DIY Halloween Costume Ideas, by Kayla Doria Ward

Oct 29, 2026by Greg Monterrosa

Title card reading DIY, Don’t Buy This Halloween on a purple background with bats and bare branches, with cut-out photos of four people in homemade costumes along the bottom.

If you find yourself scrolling Pinterest or TikTok for costumes each year, you’re not alone. Most people try to come up with an inexpensive, unique, and practical costume every single year. This can be hard if you wait until the last minute or simply don’t have the time! Ordering a costume set is a much simpler, stress-free option when hallow-week arrives.

I’m not here to harp on why buying these sets every year is only hurting the world around us. I’m sure if you read the title, you're already on board with that fact. Instead, I want to share some real DIY costume ideas.

I’ve noticed many videos and inspo photos feature pieces most people don’t already own. It won’t kill anyone to have a pair of angel wings or a face-paint set in your closet. In fact, I encourage it to an extent. I am someone who treats Halloween like a religion in October. I’ve made many last-minute costumes with bits and pieces I’ve collected over the years. But the line is drawn when you are actively throwing that Spirit Halloween angel costume into the trash on November 1st.

Fellow Milk Room author Ainsly Griggs did a great piece on using specific items you probably own to make countless costumes. I’m not here to steal her thunder. Her article has an amazing list of costumes. Instead, I’m here to break down DIY costume categories.

From blind box figures to trending patterns, I have options for the creatively inclined and the tired 9-to-5.

Blind Box and Collectible Figures

If you are a trinket collector at heart, you might envy the cute outfits these mini figures are rocking on your shelf. So instead of searching online for inspo, turn to your trinket army!

Monchhichi

A woman dressed as a Monchhichi, with drawn-on freckles and nose, pigtail bows and a pink Monchhichi bib, holding a small Monchhichi doll. Two women in brown dresses and red hair bows dressed as Monchhichi, puckering their lips toward a Monchhichi plush. Two friends dressed as Monchhichi in red bibs with Monchhichi lettering and drawn-on freckles and noses.

You can do so much with this costume. With numerous blind boxes releasing new characters, you can get really niche with your favorite variant. But for a classic Monchhichi, you’ll need the following:

Base:

Brown top or babydoll dress
Brown shorts, skirt, or jeans
Mary Jane-style shoe, brown furry boot, brown sneaker

Accessories:

Red scrunchie/ribbon
Old red shirt
White thread/Old white shirt

If you’re feeling fancy, you can make your own Monchhichi bib. Sew the red shirt scraps into a bib/bandana type shape. Make it big enough to tie around your neck, with the logo fitting across your neck. Measure and cut out the letters of “Monchhichi” from a white shirt. Then sew them to your bib.

For hair and makeup, the sky is the limit. Pigtails, space buns, red ribbon bows, a slicked-back look. If you have brown eyeshadow, lip liner, or eyeliner, you can make tiny freckles and a nose for the full effect.

Calico Critters/Sylvanian Families

A girl in a red polka dot dress and homemade bunny ears holding a matching Calico Critters bunny figure. A woman in a red polka dot dress, white socks and bunny ears sitting on the ground, dressed as a Calico Critters bunny. A woman dressed as a Calico Critters bunny in bunny ears, a red top, brown cardigan, white apron and white tights.

Depending on the character you choose, each look will be different. But the main formula is as follows:

Base options:

Patterned dress
Patterned button-up with slacks
Puffy white blouse with long patterned skirt

Accesories:

Animal ears (bunny, squirrel, cat, fox, etc.)
Bows
Glasses
Suspenders
Tie
Apron
Vest
Hat

The great thing about calicos is that they come in so many variations. For any animal, the ears are the biggest thing most people don’t have lying around. For any ears, you can start with a cardboard outline of the shape. Cut it to the desired size. Use something light but stiff, like a skewer or wire, to hold the shape from moving. Take hair clips or a headband and place it where you want the ears to sit. Hot glue is the easiest option, but if you don’t have any, you can also wrap extra wire around your base.

This is just one option. You can look up a tutorial for the materials you have. Most people don’t have felt lying around, but if you do, it's another great option. It all comes down to materials and preference. But it beats buying a $10 pair that isn’t the exact color or height you desire.

Mofusand Meow Watch Blind Box

A mofusand Meow Watch figure: a cat in an apple hat inside a wooden crate with a digital clock reading 2:22.

This is a great option if you want to really get specific with designs and colors. The costume centers on the “box” or alarm clock portion. Whichever series tickles your fancy, you’ll need roughly the following:

Base:

Neutral colored top and bottom

Accessories:

Cat ears
Glove paws
Fruit or marine animal hat
Box
Markers/paint
Old tote bag, backpack
Ductape
Hot glue (optional)

The box alarm clock portion is where you can get creative with designs. You can even make glowing or flippable clock numbers. To make the box wearable and hands-free, use your tote or backpack straps and line them up with where you are cutting holes in the top back/front of your box. Once you’ve found the 4 points, reinforce the spots with glued/taped small cardboard patches so the slits don’t gradually tear. Then poke your holes and thread your straps through.

Makeup-Centered Costumes

If your creative skills lean more toward cosmetics than crafting, makeup-centered costumes are a great option. The great thing about cosmetic creativity is that the base can be as simple as a tank top and shorts.

Zombie

Ripped top, cargo/jean pants, old/dirty shoes

A woman dressed as a zombie at night in a ripped, stained top and shorts with torn tights. Pop-art zombie makeup in green and magenta with a stitched mouth, worn with a blue wig and pink hair clips.

