOVED it! This is a perfect DIY costume, and all ages can dress as the Morton Salt Girl! All you need is a white or clear umbrella, a yellow dress, white tights, and yellow (or black) Mary Jane-Style shoes.
12. Superman wheelchair DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: BoredPanda.com
This superman DIY costume is so perfect! While you may need to spend a little time getting artsy, it’s definitely worth all the hard work for a fun, superhero-worthy result like this. 😍
13. Cabbage Patch Kids DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: Pinterest.com
Have other little ones that aren’t mobile yet? I’m loving this Cabbage Patch Kids DIY costume that would be great for any little one in a wheelchair or stroller. All you need is a wig made of yarn, a box to decorate, and a dress you may already have!
14. Sonny and Cher Adult Halloween Costume
Our Hip sidekick, Emily (and her boyfriend), rocked their Sonny and Cher costumes! The best part is that this DIY idea was a cinch thrifting similar clothing and they got some of what they didn’t have at Target and Marshalls. However, they really went all out by shaving and dying their hair to match them perfectly. Needless to say, they nailed it on a dime! 👏🏻
15. Rocketman DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: RealSimple.com
Ready, set, blast off! This DIY rocketman costume is a great way to repurpose recycled goods plus they’ll get to take off all night while collecting their favorite treats. Really all you need is a white outfit and an imagination repurposing trash. Even better, the white jammies can be worn over and over again after Halloween is long gone.
Hip Tip: Check out these others ways we’ve repurposed trash.
16. Teenage mutant ninja turtles DIY Costume
Photo credit: Crafts by Courtney
Pretty sure the Ninja Turtles will never go out of style. Buying their costumes in the store can be pricey given their ongoing popularity. That’s why I’m really loving this clever DIY costume and it looks even better in my opinion! Chances are, your kiddo already has a camo shirt and jeans too!
17. Handy Manny DIY Halloween Costume
Photo credit: Modern Kiddo
Have a little one that loves Handy Manny or maybe wants to be just like Dad?! This adorable DIY costume is easy to throw together last minute and chances are you already have everything you need.
18. DIY Jungle Cruise Characters Halloween Costume
Jungle Cruise was a big blockbuster summer of 2021! Although they do sell the characters’ official costumes from Target, this seems like a great DIY opportunity! For Dr. Lily Houghton, you can dress using this Jungle Cruise hat, a button-down teal shirt, khaki pleated pants, a wide brown belt, and boots!
19. Minecraft Character DIY Halloween Costume
My Hip sidekicks sure know how to be crafty (and frugal)! Cass dressed up her daughter in a Minecraft costume using some pants they already owned, a $4 shirt they found at Michael’s, and a cardboard box for crafting the perfect Minecraft face.
Here’s what she shared about this simple DIY costume:
“This costume was super simple! We wrapped a cardboard box that fit over my daughter’s head in green felt. Then we cut squares and rectangles in lighter and darker pieces of felt and glued them in random places while trying to get as close to the Minecraft guy’s face as possible.
Then we cut a rectangle out for her to look through and used some netting so it was super breathable. I’m so happy with how it came out!”
20. Funny DIY Tube Man Halloween Costume
If your kids love passing these funny wiggly tube men on the side of the road, then take inspiration with an adorable and super unique costume that will be easy enough that the whole family could even sport the same thing!
Here’s what one my Hip team members shared about her son’s fun costume:
“I purchased 2 laundry baskets from Walmart (under $7!) and a few big binder clips, big googly eyes (I got lucky and found some at the Dollar Tree), and a piece of black mesh. I cut out the area for the mouth and hot-glued the mesh to the inside. Cut two holes for arms to go through.
Then cut out the bottom of one basket (this will be the bottom part.) Keep the handles intact because you’ll use this to put your arms through to hold up the basket. I used the binder clips to fasten to the shirt and the other basket so everything was easily put together and taken apart.”
21. Moira from Schitt’s Creek DIY Costume
Photo credit: Serious Mom Fun
Speaking of great TV shows, if you’ve watched any of Schitt’s Creek (which has won countless Emmy Awards!), you’re well aware of the extravagant outfits Moira Rose sports in every single scene. She’s known for her exotic, monochromatic wardrobe so pair yourself with a blend of just that, and you’ve got the perfect Schitt’s Creek look!
While there are a plethora of Moira costume ideas (Serious Mom Fun shared two easy ideas!) we think you’ll be a show-stopper regardless of whichever you choose!
