13 DIY Couples' Costume Ideas That Are Better Than Anything You Can Buy In A Store
I love Halloween. I love creepy things. I love parties. I love candy (but not candy corn, gross). And most of all, I love making things. So, it's pretty much the perfect holiday for someone like me. I spend all year making little notes on my phone of good couples costume ideas and mentally engineering their creation so that by the time fall rolls around, I'm all set and ready to go. But let's assume that, unlike me, you aren't a neurotic Halloween lover and you don't have a ton of DIY couples costume ideas in your phone. Don't worry, you can have some of mine. Trust me, I've got plenty.
So, whether you prefer something cute, sexy, or nightmare-inducing, I've figured out how to put it on your bods. Yes, you could just run down to the local costume store, but that's so boring! That's how you end up at a party with everyone in the same Harley Quinn and Jack Sparrow costumes. Anyone can buy a costume at the store, but it takes a bit more effort and creativity to make it yourself. And really, don't you and your partner deserve to win all the contests this year?
Here are some ideas to borrow, or at least to get your creativity flowin'.
1. Baby And Debora From Baby Driver
This year's coolest couple, hands down, are Baby and Debora from Baby Driver. If you have a partner who's tough to talk into dressing up for Halloween, this is the couples costume he won't be able to turn down. Who doesn't want to be a bad ass get away driver? As a bonus, it's actually really cool stuff you will want to wear year round.
For Debora, you'll want to find a cute retro waitress dress and pair it with a sheepskin lined denim jacket. The Baby costume is just as easy: You just need the varsity style jacket, a white tee, black wayfarers, jeans, and black shoes. If you really want to complete the look, you can add a scar with with wax. Just make sure not to forget the earbuds!
2. The Fairly Odd Parents
Want to be Wanda and Cosmo for Halloween this year? Your wish is my command. This one will take some minor fabrication, but I promise you are totally up for it. For Wanda, you will need a yellow tee, black pants, wings, and pink hair spray. Cosmo's outfit is just a white button up shirt, black tie, black pants, green hair spray, and, of course, some more fairy wings. That just leaves their fairy crowns and wands. Time to get crafty. To create the crowns, you'll need small headbands that will blend in your hair, a sheet of yellow foam, and some craft wire. To make the wand, you'll need some wood dowels painted black, and you can use the leftover foam sheet to make the stars.
3. Yorkie And Kelly from Black Mirror
Did you cry like a baby when Black Mirror's San Junipero episode took home the Emmy for Outstanding Television series this year, too? Yeah, that's because Yorkie and Kelly are everything, including this year's queer girl couples costume goals. Unless you want to spend your next month trawling through a million thrift shops to find the perfect blinged-out jacket, the key is to just find modern pieces, which, when accessorized properly, give them an '80s feel.
To channel Yorkie's party girl vibe, you'll need an embellished purple jacket, black corset top, and black harem pants. Top it off with a black oversized bow in the hair. To capture the adorable nerdiness of Kelly, pair a light blue sweatshirt with a pink collared shirt, khaki shorts, and don't forget the wire-rimmed glasses. Cutest duo ever.
4. Cards Against Humanity
Need a last minute costume that is actually awesome? Good news: This one only requires some foam boards and black and white paint pens! If you want to get more interactive, opt for chalkboards and erasable pens. Warning: That can get very dangerous as the night goes on and the drinks are flowing. Hmm, actually, that pretty much describes every game of Cards Against Humanity I've ever played, so it's on theme!
5. Diana Prince And Steve Trevor From Wonder Woman
All I want in life is to be Wonder Woman. Is that too much to ask? Yes, yes, it is, because I don't have the fabrication skills to create a breast plate. Now her disguise outfit… that's something I can achieve. Was there anyone more dapper than Diana Prince and Steve Trevor as they made their way through the streets of 1910s London? Nope, and this is how you steal their style this Halloween.
This is not a warm-climate-appropriate costume. Go this route only if your Halloween is going to be on the chilly side. To get the Diana look, you'll need a wool houndstooth coat, belted. Under the coat, you'll need a white collared shirt, long skirt, and Victorian style boots. Oh, and don't forget her sword. Steve's costume is made of up layers: Start with a turtleneck sweater, topped with a brown leather vest and sheepskin lined coat. Pair all of this with a pair of dark khaki pants and black boots. Top it off with a navy brood hat to really nail the period costume.
6. The Purge
Personally, I love a scary costume on Halloween, and what is scarier than the idea of all your friends and neighbors suddenly turning into homicidal maniacs for 12 hours every year? Plus, this costume is great if you're a procrastinator, because it can be made up almost entirely of things you already have in your wardrobe. Your best bets are something sexy — or ironic — like lingerie, a prom dress, or a tux. To complete the look, you'll need to make a mask, and there are great tutorials online on how to turn them into Purge masks. And of course, you'll need your killing spree weapons of choice.
