5 DIY Halloween Costume Ideas

Pumpkin lattes, scary movies, and ghouls galore! Store-bought costumes do save time, but taking out your sewing machine and craft supplies to create handmade costumes results in truly unique, made-for-you, and (most of the time) better-quality creations that will last for years to come.

With Spooky season in full swing, we are sharing 5 DIY Halloween costume ideas.

1. Corsets and Gowns

Transport yourself to another period of time or alterate universe where everyday ballgowns are the social norm. You can become your favorite Disney princess or Bridgerton character with the right foundations. The perfect place to start is with multi-award-winning cosplayer Casey Welsch’s Cosplay Foundations. The book walks you through creating foundation garments, including corsets, bodysuits, hoops, crinolines, leggings, and more! Sew the perfect silhouette for any costume, and one that fits your body measurements perfectly. 

After creating a solid foundation, you can move onto the next step: sewing an elaborate ballgown from scratch. The Cosplay Book of Ballgowns is a complete guide that helps new and experienced sewists build stunning showpiece gowns. If the thought of creating your own ballgown is overwhelming, listen to this helpful thought from the authors, Regan Cerato and Kelley Kullman: 

“Don't worry: every gown begins with important fundamentals and construction tricks that you can apply to any future project, no matter the character or source material. With this book we'll teach you how to evaluate and modify commercial patterns, draft skirts, assemble corsets, choose undergarments, and design details. Intended for both newcomers and journeyman level crafters, this approach to garment construction aims to elevate your creative and construction skills!”

2. Capes, Sleeves & More!

Smocking is a technique for achieving stunning 3D effects on fabric. Make capes, sleeves, dresses, robes, and more to transform into a wizard, sorcerer, queen, or king! Maggie Hofmann breaks down the process and offers 20 stitch patterns in her book, Smocking Secrets. Pre-smocked fabric is expensive, but now you can make your own stylish panels for every event. Smocking Secrets will give you the perfect jumping-off point to invent your own fancy flourishes! Take your costumes to the next level with the book’s companion product, Smocking Stencils in three gridded sizes. 

3. Wigs for Every Occasion

Wigs are the staple to every great costume – and they are the perfect accessory for last-minute costumes. Regan Cerato of Cowbutt Crunchies shows you how to make dozens of extravagant wigs for cosplayer needs, from dyed spikes to dragon scales to fiber flowers and so much more in her book, The Art of Extreme Wig Styling. Extravagant wigs can be intimidating, they can even stump the most seasoned of crafters but with the expert Cosplay guidance wig making can be accomplished by everybody. You’ll learn the core basics along with trimming tips, dyeing techniques, weft basics, teasing, volumizing, and so much more to get just the look you want to achieve. 

4. Special Effects to Level Up Your Costume

Getting exactly the look you want and achieving knock-out special effects can be as simple as weathering or painting on fabric, but strategically damaging or adding paint to your costume can be intimidating - what if you get it wrong? Many cosplayers are adept at sewing up costumes but have no idea how to add details and effects that help tell a story. Marquise Cubey (Julianna Franchini), a veteran cosplayer and industry expert, demystifies paint, tools, and techniques to help you add fabric painting and weathering to your arsenal of costume effects in her book, Cosplay Fabric FX.

5. Personalize Your Costume

Wellington-based costume designer Sanit Klamchanuan, a contractor with Weta Workshop, teaches you to build cosplay from scratch or remix popular characters in his book, Cosplay for You. He shows you everything you need to know about the design and execution process by walking you through five original costumes. 

Even if you don’t “go all out” in costume throughout the month, it’s fun to show a little spirit, right? This Skulls Deelybopper Headband project is a quick and easy project. Did we mention you can download the instructions for free here? If you don’t choose to wear it to the office, shopping, or any social event, surely your kids will enjoy the attention they’ll get at school. Boo!

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