Cheap Halloween fancy dress costume ideas

Want to impress at a Halloween party? Then take a look at our DIY fancy dress costume ideas for some inspiration on how to go about it on the cheap.

It’s Halloween on 31st October and many of us will be heading off to fancy dress parties.

It can be a struggle to think up clever ideas for a costume that isn’t your usual witch, devil, cat, pirate, doctor or nurse (prefix ‘sexy-’ or ‘evil-’ for desired effect).

So here are a few to help you get started that you can easily make yourself and won't cost a fortune.

Shaun from Shaun of the Dead

OK, so he won’t scare your granny, but it is a nod to a British comedy horror classic that you can prepare yourself on the cheap. The film follows Shaun (Simon Pegg) as he tries to win his ex-girlfriend back while fighting a peculiar outbreak of zombies in his local area.

As you can see in this image, his costume is pretty easy to recreate. Plain black trousers, a white short-sleeved shirt, a red tie (that can be used as a bandana) and some fake blood is all you need. To go the extra mile you can spend a bit of time making a red ‘Foree Electric/ Sales Advisor/ Shaun’ name badge to make it obvious who you are.

Or splash out and buy one here.

Zombie

Zombies are slow movers but their appetite for brains makes them terrifying. Luckily a zombie is just an paler, bloodier and more dishevelled version of your normal self - so easy to bring to life on the cheap.

For ideas look at the images from some famous zombie horror films like the 1978 classic Dawn of the Dead or the more recent TV series The Walking Dead. All you need to do to transform into the living dead is to rip up some old clothes, dirty them with some coffee or tea, apply some fake blood around your mouth and eyes and finish off with face paints to create a haunted, deranged look.

If you're unsure you can find out what you should really look like as a zombie with Zombie Booth, an app available on smartphones that transforms an image of you with just a tap of a button.

The girl from The Grudge

The Grudge (Ju-on) is a Japanese horror film that tells the story of a terrible curse that is passed on through a girl that died in a powerful rage.

The girl that haunts the characters in the film has quite a distinctive look - guaranteed to spook your friends and family. The costume requires a long black wig brushed forward (or your own hair); some white face paint for your face and arms, some black eye makeup and an old white night dress that you can stain.

Anyone can give it a go; my boyfriend managed to pull this one off last year for under £20!

A Tetris piece

Not the slightest bit scary- but cheap to make and easy to take off when travelling. All you need is some cardboard boxes, some paint/coloured paper and black duct tape.

Then you just have to choose the piece you want to go as and build accordingly. If you get a few more people to go as different tetrominoes you could manage a party side act of human Tetris like the image on the right.

Pac-man ghost

Sticking with the retro theme, a Pac-man ghost is even easier to make. All you need is a pink, blue or yellow coloured sheet which you can draw or sew some large eyes onto. This simple classic is great if you're really on a budget but want to impress.

The Joker

Batman’s nemisis the Joker became a truly frightening character when Heath Ledger played the super villain in 2008 film the Dark Knight. To get the look is easy.

[SPOTLIGHT]You just need some red, black and white face paint plus a bright lime green wig or temporary green hair dye. The Joker usually has a purple suit in the Batman comics and film, but ordinary clothes work eerily well. Getting the hair and make-up right is the key here.

A superhero

Superheroes are always making their own costumes. You can too as long as you get all the basics right. All that you require is a cape which can be made from fabric (cut and tied around your neck), an eye mask, and tight fitting clothes with a symbol attached.

Using the basics you could probably forge a Batman or Superman suit yourself instead of spending loads on one that needs to be shipped from America and arrives too late for your party! But if you are feeling really creative you could invent a new one.

Fred and Wilma Flintstone

Dressing up as Fred or Wilma from 1960s cartoon The Flintstones is really easy and perfect if you want to go as a couple. For Wilma get a cheap white dress and cut a zig-zag pattern out of the bottom, wear some white chunky pearls and if you want to go all the way use orange or red hair dye, or even a wig.

Fred’s costume requires a large orange covering (you can buy cheap orange cotton from a fabric shop) with zig-zags cut out the bottom and black triangles drawn or sewn on. A blue or turquoise tie and a club completes the look. .

If you don’t want to make your own

There are plenty of inventive ways you can make you own Halloween costume with a bit of fake blood, face paint, scissors, glue, fabric or cardboard. But it can be pretty stressful trying to do it yourself. So if you don’t fancy making your own, try renting an outfit or buying one you can use again and again. But get organised and shop early to avoid any disappointment. Here are some useful websites for all ages: