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DIY Costumes 101: Creating Costumes for Halloween or Any Occasion

Costumes
Halloween

Explore creative DIY costume tips for any occasion. Get inspired to craft unique looks that stand out from the crowd!

October 7, 2025

Whether it’s Halloween, a theme party, or another special occasion, costumes can make any event more fun and festive. Dressing up can help you immerse yourself into a character and become someone new, just for one night! Costumes are also a great way to express your creativity, whether you make your outfit from scratch or curate ready-made pieces.

If you want to know how to make DIY costumes but aren’t sure where to start, StoryPop has you covered! Here are our best tips and tricks for DIY costumes that are sure to impress but won’t break the bank.

How to Make DIY Costumes: Reasons for Creating Your Own

Creating your own Halloween costumes can be a fun experience that gives you a strong sense of accomplishment. Homemade costumes are a cost-effective and creative alternative to store-bought options. You might learn a crafty new skill or discover a hobby that you’ll enjoy for years to come. If you have friends who are attending the same event, you can work together to build your costumes, cutting down on the cost of materials and making lifelong memories in the process.

party guests dressed as wizards with DIY Halloween costumes

Speaking of cost: DIY costumes are often less expensive than a full outfit from a costume shop or Halloween store. Easy DIY costumes can be made with minimal expense and effort, making them accessible for everyone. Depending on where you find your materials and how savvy you are with making the most of what you have, you might even be able to make a free costume!

While you might think of DIY costumes as more time-consuming than store-bought ones, that’s not always the case — long shipping times (especially around peak seasons like October) may make DIY your best bet. Last-minute Halloween costumes can sometimes be put together in one night with supplies you already have in your house!

When it’s finally time to wear your costume, the excitement of dressing up in your completed DIY creation makes the experience even more memorable.

How to Get Started with Easy DIY Costume Ideas

With any project, just getting started can be the hardest part. So where do you start with your DIY costume? Here are some factors to consider as you make a plan.

  • Theme. What is the theme of your event? Is it a spooky atmosphere such as a Halloween party, murder mystery dinner, or haunted house? Or is the theme a specific location, a historical period like the Roaring Twenties, or a fictional world such as the zombie apocalypse? If there is no stated theme and you’ve been invited to a simple costume party, what themes do you find fun or interesting? Do you want to go more cute or scary?
party guests in flapper dress and 1920s clothes
  • Character. Are you expected to step into the role of a specific character for this event, or simply dress to a broader theme? If you’ve been assigned a character, get as much information as you can from your host and take some time to think about that character’s personality, history, and motivations. What would they wear to a gathering like this? The more you can put yourself in the mindset of the character, the more immersive your experience will be — and the more interesting your costume can become!
  • Comfort. Will the event be held indoors or outdoors? What is the temperature likely to be? These are important factors when deciding how warm or breathable your costume should be. Also consider using materials that won’t be itchy, heavy, bulky, or otherwise uncomfortable. Even if your costume looks amazing, physical discomfort can ruin all your fun.
  • Budget. How much do you want to spend on creating this costume? Consider how this fits into your finances, whether the costume will be worn once or will be used again and again, and whether or not you could repurpose the costume materials after your event (DIY Halloween costumes can live on well past October 31st!). While it can be tempting to go all out with expensive costume pieces and elaborate props, remember that you can have just as much fun (and make just as great an impression) with some elbow grease and a few clever touches.

If you’re looking for easy DIY Halloween costumes that you can make from materials you likely already have at home, a simple Google search will turn up hundreds of clever costume ideas, with entire blogs and articles dedicated to the subject. There are countless Halloween costume ideas online for kids, adults, and even toddlers, including options that are cute, scary, or somewhere in between. Pinterest is also a great source of inspiration for creating your own easy DIY costume pieces.

party guests dressed in pirate Halloween costumes

Don’t underestimate the power of your own imagination. Remember that even if an item is not exactly what you envision yet, there are plenty of tutorials online to help you alter and upgrade your clothes until you have a stunning DIY costume on your hands.

For some elegant DIY masquerade looks, check out our blog, 5 DIY Masquerade Costume Ideas Under $30.


