Halloween is just around the corner, and college students everywhere are preparing for a night of fear and fun. But between tuition, textbooks, food, and everyday expenses, splurging on a costume might not be in the budget. On top of that, it’s probably not wise to spend a significant amount of money on something you’ll most likely only wear once.
The good news is you don’t have to break the bank to dress up cute this year. No matter if you decide to go to a campus party or hang out with friends, I have some creative, affordable Halloween costume ideas that are cute and easy to put together. You will be able to easily thrift, make, or find the pieces for these costumes in your closet. Halloween will be your time to impress without any stress.
Option 1: Cheetah
As many of us know, cheetah print has been the print of 2024. It’s a chic look that can be styled and incorporated with so many things in so many different ways. As for the costume, being a cheetah is a simple, identifiable costume for Halloween that you can dress up or down. I like this option because you can make it your own and put any twist on it.
In terms of getting the costume together, let’s start with the base of the outfit, the actual cheetah print. It would be best if the print stands out the most, as that will make your costume most recognizable. To do this, you can pick out a cheetah-print top, like a tank, tee, bralette, or corset. You also have the choice to do a cheetah printed bottom, like a skirt, sarong, shorts, leggings, or jeans. You can match the top and bottom, or just pick to have the cheetah print be on the top or bottom. A cheetah print top would be so cute with plain black bottoms and vice versa.
Another option is to wear a cheetah print dress. It would also be perfect for this look. Tops, bottoms, and dresses are the largest clothing items, so having the cheetah print being one of these things will make sure your costume concept stands out.
As for shoes, black tennis shoes, boots, or dainty sandals and heels would match great with the black on the cheetah print. It would pull the look together and keep everything clean.
For accessories, cheetah ears are the obvious answer. You can make these easily at home by following a DIY video on YouTube, or you can purchase some for pretty cheap at local stores, like Halloween sections and Halloween-dedicated stores such as Spirit Halloween, Walmart, or Target. Gold jewelry would also look so pretty with this costume. Bangles on the arms and dainty necklaces are always a go-to that never fails.
And lastly, makeup. I feel like this is what would give your costume that final boost. Cheetah makeup is fairly easy to do. You can purchase stencils to make cheetah print on the sides of your face, and black eyeliner or facepaint to draw whiskers and a nose. Going full glam with this look on top of the cat-like features would make this the cutest costume ever.
There are so many different variations of this costume, it’ll be so fun to see everyone’s take on it this year!
Option 2: Duo/Couple Costume: Kat and Patrick, 10 Things I Hate About You
This next costume pick can be done in a pair, or alone if you wanted to. The movie ”10 Things I Hate About You“ is a popular movie for costume recreation, especially for duos and couples. I have seen so many scenes from the movie recreated through Halloween costumes, but there’s one I haven’t seen enough of that would be super easy to do.
In the movie, main characters Kat and Patrick go on a paintball date. They’re wearing clear goggles and white jumpsuits that have been completely covered with paintballs. The date scene is one of the most popular scenes in the movie. I personally love how cute and wholesome it is.
As for the costume, you can make this as simple or over the top as you want. You could get two matching white jump-suits, and then splatter paint all over both of them. Then find two pairs of clear goggles and ta-da! Costume complete.
If you want something a bit more trendy and stylish, you can pick out any white tops and bottoms of your choosing. After that you would repeat the same paint splattering process, let the paint dry, and your costumes are complete. For the goggles, they are easily found at most grocery stores, or for very cheap online through websites like Amazon.
The cost for this costume is one of the most college-friendly. White clothing items are very easy to find for cheap if they are not already in your closet. The main costs for this costume would be the paint and goggles if these are not items you already have or can borrow.
Option 3: Miss Hannigan
Miss Hannigan from Annie is the perfect costume for a fun, recognizable look that also has vintage and quirky qualities. The character is known for her chaotic but eccentric style, so there’s a lot of room to get creative and make the costume your own.
To start, her signature is her disheveled house dress or robe. Look for something floral, satin, or velvet, ideally in muted colors like purple, brown, or maroon. Thrift stores are going to be perfect for finding vintage-style pieces. If you can’t find a robe, a flowy nightgown or loose dress works too. You want to make it look a little worn and unkempt because Miss Hannigan is never done up. You could even belt it loosely at the waist to exaggerate the frumpy appearance she has.
For shoes, chunky heels, house slippers, or even worn-out boots will be great. Anything that adds to her slightly sloppy, carefree appearance works. You can also wear mismatched socks or stockings with holes in them.
