Halloween is upon us, while some have had costumes planned well before the season began, others are just beginning to decide what to wear this weekend. The costumes suggested below will work wonders for those who are crafty and on a college student budget.
1. Dairy Queen
The easiest costumes come from recycling old clothing items. Take an old white shirt or dress, a black marker and start drawing random big spots all over. Don’t worry about achieving perfection, in fact, the spots shouldn’t look uniform at all. Try to make the spots different sizes to resemble cow print. Once satisfied with the outfit, grab any crown and you’ve just become a dairy queen!
2. Carmy Berzatto from “The Bear” (2022)
This easy costume from the hit series is perfect for those who may have brought a blue apron with them to college. All you need besides your apron is a white shirt, and possibly some patchwork tattoos. To really sell the costume, try shouting, “Yes, chef!” in conversation throughout the night.
3. Vanellope Von Schweetz from “Wreck-It Ralph” (2012)
This costume may require more effort than being a dairy queen, but it is equally as manageable. Take your favorite sweatshirt in any shade of blue and find a black skirt. Next, you’ll need some bright pink yarn to make little stitch marks along the front pocket, which can either be done with a sewing needle or every crafter’s favorite tool: a glue gun. Grab some candy (to obviously eat later) and whatever hairclips you have lying around. Using hot glue, take your candy and attach it to your hair clips. Tie your hair up and stick the new hairclips across your head and you have just become Vanellope Von Schweetz from “Wreck-It Ralph.”
4. Ryland Grace from “Project Hail Mary” (2026)
If you wear glasses and love a funky sweater, congratulations! You are the perfect candidate to dress up as Ryland Grace from “Project Hail Mary.” This costume does not require much DIY, and it’s a great costume if you prefer comfortability on Halloween night. All this costume requires is a funky sweater, a pair of jeans and an inability to keep your glasses straight.
5. Flamingo
Do you love pink, feathers and have a lot of patience? Consider being a flamingo for Halloween. Take any pink outfit hiding in your closet, whether it’s a dress or pants and a t-shirt, as long as the base is pink. Go to your favorite craft store to gather as many pink feathers as possible, or even a feather boa. Take a strong glue (fabric or hot glue) and stick your feathers of choice onto your pink outfit. Once it is dry, the costume is ready to go! Standing on one leg the whole night is an added bonus.
6. Olive from “Easy A” (2010)
If you have truly run out of time, but still want to be festive, grab an all black-outfit, sunglasses, tape, and a piece of red paper. Cut out the letter “A” from the paper and tape it to your top. Put on your sunglasses and walk with confidence — you have now become Olive from “Easy A” in three quick steps.
Halloween is supposed to be the scariest part of the season, not a time to stress out over what you’re going to wear. Hopefully you’ve found some inspiration for a great weekend!
This article was edited by Faith Starchia, Jessica Ackerman, and Cara Halford. Copy editing done by Avery Grossman and Abigail Jose.
