Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, and sometimes I spend all year brainstorming for a costume. Other times, I throw something together on a quick turnaround. Or my year-long plan falls through. Whatever the reason, we’ve all found ourselves in situations where we need a costume stat, and let’s be honest, some of the best costumes we’ve seen are the ones that take the least effort. For example, I knew someone once who wore a basic suit and carried with him a singular pod of edamame on a string and called himself a string bean. The costume was so stupid that it became the talk of the party. So without further ado, here’s a list of simple, clever same-day costume ideas you still win the costume contest with. Admittedly, almost all of these call for a cheap t-shirt and a sharpie.
- It’s Raining Men
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This one takes some creativity. First, grab your umbrella. Then, print out pictures of male celebrities. Tie them to the umbrella with string. Grab a rain jacket and some galoshes, and you’re party ready. You can also turn this costume into “it’s raining cats and dogs” if you prefer.
- Instagram Story
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Step One: Print out Instagram logo. Step Two: tape Instagram logo to shirt. Step Three: Grab a book.
- Identity Theft
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This one is super simple. All you need some “hello my name is” tags. Write random names on them and stick them all over your shirt. Congrats, you’re an identity thief.
- Chill PIll
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Alright, bear with me. You’re to need half your outfit to be (top or bottom), and half any other color. Then, either cut out and stick the letters to spell “chill” across your chest, or sacrifice your shirt and do it with sharpie.
- Challenge: Cereal Killer
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This one is probably the hardest to pull off on short notice, you will need at least one box of cereal, and one prop knife. Bonus points for multiple boxes of cereal or fake blood.
- Bonus couple’s Costume: Green with envy
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This one is my favorite. One of you wears all green, the other wears a sign around their neck to say “envy”. You are now “Green” with “Envy”, and everyone will think you and your partner are both so clever.
There we have it. Five simple costume ideas and a bonus! Do you think you’ll try any? This year, I’ll be Miss Understood… she’s a pageant winner but she’s misunderstood… get it? What are you going to be?