Where to Get DIY Costume Materials

Believe it or not, you can find great DIY costume materials just about anywhere! Take a peek in your closet or search your local thrift stores for pieces that could become the base of your costume. As always, the key is imagination: Look at everyday items and ask yourself what they could become with a bit of glue, string, or paint. Some of our favorite places to find materials for homemade Halloween costumes include:

  • Your home. Always start at home! Raid your closet, poke through any crafting supplies you already have, and reimagine household objects. This is a great way to keep yourself under budget and cut down on time spent scouring stores for the perfect piece. A simple black dress, red t-shirt, white t-shirt, or hoodie can form the basis of many different homemade Halloween costumes or theme party looks. Household items like cardboard, a box, paper, and felt are versatile materials for creating costume elements such as a creepy mask, fun hat, or creature ears.
  • Your friends and family. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in your own home, ask friends and family to check theirs! Drop a wishlist in the group chat and see what others are able to contribute. If you know other people who are attending the same event, you can even trade items or costume pieces with one another.
  • Outdoors. Touch grass — no, seriously! Especially for certain themes (think woodland fairy or swamp monster), your own backyard can be an amazing resource for easy costume-building. Consider branches, rocks, moss, flowers, and more. Just make sure the items you gather are clean and pest-free.
costume party guest in leafy green dress with homemade accessories
  • Thrift shops. Once you’ve exhausted your options for free costume materials, it’s time to hit the thrift shops. The great thing about thrifting is that you never know what you’re going to find. With a little luck, you might bring home a piece that would have far exceeded your budget if you bought it new. Thrifting is especially useful if your event has a historical theme, as you’re likely to find lots of vintage pieces.
  • Dollar stores. Never underestimate the humble Dollar Tree. Dollar stores can be goldmines for the crafter on a budget. Wander the aisles and you’re sure to find plenty of wallet-friendly materials that can be layered, glued, or sewn together to create extra details for your perfect costume.

How to Learn DIY Costume Skills

Let’s get one thing straight: You don’t need to be a gifted artist or a fount of creativity in order to create a fantastic DIY costume. Most theme party or Halloween costumes can be pieced together with just a little time, effort, and basic supplies. However, if you want to go the extra mile and pick up some new skills as you create your costume, or if you’re interested in costuming as a hobby, we salute you!

Helpful skills for budding costumers include sewing (with a sewing machine or by hand), painting, wig styling or hair styling, prop building (woodworking, clay molding, 3D printing, using craft foam or cardboard, etc.), makeup application, and more. If that sounds overwhelming, remember that you don’t need to become an expert in all these skills overnight. Start with learning the basics for the costume you want to build first, and over time, your abilities will naturally grow.

Beginner projects might include making a mask, hat, headband, or ears using paper, cardboard, or felt. These simple accessories are great for practicing your skills and building confidence.

costume party guests using their phones

DIY costume skills can be gleaned from YouTube tutorials, blogs, and other sources online. If you’re serious about turning costuming into a long-term hobby, try following professional cosplayers on social media or even attending a cosplay convention. The possibilities are endless, and you may find that creating your own costumes and props will be a fun and rewarding experience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating DIY Costumes

Building your own Halloween costume or theme party outfit should be exciting and should make you feel proud of your own accomplishment. In order to make sure everything goes smoothly, here are some common pitfalls to avoid when building DIY Halloween costumes:

  • Over-committing. Wanting an elaborate and impressive costume for your event is perfectly fine — just be realistic about your time, budget, skills, and willingness to see it through. You don’t want to tackle a difficult costume project only to get overwhelmed and abandon it halfway through, leaving yourself with wasted effort and no costume.
  • Procrastinating. Again, consider the amount of time between starting on your costume and the event itself, and always start earlier than you think is necessary! That way, if you hit any roadblocks such as unexpected life events, shipping delays on your materials, or crafting mistakes, you’ll still have plenty of time to finish.
  • Poor budgeting. Failing to set a budget at the beginning of your project and stick to it can easily lead to overspending as small purchases add up over time. You don’t want to look back and realize you spent two or three times as much as you intended.


Wearing Your DIY Costume

Once Halloween night or your costume party arrives, it’s time to show off all your hard work! Consider bringing safety pins, duct tape, or a tube of super glue with you in case of any wardrobe malfunctions. Even if you don’t need it, another guest might.

party guests wearing easy DIY Halloween costumes

Wear your homemade costume with pride and be prepared to give the other guests the tips and tricks you used to pull it off. Remember that creating your own DIY costume was a significant accomplishment, so make the most of your evening. You’ve earned it!


Create a DIY Costume for a StoryPop Theme Party

With StoryPop’s role playing party games, guests are encouraged to step into assigned character roles and dress the part for a truly immersive experience. Whether you’re invited to a StoryPop party as a guest or are hosting one yourself, the tips above can help you create a memorable costume that fits your theme and brings your character to life. From the glitz and glamour of a modern masquerade in The Vesper Affair to the magical world of Annual Wizards Meeting, StoryPop games offer plenty of opportunities for DIY costume enthusiasts to learn, grow, and show off their skills.

Choose one of our murder mystery games or role playing party games, download the StoryPop app, and let the fun begin!

Ready to start planning your next gathering?

It's no mystery why people are choosing StoryPop to make their next get together unforgettable—StoryPop is all about helping people connect and be social with role playing theme party games and murder mystery dinners that are easy to host and even easier to play! Download the app and browse our game library to get started and make your next party or event one your guests will remember long after playing.