Halloween costume ideas: 50 outfits you can actually pull off

Most Halloween costumes get decided the night before, so this list is grouped by effort rather than theme. Start with how long you've got and how much you're willing to spend, then pick from that group.

We don't sell costumes - we make cards, badges and party bits - so nothing here is a sales pitch. It's just the outfits that work at a normal house party without falling apart by nine o'clock.

If you're hosting rather than attending, our party pages cover the games, food and timings once the costume is sorted.

Last-minute costumes from things you already own

• All black plus cat ears drawn-on whiskers: the classic, and nobody minds.
• White shirt, red tie, fake blood: office worker who had a bad afternoon.
• Dressing gown, mug, wild hair: sleep-deprived parent. Terrifying to anyone with kids.
• Bin bag with the corners cut out: a very committed rain cloud, or a bat if you add ears.
• Head-to-toe beige and a name badge: a walking IKEA instruction manual.
• Sunglasses indoors and a suit: any film assassin you like, no explanation needed.
• Football shirt and a bandage: injured player, ninety minutes of sympathy.
• Whole outfit inside out with a label showing: laundry mishap.
• Tinfoil hat and a clipboard: conspiracy researcher.
• Normal clothes plus a printed sign saying 'error 404: costume not found'.

Easy adult costumes with one bought item

• Witch: a hat does ninety per cent of the work.
• Vampire: fangs, a dark coat and a bit of pale make-up.
• Skeleton: a printed suit you'll wear again every year.
• Devil: horns and anything red.
• Ghost: a good sheet, cut the eye holes properly.
• Scarecrow: checked shirt, straw and a stitched-mouth make-up line.
• Zombie anything - nurse, chef, bride - old clothes plus fake blood.
• Grim reaper: hooded cloak, done in one purchase.
• Mad scientist: lab coat, goggles, hair backcombed.
• Pirate: a bandana, a stripe top and a lot of confidence.

Homemade costumes worth the effort

• Papier-mache pumpkin head, made over a weekend, photographed for years.
• Cardboard robot with foil detailing and a torch bulb.
• Wednesday Addams: black dress, white collar, two plaits.
• Beetlejuice: black-and-white stripes taped onto a charity shop suit.
• Medusa: green dress and toy snakes wired into a headband.
• Corpse bride: white dress from a charity shop, tea-stained and torn.
• Voodoo doll: hessian-look fabric, oversized stitching, pins made from card.
• Cereal killer: cereal boxes glued to a top with plastic knives through them.
• Static electricity: grey clothes, hair backcombed, socks safety-pinned all over.
• Jack-o'-lantern: orange clothes plus a felt face stuck on the front.

Couples costume ideas

• Ghostbuster and ghost.
• Devil and angel, the oldest pairing there is.
• Bride and groom of Frankenstein.
• Salt and pepper shakers, made from white and black card cones.
• Cop and convict.
• Vampire and their victim, matching neck marks.
• Wednesday and Morticia, or Gomez and Morticia.
• Skeleton pair in matching printed suits.
• Sandy and Danny, if you want one night off from being scary.
• A plug and a socket, which is either funny or a fire hazard.

Group and workplace costumes

• The whole office as one horror film cast, one character each.
• Playing cards: black and red outfits with big card fronts.
• Traffic lights: red, amber, green, and one confused pedestrian.
• Scooby gang - five people, five recognisable outfits, no budget.
• Emoji faces printed onto yellow t-shirts.
• Zombie versions of your actual jobs. Cheap and very effective.
• Crayons: coloured t-shirts and cone hats to match.
• Ghosts in matching sheets with different sunglasses.

Kids' Halloween costumes that survive an evening

• Skeleton onesie: warm, comfortable and washes clean.
• Little witch or wizard, hat plus a cloak over normal clothes.
• Pumpkin: orange jumper, green hat, felt face. Shop this card
• Spider: black outfit with four stuffed tights safety-pinned on. Shop this card
• Mummy: bandages over a white long-sleeve, taped so they don't unravel.
• Black cat: ears, tail, face paint, done in five minutes. Shop this card
• Dinosaur, because it works every year and they'll wear it again in November.
• Superhero of their choosing, with a face-paint scar to make it Halloween.

Shop Halloween cards

Party supplies for the night

Banners, cake toppers and confetti while the costumes do the rest.

How to write it so it lands

• Pick something you can sit down in - half the night is spent on a sofa.
• Test face paint on your wrist a day early if anyone's skin is sensitive.
• Layer over normal clothes so you can strip back when the room warms up.
• Give a prize for worst costume as well as best. It gets more people dressing up.

Where to shop next

• Halloween party ideas and card messages
• Halloween party ideas
• Halloween party games
• Halloween party ideas for adults
• Kids' Halloween party ideas
• Halloween card messages
• Halloween cards
• Party supplies
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What is a good last-minute Halloween costume?

All black with cat ears, a white shirt with a red tie and fake blood, or a dressing gown and a mug as a sleep-deprived parent. Each takes under five minutes and uses things already in the house.

What Halloween costume can I make at home?

Beetlejuice from a charity shop suit and black tape, a voodoo doll from hessian-look fabric and oversized stitching, or a jack-o'-lantern from orange clothes and a felt face. All cost under a tenner.

What are good couples Halloween costumes?

Devil and angel, Ghostbuster and ghost, bride and groom of Frankenstein, or salt and pepper shakers if you'd rather be funny than frightening.

Do you sell Halloween costumes?

Not at the moment - we make cards, badges and party decorations, all designed in house and printed in the UK. If we add costumes we'll list them on the Halloween pages first.

How much should a Halloween costume cost?

A homemade one is usually under £10 with charity shop clothes and make-up. Shop-bought adult costumes typically run £15 to £35, and a single accessory like a hat or fangs is £3 to £8.