How to Create Spooky Halloween Costumes on a Budget

Halloween is right around the corner and it is one of my favourite times of year. That autumnal feel, the spooky decorations, carved pumpkins and trick-or-treating – it’s such a fun season. What isn’t fun is how much we spend on costumes and what’s even scarier is how much is ditched each year… Research suggests it’s around 7 million costumes annually!!! While it can be very tempting to splurge on a pre-made outfit, especially when the shops are packed full of them you can in fact easily craft a terrifying look for next to nothing. Whether you’re attending a spooky party, heading out to trick the neighbours or if you are just in it for the sweets here are some of the cheapest (or free!) ways to create spooky Halloween costumes using items you probably already have.

1. The Classic Ghost

The ghost costume is a timeless Halloween classic and it is one of the easiest and cheapest to pull off.

What You’ll Need:

• An old white bedsheet (or curtain)
• Scissors to cut eye holes

How to Make It:
Pop the sheet over your head and plan out where you will need your eyes. With help, mark this up and cut two eye holes in your chosen place. To help to enhance the eeriness you could use face paint or makeup around your eyes to create shadowy depth or even add some chains for a haunted ghost vibe. If you don’t have an old sheet why not check out charity shops for cheap ones?

Spooky Upgrade: Dirty up the sheet with some grey or black face paint for a “fresh from the grave” look.

Cutesy Downgrade: Forget the makeup and chains and add a witches hat and a trick-or-treat basket.

2. Zombie

Zombies are the ultimate horror creatures (I really hate them!) and you can easily turn yourself into one with items you already own.

What You’ll Need:

• Old clothes (that you don’t mind ripping up)
• Makeup: foundation, dark eyeshadow, red lipstick (for blood) and face powder for a pale look
• Fake blood (made from corn syrup and red food colouring)

How to Make It:
Rough up your clothes by ripping or cutting small holes in them and then smudge dirt or charcoal on them to make it look like you’ve just crawled out of your grave. Use your makeup to pale out your face, darken your eyes and smear fake blood around your mouth and on your clothes.

Spooky Upgrade: Add some torn-up tights or bandages to wrap around your arms and legs for a more gruesome zombie effect.

Cutesy Downgrade: Keep the makeup minimal.

3. Vampire

You can channel your inner Dracula with just a few wardrobe basics and some makeup.

What You’ll Need:

• Black clothes (a suit, dress, or cape)
• Red lipstick and dark eyeliner
• Fake blood (optional)
• DIY vampire fangs (made from cardboard or tin foil)

How to Make It:
Dress in all-black clothes to embody that classic gothic vampire look. You could also wear a black cape made from an old curtain or bedsheet. Apply a light foundation/face powder or white face paint to give that pale vampire look. Next use eyeliner to create dark, sunken eyes and sharp, exaggerated brows then apply red lipstick and smudge some around the corners of your mouth to mimic dripping blood. If you don’t have fake fangs, you can have a go at making your own out of cardboard and tin foil or white paper folded into pointy shapes.

Spooky Upgrade: Wear fake fingers with long fingernails and drip fake blood over them.

Cutesy Downgrade: Keep the makeup minimal and add a cute bat soft toy.

4. Skeleton

A DIY skeleton costume is both spooky and striking and can be achieved using basic clothing and makeup.

What You’ll Need:

• Black clothes (a T-shirt and leggings or trousers)
• White face paint or makeup
• Black eyeliner

How to Make It:
For the simplest version, dress in all-black clothing and use white face paint to create a skull face. Start by covering your entire face in white, then use black eyeliner to draw hollow eye sockets, a nose cavity and teeth. If you’re feeling extra creative you can go all out and paint bones on your arms and chest. If you don’t have face paint, you could print out a paper skull mask.

Spooky Upgrade: Paint or cut out bones from white paper and stick them to your black clothes for a full skeletal effect.

