How To Make Your Own Halloween Costume

5 easy Halloween costumes from your closet

Zombie

Wardrobe recommendations: Choose any old clothes that you don’t mind upcycling into something that resembles undead couture and set to work making them look like they’ve been through hell and back! You could slash them with scissors, cover them in mud stains, or smother red and brown fabric paint over them to give the impression that you’ve just climbed out of a grave.

DIY addition: For a zombie mummy vibe find some old net curtains or white sheets and rip the fabric into lengths. Stitch these onto thermal ski base layers in horizontal strips and practice zombie moaning, snarling, and shuffling to complete the look. 

Everyone needs to stay hydrated during festivities, even zombies, so stuff a bottle of water in a kitsack and sling it over your shoulder before you head out on your ghostly adventure.

Cheerleader

Wardrobe recommendations: Pair a patterned mini skirt with a matching tank top, add knee high socks and pull your hair into bunches. Then print out your high school or college logo and tape it onto the front and back of your top. Et voila, you’re a cheerleader cheering for you own brand of awesomeness.

DIY addition: Here’s where you can get creative with this costume from your closet. Embrace the undead vibe of Halloween and use face paint to make yourself look like a zombie cheerleader or paint on fake wounds to make it look as through you’ve been attacked by a vampire! 

Add an embroidered skull patch to your backpack and use it to carry your sleepover essentials or party provisions.

Witch’s cat

Wardrobe recommendations: This idea for an easy Halloween costume from your closet is really accessible as pretty much everyone has at least one item of black clothing at home. Whether you opt for a black pair of trousers and a black top or simply throw on a black dress, use eyeliner to complete the look by drawing a twitching black nose and whiskers on your face. 

DIY addition: If you’re feeling artistic, try upcycling an old Alice band and attach some feline ears cut from stiff black card. Then conceal your trick or treat essentials in a black fanny pack and sling it around your waist or over your shoulder where it will go unnoticed. 

Wednesday Addams

Wardrobe recommendations: Another easy costume to make with normal clothes is Wednesday Addams. All you’ll need is a black dress or black skirt and top and a stiff white collared shirt. Layer the dress over the shirt, add some dark tights and flat black shoes, tie your hair into a low ponytail, and draw on some black eyeliner to finish this deathly feminine look.

DIY addition: If you really want to go all out with this costume browse your local thrift store for a black wig or see if you can rent one from a local costume shop. Those familiar with using hair dye could opt to go dark for the night with a wash-out black rinse.

Jailbird

Wardrobe recommendations: Think stripes of any thickness and color for this DIY Halloween costume. If you have a greying white t-shirt and a pair of old white jeans, you could customize these with some colored gaffer tape or colored fabric paint to create the iconic jailbird stripe look. Alternatively think Orange Is The New Black and choose khaki slacks and a matching tee, then customize the tee with a prison number sticker.

DIY addition: Complete this look with a hessian or fabric sack tied at the top with rope and filled with stolen loot! 

We hope that these easy costumes made from normal clothes will inspire you to celebrate Halloween while reducing waste. Head over to your closet and see what ghoulish outfits you can customize this festival season.

Share your costumes from your closet with us on social media using #LifeUnzipped.