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woman painting pattern on white wall with yellow paint
woman painting pattern on white wall with yellow paint
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5 DIY Halloween Costumes for the Broke College Kid

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Rebecca Palma
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar U Conn Contributor
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Conn chapter.

Halloween is right around the corner and that means countless viewings of Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown, trips to the pumpkin patch (with Insta pics to prove it), and, most importantly, picking your costume!

To fully commit to creating an alter ego for the night, you have to worry about hair, makeup, costumes, and even props in some cases. Lo and behold, the college student doesn’t typically have excess funds to throw down $50 for store-bought costumes. Lucky for you, here is a list of five do-it-yourself Halloween looks that will scare the “broke college kid” right out of you.

1. Scarecrow

The only things you need for this classic autumnal look are a flannel shirt, straw hat (beach hat will do), and some jeans. You can add to the look by using a peachy/orange lip or cheek product and black eyeliner to draw stitches.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Minnie Mouse
This adorable costume can be created with a simple black shirt and a red skirt (you could even reverse these colors). To make the ears, just cut out black cardboard circles and glue them on to a black headband. Use the back of a pencil to make a dotting pattern with white paint on a thick, red ribbon and tie a bow on to the headband. Add white gloves to the complete the look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Risky Business

This is probably the easiest look to accomplish, especially if you’re reading this the night of Halloween. All you need is a button down shirt (preferably a light, neutral color) and a pair of white or black shorts to go underneath and you’re done!  You can wear white crew socks and some shades to spice up the outfit.

 

4. Skeleton

All you need for this costume is a black long sleeve shirt, which you’ll cut to look like bones, and a white shirt to go underneath. You can find templates online for this but if you’re feeling crafty you can go for it freehand. Wear black bottoms and black shoes. You can even paint your face – there’s plenty of skeleton makeup inspiration on Pinterest or you can try a video tutorial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Hippie

The final DIY costume is one of the grooviest of all. You can create a hippie look in many different ways but some ideas are maxi dresses and skirts, flowy, patterned pants, tie dye, round glasses, lots of jewelry, and flower crowns. (When in doubt, dress like Vanessa Hudgens.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of these costumes can be made with items you already have, but don’t worry if you don’t have everything. Talk to your friends, hit up a thrift shop or swap out some items to fit your wardrobe. Most importantly, have fun with it. You may not be tricking too many people, but you’ll definitely be a sweet treat this Halloween! 

And if you’re planning on going out with a friend, check out some great ideas for duo costumes…on a budget, of course.

 

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