Accessories are what will make the costume pop. Miss Hannigan always had excessive jewelry, so you want to get some big, gaudy rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Layer them up. Then tousle your hair in a messy updo or wild, unorganized curls, and add a feathered boa or shawl if you want to incorporate more of her character.
To complete the look, try for bold and overdone makeup; dark red lipstick, overly rouged cheeks, and dramatic eye makeup. You want to look slightly disheveled like you’ve had one too many martinis…
If you choose to be Miss Hannigan, you’ll have fun with the chaotic, vintage aesthetic. There’s a combination of old-fashioned clothes, exaggerated accessories, and bold makeup, which is going to make it a fun option for Halloween.
Option 4: Duo/Couple Costume: Emily and Clifford
Emily and Clifford is an adorable duo or couple costume that’s easy to pull off.
Emily’s Costume:
Emily’s signature style is simple yet classic, so it makes it easy to recreate. Start with a basic red or pink dress; anything casual, like a fit-and-flare or A-line dress. If you don’t have a dress, you can substitute it with a red or pink skirt paired with a plain top in a matching color. You can also add a cardigan or jacket for a cozier feel.
For footwear wear comfortable white sneakers or flats. As for accessories, Emily’s look doesn’t require much, but you could carry around a small dog collar or leash to represent Clifford’s presence if your partner isn’t standing by you. For the final touch, add a simple red headband or bow in your hair.
Clifford’s Costume:
Clifford, the Big Red Dog, is known for just being big, red, and cuddly. For the costume you can wear an all-red outfit, starting with a red tank, shirt, sweatshirt, or hoodie paired with a red skirt, sweatpants, or leggings. You can add a tail and dog ears, which are easy to buy, or make it yourself using felt and a headband.
For makeup, paint your nose black and add a few whiskers with eyeliner for the dog’s face. For shoes, red heels, sneakers, or boots work well to keep the look consistent from top to bottom.
Accessories for Clifford:
A big collar around your neck (or a DIY dog collar using a thick red or black belt). For the DIY all you’d need to do is cut out a thin piece of the felt and wrap it around your neck.
Emily and Clifford are easily recognizable and cute costumes to wear without spending much.
Option 5: Miraculous Ladybug
Ladybug’s iconic red-and-black polka-dot look is simple and eye-catching, a perfect costume to DIY and use what you have at home.
Outfit:
The core of Ladybug’s look is her red bodysuit with black polka dots. For this, you can get a simple red long-sleeve top and matching red leggings or pants. If you don’t have a matching set, you can mix and match similar shades of red to pull the look together. To create the polka dots, you can either buy or cut out black circles from felt or fabric and stick or sew them onto your top and pants.
Mask:
Ladybug’s red mask is key to completing the costume. If you’re feeling crafty, you can make a mask out of red felt or cardstock. Cut it into the classic eye mask shape and attach some black polka dots for accuracy. Use string or elastic to secure it around your head. If you want something quicker, you can also purchase a pre-made red mask from a Halloween or craft store.
Shoes:
Black flats, boots, or sneakers work perfectly for this costume. They’ll match the black accents in your outfit. If you want more of a superhero look, wear black combat boots or high-top sneakers.
Hair:
Ladybug’s hairstyle is simple, you can braid your hair or wear them in pigtails.
Accessories:
You can carry a red yo-yo or any small circular prop to mimic Ladybug’s weapon. You can even consider wearing her red earrings out of small red beads or buttons. They’re an easy detail that will make your costume more authentic.
Option 6: Pete the Cat
A Pete the Cat costume is the perfect choice for college students who want a laid-back, fun, and easy-to-make Halloween look.
Start with a blue hoodie or sweatshirt and pair it with blue leggings, jeans, a skirt, or sweatpants for Pete’s fur. If you can’t go fully blue, stick with the hoodie and pair it with black pants, skirts, or shorts. Add colored felt circles for buttons to your top for a recreation of his shirt.
Shoes:
Pete has cool, colorful shoes. You can mix and match brightly colored sneakers or boots: red, yellow, or blue all work perfectly.
Accessories:
For Pete’s ears, DIY a headband using blue felt cut into triangles. You can add a black nose and whiskers with face paint or eyeliner for a cat look.
This costume can be comfy and cute with minimal effort and expenses.
Halloween 2024 does not have to break the bank for college students! There are so many ways you can put together fun, stylish costumes without splurging. It doesn’t matter if you’re thrifting, DIY-ing, or using pieces you already own, these costume ideas are inspiration for staying cute on a budget.
Get ready for Halloween season because your perfect costume is closer (and cheaper) than you probably think!
Do you know what you want to be for Halloween this year? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!