Cutesy Downgrade: Make the makeup and bones look cartoony.

5. Mummy

The mummy costume is a classic horror staple and is so easy to make from things you already have.

What You’ll Need:

• Old white sheets or bandages (cut into strips)
• Dark eyeshadow and pale face makeup

How to Make It:
Cut up old sheets or use bandages and wrap them around your body, leaving gaps to give a tattered look. You don’t need to wrap too tightly just enough to look like an ancient, unravelling mummy. For your face, use pale makeup to give a deathly, decayed look and darken your eyes with black eyeshadow for that spooky, sunken effect.

Spooky Upgrade: Stain the bandages or strips with tea or coffee for an aged, dirty look. Add some red lipstick or fake blood for a more gruesome effect.

Cutesy Downgrade: Use toilet roll instead of bandages for a softer look.

6. Witch

This is my go-to look each year and I always do it with things I already own.

What You’ll Need:

• Black dress or clothes
• Black hat (if you don’t have a witch hat, make one from black paper or card)
• Green/black face paint or dark makeup
• Broomstick

How to Make It:
Dress in all-black clothing adding a witches hat. If you don’t own one you can easily make one by rolling a piece of black card into a cone shape and adding a brim. Use green face paint or dark makeup to give yourself a wicked, eerie look. I particularly love creating a spider’s web with a spider crawling up my face using black eyeliner. You could also add warts and boils using face paints. Oh and don’t forget to grab your broomstick!

Spooky Upgrade: See if you can find any masks or a false nose in a charity shop to make yourself that little bit more gruesome.

Cutesy Downgrade: Add striped tights, lose the makeup and carry a cute soft toy cat.

7. Headless Man

For something a bit more dramatic, the headless man costume is a terrifying and inexpensive option.

What You’ll Need:

• An old jacket
• Stuffing (newspapers or old clothes)
• A pillowcase or black scarf

How to Make It:
Stuff the arms and body of an old jacket with newspaper or old clothes, this will be your “body.” Pop this on, higher up than you’d usually wear so your head is coming out where the jacket buttons up. Place a pillowcase or black scarf around the top of the jacket and add fake blood to give that decapitated look. Bring the arms of the jacket under your chin (you’ll probably need help with this) to make it look as though you are carrying your own head.

Spooky Upgrade: Add more fake blood and scars/cuts to add to the Halloween effect.

Cutesy Downgrade: Lose the fake blood and use a pumpkin in place of your own head. Just make sure to cut out eye holes so you can see where you are going!

8. Haunted Doll

A haunted doll costume is a creepy twist that’s easy to make with a few makeup tricks and an old dress.

What You’ll Need:

• An old, frilly dress or outfit
• White face makeup or baby powder
• Black eyeliner and red lipstick

How to Make It:
Dress in an old or second-hand frilly dress. Pale out your face with white makeup or face paint and use black eyeliner to exaggerate your eyes and mouth. Next draw on cracks or broken lines across your face and body to create the effect of a shattered doll. Add pigtails or braids to your hair and you’re a creepy haunted doll come to life.

Spooky Upgrade: Carry a toy knife or teddy bear with a stitched mouth for an extra disturbing touch.

Cutesy Downgrade: Make the makeup soft, add a touch of lighter colours and draw on freckles. Wear white Mary Jane style shoes and long white socks.

Halloween is all about embracing the spooky side and you don’t need to spend much, if anything at all to create a spine-chilling costume. As you can see, by using items you already have at home, repurposing old clothes and getting creative with makeup and household items, you can easily and quickly put together a terrifying costume that will be perfect for any of your spooky plans!

If these are a little too spooky for you why not check out these other costume ideas?

• How to Make a Highway Rat World Book Day Costume
• How to Make a Harry and The Bucketful of Dinosaurs World Book Day Costume
• How To Make A Diary of a Wimpy Kid World Book Day Costume
• How to Make a Mr Tickle World Book Day Costume

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