Last-Minute Halloween Costumes You Can Make With Clothing You Already Own

Yes, it is possible to dress up for Halloween without buying a costume from a party shop you’ll probably never wear again. There are so many last-minute Halloween costumes you can put together with clothing and accessories you already own. If you’ve got a Halloween party coming up and aren’t sure what to wear (or aren’t wanting to spend much money), here are six easy Halloween costume ideas to help you out. These affordable costumes can be made with items from your closet plus a few thrift store finds.

When paired with easy-yet-impressive Halloween makeup, no one will know you made your costume at the last minute!

Last-Minute Halloween Costumes

Frida Kahlo Costume

Frida Kahlo was known as much for her art as she was for her traditional style and bold hair and makeup. I’ve admired the artist for a long time and recently shared an easy Frida Kahlo hair tutorial to recreate one of her looks.

For a Frida Kahlo-inspired outfit, wear a white blouse with a long colorful skirt and a bright scarf or shawl. Add beaded jewelry, a bold red lip and a braided updo hairstyle accented with large flowers.

Retro Barbie Halloween Costume

Retro Barbie was my favorite quick costume to pull together. I was beyond excited when I found out that it was featured in the BuzzFeed list of 25 creative and crafty DIY costumes (scroll down to number 10)!

To make this retro Barbie costume, all you need is a pink T-shirt, high-waist black jeans, a pink scarf and retro sunglasses. The shirt I’m wearing is by Love Tribe and was sold at Macy’s but is no longer available. The Skinnydip x Barbie Oversized T-shirt on Asos is a similar style, or you could wear a plain pink shirt. Throw your hair in a high ponytail, add red lipstick and you’re ready!

Cute Cat Costume for Halloween

Sure, it’s not the most creative costume, but black cats are a staple of Halloween decor and movies. For a classic Halloween costume you can wear anywhere, all you need is a black turtleneck, black pants or leggings, black gloves and cat ears. If you don’t have time to buy a cat ears headband, you can create “ears” using two long scarves. Get the cat ears scarf style tutorial here. Complete the look with black winged eyeliner and red lipstick. You can also draw on some whiskers with black eyeliner.

Rosie the Riveter Halloween Costume

We Can Do It! Rosie the Riveter is another classic Halloween costume that’s easy to put together. Wear a long-sleeve denim shirt with jeans or a blue jumpsuit, if you have one. Pull your hair back into a simple bun or go big with 1940s victory rolls. Add a red banana tied as a headband and that’s it. And show off those biceps whenever you get the chance!

DIY Flapper Halloween Costume

Instead of buying a flapper costume from one of the chain stores (that has a good chance of falling apart soon), I suggest borrowing one from a friend or finding a fringe dress of better quality that you’ll be able to wear to parties long after Halloween. I often see fringe dresses at vintage stores and they likely have a more flattering fit than costume dresses. Then just add a long strand of pearls and a sparkly headband, or repurpose a necklace as a headband, as I did here. This also makes an easy vintage-inspired Halloween couples costume.

DIY Pirate Halloween Costume

I love period costumes, and one day I’ll go all out and spend a small fortune on a gorgeous one for Halloween. Until then, I’ll make do with what I have, like I did with this DIY pirate costume. Grab a blouse with large sleeves, leather leggings and brown boots. Then tie a long scarf around your head and layer on some long necklaces. Oh, and don’t forget the smudged black eyeliner.

About this shirt. I bought it at a thrift shop somewhere in Michigan, long before I got seriously into vintage. I wore it once then stuffed it into the bottom of a bag that never made it to the dry cleaners. Only when I went rummaging around my closet to find it for this costume did I take a closer look and realize it’s a Gunne Sax. And it wasn’t until I gave it the ironing it desperately needed that I remembered there’s a big mysterious stain right on the center of the chest (which I expertly hid with hair and jewelry). If anyone has tips on the safest way to remove stains from vintage, please share them!

If you’re looking for a last-minute Halloween couples costume, visit my post on vintage-inspired Halloween couples costumes!

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