20 Halloween Costume Ideas for Every Age, Budget and Skill Level

Good Halloween costume ideas have three things in common: people recognize them in a second, they can be built mostly from clothes you already own, and they still feel comfortable three hours into the party. Below are twenty ideas sorted by style, each with what to wear, how to put it together and a tip.

Spooky classics

• Skeleton. Wear a black long-sleeved top and black leggings or pants. Paint or tape the bones on with white fabric paint or white duct tape: ribs, spine and the long bones of the arms and legs. Tip: sketch the bones in chalk first, with the shirt on a flat surface and a piece of cardboard inside.
• Mummy. Start with a white or cream base layer. Tear an old white sheet into long strips and wrap them loosely, pinning the ends rather than knotting them. Tip: soak a few strips in cold tea and let them dry for an aged look.
• Spider. Black clothes, plus six extra legs made from black tights stuffed with newspaper or fiberfill and pinned to the sides of a sweatshirt. Tip: run a thread from each extra leg to your wrist so the legs move when you wave.
• Bat. Black clothes and a small black umbrella with the handle removed, cut and stitched to the sleeves as wings, or felt wings safety-pinned from wrist to waist. Finish with felt ears on a headband. Tip: keep the wings at elbow length if you need your hands free.

Storybook and stage characters

• The Mad Hatter. A mismatched jacket, a bright scarf or oversized bow tie, and a tall hat with a paper tag reading "10/6". Tip: carry a teacup; it does more than any amount of makeup.
• Little Red Riding Hood. A red hooded cape or red hoodie over a simple dress or jeans, plus a basket with a checked cloth. Tip: a friend in a fuzzy gray sweater and a nightcap instantly becomes the wolf.
• Pinocchio. Shorts with suspenders, a white shirt, a short cap with a feather and rosy painted cheeks. Make a long nose from a paper cone held on with elastic, or skip it and paint the nose instead. Tip: painted wood-grain lines on the hands and cheeks sell the puppet look.
• Knight. A gray sweatshirt for chain mail, a cardboard tunic painted with a crest, and a cardboard shield. Tip: wrap the shield's edge in duct tape so it survives the night.

Jobs and characters from real life

• Astronaut. White coveralls or white sweats, a backpack covered in foil for life support, and printed patches pinned to the chest. Tip: skip a full helmet and wear a white headband with a mic made from a pipe cleaner, so you can see and talk.
• Beekeeper. Light-colored clothes, gardening gloves and a wide-brimmed hat with a length of tulle draped around it. Tip: pin a few felt bees to the hat brim.
• Mad scientist. A white button-down worn as a lab coat, safety goggles, wild hair and a clipboard. Tip: a plastic beaker of colored water with a glow stick inside looks like a bubbling experiment.
• Painter. Old clothes splattered with craft paint, a beret and a cardboard palette with dabs of real color. Tip: let the paint dry fully the day before, or you will leave art on every chair.

Animals

• Owl. A brown or gray sweatshirt covered in rows of felt "feathers" cut in U shapes, overlapping from the hem up. Tip: big round glasses double as owl eyes.
• Fox. Orange top, white felt bib on the chest, felt ears and a tail from an orange and white scarf. Tip: a little brown face paint on the nose tip finishes it without a mask.
• Ladybug. Black base, a red felt or poster-board shell with black dots worn like a backpack, and pipe-cleaner antennae. Tip: attach the shell with two loops of ribbon so it slips on and off.
• Dalmatian. White clothes with black felt spots, black ears on a headband and a red collar with a tag. Tip: vary the spot sizes; identical circles look like polka dots.

Puns

• Smart cookie. Brown clothes with felt chocolate chips, plus glasses and a graduation cap.
• Ceiling fan. A gray shirt reading "Ceiling", pom-poms and a homemade "Go Ceiling!" sign.
• Couch potato. A brown top, a pillow tied to your back and a TV remote in hand.
• Smarty pants. Pants covered in small candies or printed equations. Tip for all puns: a sign or a single prop helps people get the joke from across the room.

Pick by situation

You need	Start with	Full guide
Something tonight	Pun, painter or skeleton	Last-minute costumes
A theme for the whole family	Storybook characters or animals	Family costumes
A look for two	Red Riding Hood and the wolf	Couples costumes
A weekend project	Knight, owl or ladybug	DIY costumes

A few safety basics

Pediatricians recommend bright or reflective costumes, hems short enough to avoid tripping, and makeup or hats instead of masks that block vision. Look for "flame resistant" on costume, wig and accessory labels, and test face paint on a small patch of skin a day ahead. If you want cat or zombie eyes, use makeup: the FDA says all contact lenses, including decorative ones, must be prescribed by a doctor.