7. Pop Art
Another last-minute costume that will still wow at any Halloween party is to turn the two of you into living pop art. There are some great tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through the makeup technique. To complete the look, think retro-inspired comic book clothing, and you can add speech bubbles with a headband, craft wire, and some paper. One last bit of advice: I highly suggest a few practice run throughs before hand. Otherwise your costume might be a living Pinterest fail instead.
8. Dipper And Mabel
Is it creepy if your couples costume is made up of a brother and sister? Nah, not when it's Dipper and Mable. They're hardly the Lannisters, if you know what I'm sayin'. Anyway, moving on. Here's how to become Gravity Falls' greatest mystery solvers. For Dipper, you'll need an orange t-shirt, blue vest, white socks, black shoes, and grey shorts. To complete the look, you'll also need his signature hat, and to create that you need a blue trucker hat and some fabric paint to add the little blue tree. You might as well get the whole fabric paint kit, because you're going to need a few more colors to create Mabel's rainbow and star turtleneck. The rest of her costume is easy; it's just a denim skirt, white knee socks, and some black ballet flats. Oh, and her headband too, of course. Cryptids of the Northwest will shiver when they see you coming.
9. Ellie And Grant From Jurassic Park
You know who were an awesome couple? Ellie and Grant from Jurassic Park. They were smart, adventurous, and totally went toe-to-toe with prehistoric monsters… and won! Total couples goals. Yes, I know they weren't together in the sequels, but let's just make a pact to pretend they never happened, OK? Good. Moving on.
Here is how you can become Ellie and Grant for Halloween. Spoiler alert: Brace for khaki. For Ellie, you'll need khaki shorts, a blue tank top, a pink button up (tied at the waist), hiking boots, and grey socks. For Grant, khaki pants, a denim shirt, a red bandana tied at the neck, hiking boots, and top it off with a wide brimmed fedora. Oh, and some dinosaur props really tie it all together.
If your boo isn't really a “Grant type,” there's always the doctor of chaos himself, Jeff Goldblum's Ian Malcom. Just sayin'.
10. Hook And Tinker Bell
Who wants to be Peter Pan and Wendy when you can be Tink and Hook? They have all the best accessories anyway. I dunno, I ship 'em. To create a cool Captain Hook, you need a red blazer, white blouse, a hook, and pirate captain's hat with feathers. To get your Tinker Bell on, you'll want a green tulle dress and fairy wings. Simple and cute.
11. Pennywise And Georgie From It
Did you see It yet? Of course you did — everyone has. Thats because it's scary as hell. I had nightmares for two nights after I saw it that Pennywise was peeking in my window. How messed up is that? Anyway, that also means it's going to be a fantastic couples costume if you want to terrorize everyone else at the party. What else is Halloween for, right? The Georgie costume is easy; all you really need a is a hooded yellow rain coat, rain boots, and maybe a paper boat. To create your Pennywise, you'll need a men's white ruffled shirt, neck ruff, and pirate style pants. Add red pompoms down the front and on the toes of the shoes. Top it off with a red wig, killer clown makeup, and a red balloon. Why? Because they float. They all float.
12. Nasa And The Stars
I love this couples costume, because what is more “meant to be together” than a NASA nerd and the galaxy? It's sweet and clever and probably mostly already in your closet. Don't lie — we all bought a galaxy dress in the last few years. Now you get to pull it back out and be the cutest couple at the party. For your astronomy nerd costume, you'll just need a NASA tee, some nerd glasses (or add tape to yours), and suspenders are a nice touch. The stars really aligned for this costumes. Eh? Nudge, nudge.
13. Rick And Morty From Rick And Morty
You're gonna wubba-dubba-dub-love this costume idea! Want a reason to love Rick and Morty, I mean besides the fact that it's just stone cold genius? This season they decided to implement gender parity in the writer's room, and the show has never been better. Plus, when internet jerks decided it would be awesome to doxx those writers, creator Dan Harmon publicly smacked them down. Awesome. OK, now that you are pumped to celebrate all things Rick and Morty, here's how to achieve the look. For Rick, you'll need a lab coat, light blue shirt, khaki pants, a wig, and his trusty portal gun. Morty's costume is a yellow shirt and jeans, but I suggest adding the eye patch so that you can be evil Morty. Who wants to be normal Morty? That's soooo Jerry, am I right?
There you have it. DIY couples' costume ideas for days!
Check out the entire Gen Why series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.