Frankensteins Monster

Dark colored top and bottoms, padded coat, heavy boots

Frankenstein’s monster makeup: pale green skin with drawn-on stitches, worn with a striped top and black hair with bangs. Bride-of-Frankenstein-style makeup with green skin, stitched seams across the face and neck, red lips and white-streaked hair.

Scribble Paper

White striped top and bottom
White base with pinned colorful accessories
Bright colorful base with bold shaped accessories

Scribble paper makeup: a face painted like lined notebook paper with colorful doodles, worn with lilac hair and a striped top. Scribble paper makeup with notebook lines, stars, squiggles and doodles, worn with teal hair and pins in the hair.

Colorful Animal Print

Neon top and bottom
Colorful top and bottom
Fur top and bottom

Neon pink leopard face and body paint with fangs, worn with a blue bikini top and star hair clips. Colorful tropical fish and coral face paint on a blue painted face, with blue hair. Blue animal-print body paint with dark spots across the face and neck, with natural curly hair.

Pastel Frosted Sprinkles

Pastel/muted colored top and bottom, tights, colorful wigs

Frosted sprinkles makeup: white frosting drips and rainbow sprinkles painted on the face and lips, with a teal wig. Pastel frosting and sprinkles makeup with dripping white icing on the forehead, sprinkled lips and a pink wig. Frosted sprinkles makeup with white icing drips and sprinkles across the face, with a peach wig.

Prop-Centered Costumes

While these costumes do have some makeup elements, the main showstopper is the props. Whatever you can add or carry with your costume to really make your character pop!

Dollhouse

Cardboard
Paint
Colored paper
Skewers
Hot glue
Pattern/Colorful base

A child lying on the grass in a homemade dollhouse costume with a straw thatched roof and striped tights. A person in a pink dress wearing a cardboard dollhouse costume with a brown roof and opening pink walls. A woman walking at night in a cardboard dollhouse costume with a blue roof and painted windows.

Paper Doll

Cardboard
Needle/Thread
Colorful or neutral base
Paint, markers, colored pencils
Wire or skewers
Paper sheets/roll

A woman dressed as a paper doll holding a large drawn paper cut-out of a pink handbag. A paper doll costume with a drawn pink paper dress and paper tabs, and a paper scissors cut-out by the face. A paper doll costume with a polka dot paper dress, pink tights and paper flower cut-outs.

Cake/Cupcake

Cardboard
Air-dry clay, caulking, glue, and spackling
Colored paper
Hot glue
Base to match cake “flavor”

A strapless white dress decorated like a frosted cake with colorful sprinkles, worn with patterned tights. A woman in a white dress with a large cherry-on-top headpiece, dressed as a cake. A woman in a tiered cake costume in pastel pink, blue and yellow with white tights and a veil.

Puppet/Doll

Headband
Wiring
String
Cardboard
Toilet/paper towel cardboard roll

A puppet costume: a white dress and a cardboard puppet control bar on the head with strings to the arms. A wind-up doll costume with doll makeup, curly black hair, a black dress and a large gold wind-up key. A marionette costume with strings tied from a wooden control bar to the arms, a corset and a white tutu.

Voodoo Doll

Striped/ripped tights
Body paint (for stitching)
Plain base with sewed red heart
Bamboo skewers, long knitting rods, styrofoam balls, and felt/paint

A voodoo doll costume with a red stitched heart on a white top, pins in the hair and striped arm warmers. A voodoo doll costume with a stitched dress, stitched tights, red shoes and a large pin.

Simple Colors/Patterned Costumes

For minimal crafting, spending, and time, these costumes may not even feel like costumes. They could be pieces you wear regularly but never together.

Mime

Black-and-white striped top or bottom, black top or bottom
Red scarf, bow, or scrap shirt
White gloves

A mime costume with a striped strapless top, a red scarf, white gloves and mime makeup. A mime costume with a black-and-white striped top, black skirt, red beret, red scarf and white gloves.

Hello Kitty

Red top
Overalls or blue jeans
Paper kitty ears with red bow

A Hello Kitty costume with paper kitty ears, a red bow, drawn-on whiskers, a red top and blue overalls. A Hello Kitty costume with kitty ears and a red bow, a red top and denim overall dress, in a mirror selfie.

Betty Boop

Red, strapless, mini dress
Black boots or red/black heels
Gold earrings

A Betty Boop costume: a red strapless mini dress, a garter, sheer black socks and red heels. A Betty Boop costume with a red strapless mini dress, a garter and short dark curls.

Death Note: Light Yagami

White button-up
Red tie
Dark-toned skirt
Old notebook
Black paint or duct tape
Pen

A Light Yagami costume from Death Note: a white button-up, red tie and dark skirt, holding a Death Note notebook. A Light Yagami costume with a tan blazer, white shirt, red tie and black skirt, holding a Death Note notebook.

Snoopy

White top
Jean bottoms
White dress
Paper ears
Red ribbon

A Snoopy costume with a white sweater, red scarf, denim skirt and a drawn-on black nose. A Snoopy costume with black ears, a white top, a red ribbon at the neck and a small Woodstock cut-out.

Closing

With so many different ways to show off your creative skills or striking resemblance to a character for Halloween, why bother with box stores or online shopping?

I hope some of these suggestions sparked an idea within. With endless costume options, you don't need to buy the newest, trending costume. Your dream costume is probably buried in your closet. Now go find it or create it! Happy Halloween!

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