20 Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas You Can Make From Your Closet

So it's that week. Halloween is right around the corner, the store shelves look like a raccoon got to them, and somebody in your house has just remembered they need a costume. Like, this week.

Don't panic-order anything. Almost every costume on this list comes out of a closet, a junk drawer, or a five-dollar run to the dollar store. Some take an hour. A couple take less time than it takes to find the scissors.

(If you want to know exactly how much time you've got, our Halloween countdown will tell you down to the second. Maybe don't look if you're stressed.)

The "I own exactly one useful thing" costumes

1. Bedsheet ghost. People roll their eyes at this one, but it's a classic for a reason. Here's the trick nobody tells you: wear a baseball cap under the sheet. It keeps the head round instead of saggy, and the eye holes stay where your eyes actually are. Cut the bottom edge a little jagged. Throw sunglasses on top if you want a ghost with attitude.

2. Black cat. Black leggings, black top, three eyeliner whiskers on each cheek and a dot on the nose. Cut two felt or paper triangles and glue them to a headband. A black sock safety-pinned to your backside makes a perfectly good tail.

3. Scarecrow. If you own flannel, you own a scarecrow. Add jeans, a hat, and stuff a bit of raffia or yellow tissue paper into your sleeves and collar. Draw some stitches at the corners of your mouth. Works on toddlers, works on grandpas.

4. Mummy. Toilet paper looks amazing in photos and lasts about three houses. If you're actually trick-or-treating, rip an old white sheet into long strips and wrap those instead. Tuck the ends in, don't tie them.

5. Vampire. Dark clothes, slicked-back hair, a cape. The cape can be an old curtain or a black trash bag cut along the sides. A tiny smudge of red lipstick at the corner of your mouth does most of the work.

For couples, friends, and the whole family

Group costumes are kind of a cheat code. Each person's part is easy, but together they look like you planned it for weeks.

6. Salt and pepper. One of you in white, one in black. Write a big S and a big P on paper plates and pin them on. Gray beanies are the shaker lids.

7. A box of crayons. Everyone wears one solid color. Roll a sheet of construction paper in the same color into a cone and you've got a crayon tip hat. Someone with less enthusiasm can wear a poster-board sign and be the box.

8. S'mores. Two graham crackers (brown shirts), one marshmallow (white puffy jacket), and one chocolate (dark brown). Line up for the photo in the right order or nobody will get it.

9. PB&J. A tan shirt and a purple one. Draw a big swirl on each with a fabric marker. Done in five minutes, and somehow it always gets a laugh.

10. Three blind mice. Gray outfits, mouse ears, dark sunglasses, and something to tap with, like a broom handle or a wrapping paper tube. Bonus: you can wear a coat underneath and nobody notices.

Pun costumes for the office party

You don't want to wear a full costume to work. Fair. A pun costume says "I participated" without anybody seeing you in face paint at the 3 p.m. meeting.

11. Smart cookie. Glasses, a pencil behind your ear, and a paper cookie taped to your shirt.
12. Social butterfly. Paper butterfly wings covered in little heart and thumbs-up icons.
13. Error 404. A plain T-shirt that says "Costume not found." Peak low effort, still funny.
14. Ceiling fan. Pom-poms and a sign reading "Go Ceiling!" Then cheer at the ceiling all night.
15. Tourist. Loud shirt, socks with sandals, a fanny pack, and a camera. Carry a map and keep asking people for directions to the bathroom.

Easy ones for kids

Kids honestly care about two things. Can they run in it? Can they hold a candy bag? Anything that passes both tests is a winner.

16. Astronaut. Gray or white sweats, foil wrapped around sneakers, and two empty soda bottles taped together and spray-painted silver for a jetpack.
17. Dinosaur. A green hoodie with felt triangles glued down the hood and back. Kids will roar in it until bedtime.
18. Bumblebee. Yellow shirt, black electrical tape stripes, pipe cleaner antennae.
19. Their own superhero. Any bright outfit, a bath towel cape, and the first letter of their name on the chest. Let them make up the superpower. You'll hear about it for a week.
20. Little chef. White shirt, apron, a paper chef's hat, and a wooden spoon. Ridiculously cute on toddlers.

How to make a cheap costume look less cheap

A few small things make a big difference:

Stick to one main color. It reads clearly from across the street, which is where most people see you.
Don't skip the face. Five minutes of makeup does more than a store-bought outfit.
Hold something. A broom, a wand, a magnifying glass. A prop makes it feel finished.
Plan for the cold. In a lot of the US and Canada, Halloween night is chilly. Choose something that fits over a jacket, or work the jacket into the costume.

Quick safety stuff before you go

Not the fun part, but it matters, especially with little ones:

Put reflective tape or a glow stick on dark costumes so drivers can see them.
Carry a flashlight. Kids love being in charge of it.
Skip masks that block side vision. Face paint is safer.
Try face paint on a small patch of skin a day ahead to check for a reaction.
Hem anything that drags on the ground. Capes included.

That's the list. Pick one, raid the closet, and don't overthink it. The best costume is the one that's actually finished before the doorbell starts ringing.

Keep an eye on the Halloween countdown, and once the candy wrappers are swept up, Thanksgiving is up next.