22. A girl from the early 2000s Costume
If you’ve been around the block, you know that all great styles come back eventually. For those who grew up in the late ’90s or even early 2000s, chunky flip flops and denim skirts are all the rage again. This actually makes for a pretty easy costume idea since these styles are readily available online.
Top it off with some fashionable butterfly hair clips and a new crop top and anyone will immediately be taken back to the good ole days of Britney Spears, Kirsten Dunst, and Mandy Moore.
23. Disney Princesses… but for adults!
Photo credit: @onelovedbabe
Disney never goes out of style and these easy DIY Halloween costume ideas are fashionable and something you’ll actually enjoy wearing. While the clothing boutique One Loved Babe shared these costumes featuring their dresses, you could also find similar ones on Amazon. The key here is to focus on flowy-ness and nailing the right color. You can even use a cast iron pan you may already have if you’re going as Rapunzel.
24. Baby Jack-Jack DIY costume
Photo credit: The Chirping Moms
Simple yet creative, this baby Jack-Jack from The Incredibles DIY costume is too cute! You literally only need two things: a red onesie and a black eye mask. And, who knows? Maybe your baby also has 17 superpowers!
25. Bob Ross and a Happy Tree DIY Costume
Photo credit: BobRossPaintsTrees
These Bob Ross and Happy Tree costumes are not only cheap to make, but it’s totally unique! The TV host painter had an infamous quote of always commenting about painting “some happy little trees”, so why not make it into a couple’s costume? All you need is the perfect Bob Ross wig, a wood paint pallet, and a flowy dress and craft leaves.
Last year my daughter wanted to be a cow so we got her the cutest costume for $20 at Target. We decided to be the Chick-fil-A family. I got some white poster board and drew the CFA logos on them, tied some ribbon shoulder straps and stapled together. With a little foil on top, my husband was a sandwich. With a yellow piece of poster board I made it into criss cross shapes for fries. Then I made my daughter an “Eat mor chikin” sign. We won the costume contest at church. $25 for all 3 costumes and lots of fun!
What a fun family costume theme! Congrats on your win!
Even if we’re not trick or treating, our 9-month-old is going to be pubert Addams for Halloween. Easy and cheap. Slicked hair and a mustache 😂
Too cute!
My daughter is 5 months old today and I am now seriously thinking about having her dress up as an old lady 😂 I love that idea!!!
That’s a good age for it! I did it a few years ago when my daughter was 9 months old and she wouldn’t stop pulling her wig off.
These are so clever! Stetson is hilarious!
Yes! 😂
These are really wonderful ideas for Halloween thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome, Sylvie!
20+ years ago I made ninja turtles costumes for my sons. Dyed cheap sweats from Walmart and made the “shell”and belts from felt glued together. The shell was stuffed with fiber fill. They won 1st place at their elem school Halloween event and parents asked where I bought the costumes. I still have them.
That’s SO awesome! Thanks for sharing how you made them!
Cute costumes! 🥰
That little superman is precious!! 🥰
Yes! SO cute!
Stetson is my hero 😁
How sweet! I’ll be sure to let him know! 😊
There’s a lot going of funny and creative ones too In Pinterest
Ooouuoo! I can’t wait to try the cotton candy one!
Last year I was pregnant and did the gumball machine. Hot glued colored pom poms all over my Savers white tshirt and then took some red felt and made a base that tied around my back! pretty simple and fun!
Our son was elf on the shelf two years ago and won AirPods from our orthodontist’s office for best costume. SO easy – we bought a red morph suit and then I bought white felt and made the collar, white gloves (the cheap 1.00 pairs at target) and a Santa hat. It was so fun – we would pose him too and take photos. Everyone laughed so hard.
forgot to add..this year I am making him the operation guy costume. Lots of examples on Pinterest. I ordered a grey sweatsuit, bought red fabric and white felt and am making each of the pieces and will stitch onto the sweatsuit.
Brilliant! I love these ideas, Becca! I wonder if my son would like to be the elf this year?! 😂 Thanks for sharing!
you are welcome. I can’t tell you how many people stopped him laughing and having a great time. Such a fun costume. You will have to share photos if your son decides to be an elf
Yes! I sure will!
My son wants to be the Roblox Noob this year. Since they don’t sell that costume, it’s all on me to make it…probably won’t end well lol
LOL! That could be a fun one to create!
When my daughter was younger, she wanted to be a jelly fish. We used a Sombrero as the top covered in pink satin material stuffed with polyfill. Then used pink bubble wrap strips as the tentacles. It was quite a hit, strangers were commenting how cute!!
What a neat idea! Thanks for sharing her creative costume! 💞🙌