10 Easy, Last-Minute Halloween Costumes You Can DIY With Zero Fuss

Just because Halloween is the same day every year, that doesn't mean you're always prepared. I, as a matter of fact, seldom am. When the event you knew was going to happen for weeks suddenly appears, it can be really hard to look at your wardrobe and come up with a costume. But, lucky for you, that's what I'm here for. To still look your absolute spookiest without having to break the bank, you'll want an easy, DIY Halloween costume that requires minimal levels of fuss.

As I write this, I am a few hours away from a costume party I knew was happening and did nothing about. Now, I just have the clothes in my closet and a desperate hope that I can figure this out. Beyond procrastination, a DIY costume is also a great way to save money. Aside from the fact that buying a costume you'll only wear once or twice before sending it to the back of your closet, only to be donated eventually, isn't the best financial move, it's also not great for the environment.

Even if your costume is pulled together from a few clothes and scraps lying around your house, it still has tons of potential to be the absolute coolest. In fact, you could probably win a contest with some of the ideas below. Make sure you have some tape and safety pins on hand because these easy, DIY Halloween costumes are all you're going to want to wear this year.

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DIY Halloween Costume: A Bat

A bat is a classic Halloween motif. They're a major staple of Halloween decorations and scary movies, and TBH, I think they're pretty cute. You can easily achieve a batty look with a black hoodie, trash bags, and black paper. All you need to do is cut the black garbage bag into two and tape each half to the arms and side of your hoodie to get a webbed wing look. Then you can cut your paper into bat-ear shapes and tape those to the hood. You could also follow along with the tutorial above with an umbrella for another option. Easy peasy!

DIY Halloween Costume: The Joker

You don't really need a purple and green suit to get the Joker look. Heck, you technically don't even need a ketchup and mustard suit, either (depending on which Joker is your favorite). Really, all you need is to get creative with your makeup — and you don't even have to be a pro to get the look down. I personally love this TikTok tutorial above, and you can steal the look without too much work.

DIY Halloween Costume: Sheet Ghost

Everyone loves a sheet ghost — even Lady Gaga (pictured above). It's an absolute classic. You don't need anything but a white sheet for it, although I would stay away from fitted sheets so it falls right. Just cut two eye holes in it and have at it.

DIY Halloween Costume: Morticia Addams

Everyone's favorite mother also makes for a pretty easy costume to recreate. You can use a simple, long black dress; the only part you have to nail is the severe makeup look. Use a light foundation to get her pale complexion, a ruby red lipstick, and a light smokey eye for the full Morticia Addams costume vibe. Don't forget to contour some serious cheekbones.

DIY Halloween Costume: Cruella de Vil

If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will. And that's what Halloween is all about. As long as you have a black dress and a white fur coat on hand, you can pull off Cruella de Vil in a flash. To really sell it, you can get a temporary white hair dye spray for the half-dyed look.

DIY Halloween Costume: Elle Woods

What? Like pulling off a simple Elle Woods Halloween costume is hard? Just gather up everything pink you own and a long, flowing blonde wig to really sell the lawyer-ly look.

DIY Halloween Costume: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is still a cult-favorite show to this day. And, Sarah Michelle Gellar's character not only has the fate of the world on her shoulders, but she also has great style. If you have a leather jacket and stake on hand, assume your rightful persona as Buffy this year.

DIY Halloween Costume: Final Girl

There’s one look that always wins Halloween night, and that’s a final girl costume. If you don’t know what a final girl is, she’s a horror movie trope that always out-lasts the slasher on the loose. By the end of the film, she’s usually covered in blood, dirt, and ripped clothes. So, all you need are some clothes you don’t mind distressing and some fake blood.

DIY Halloween Costume: The Powerpuff Girls

Gather up two more friends to become the iconic Powerpuff Girls. All you need to do is choose who will be Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup, then grab all the clothes in the corresponding color that you can. And, of course, make sure you bring the correct attitude to your crime fighter.

DIY Halloween Costume: Cowboy

Thanks to the TikTok trend of cowboy hats, you can probably nail this costume easily. And, you can do it while being pretty comfortable. For warmth, you can go with your favorite pair of jeans and tie up any old flannel you have lying around. Yeehaw, everybody.