Halloween costumes from clothes you already own
Most costume lists start with the costume and leave you to find the clothes. This one starts with your wardrobe. Find the thing you already own, and it tells you which costumes it gives you, what to add, and roughly how long each takes. Nothing here needs a shop.
Last updated: 24 September 2026
All-black clothes
The most useful thing in any wardrobe on the 31st. Five costumes start here, and the difference between them is card, tape and a headband.
- Skeleton — All black clothes, white tape for the ribs, eyeliner for the face · about 5 minutes
- Black Cat — All black clothes, a headband with card ears and a belt for the tail · about 5 minutes
- Bat — A black hoodie and an old black umbrella cut into wings · about 20 minutes
- Witch — A black dress, your cosiest cardigan and a hat made from black card · about 12 minutes
- Vampire — A black coat worn as a cape, a white shirt, red lipstick. Done · about 10 minutes
An old white sheet
One sheet, cut two ways: whole for a ghost, torn into strips for a mummy. If two of you have one sheet between you, that is a pair sorted.
- Ghost — An old white sheet and a marker. The classic for a reason · about 3 minutes
- Mummy — An old white sheet torn into strips, and safety pins · about 15 minutes
Denim and boots
Already a costume with a hat and a bandana on top. The one on this page that needs nothing made and nothing drawn.
- Cowboy — Jeans, any checked shirt, boots and a bandana. The hat is the only thing most people need to find · about 2 minutes
Something orange
An orange hoodie or top, a face cut from black felt or paper, and a green hat for the stem.
- Pumpkin — Anything orange, a green hat and a face cut from black paper · about 10 minutes
A flannel or checked shirt
Rough it up and add ears for a werewolf, or tear it at the seams and stain it with cold tea for a zombie. Same shirt, two costumes.
- Werewolf — A flannel shirt, a fluffy scarf and a headband with ears · about 22 minutes
- Zombie — Your oldest clothes, torn a little, and eyeshadow for dark circles · about 25 minutes
A long dark dress or skirt
A hat made from black card turns it into a witch; a flower crown and light layers turn it into a fairy.
- Witch — A black dress, your cosiest cardigan and a hat made from black card · about 12 minutes
- Fairy — Any light dress, flowers pinned in your hair, and a stick wrapped in ribbon · about 30 minutes
All white
A halo bent from a wire hanger and a sheet over one shoulder. The costume that is smarter than most work clothes.
- Angel — Any all-white outfit and a halo bent from gold tinsel or a pipe cleaner · about 14 minutes
Anything red
Card horns on a headband and a scarf tucked into a belt as a tail.
- Devil — Anything red, black jeans, and horns made from red card on a headband · about 8 minutes
Your brightest clothes
All of them at once, plus mismatched socks. The one costume where trying to match is the mistake.
- Party Clown — Your brightest clothes, all at once, plus lipstick dots on the cheeks · about 15 minutes
A white shirt and a scarf
Shirt untucked, scarf at the waist or on your head, belt over the top.
- Pirate — A white shirt, any scarf as a sash and a striped top. The eye patch is the finishing touch · about 20 minutes
What to add, and what to skip
Three things cover almost every costume on this page: black card, white or coloured tape, and a plain headband. Between them they make horns, ears, a hat, a halo, a ribcage and a set of wings. What you can skip is face paint — every costume here has a build without it, and paint is the part most likely to be regretted by ten o'clock.
Why the wardrobe version usually looks better
A costume made from clothes that fit you reads better than a bagged one that does not, and it survives the whole night. The bought costume is also the one everybody else bought. Starting from your own wardrobe is how you end up as the only one of you in the room.
Questions
What can I be for Halloween with stuff I already have?
Start from the strongest thing you own. All-black clothes give you a skeleton, a black cat, a bat, a witch or a vampire. An old white sheet gives you a ghost or a mummy. Denim and boots are already a cowboy. Each of those needs only card, tape or a headband on top.
What is the easiest costume with no shopping at all?
A ghost, if you have a sheet you can cut. A skeleton if you have black clothes and any white tape. A cowboy if you own denim and boots — that one needs nothing added at all beyond a bandana.
Can I do a costume without makeup?
Every costume here has a build that uses none. The shape does the work: ears, a hat, wings pinned to a hoodie, bones taped on a shirt. Face paint is always the optional layer, never the costume.
What if I have nothing black and no sheet?
Denim and boots, anything orange, a flannel shirt, all white, anything red, or your loudest clothes each lead somewhere on this page. The only wardrobe that defeats it is one with nothing in it.