According to the National Retail Federation’s 2025 Halloween consumer survey, 51% of adults who celebrate the Halloween season dress up in costumes. That same year the HalloweenCostumes.com released survey results that indicated 30% of costume-wearers plan to wear two or more costumes that season.
Creating a costume is an incredibly fun part of celebrating Halloween. It is an opportunity to show off your creativity and become someone or something else entirely. If you still haven’t started putting together your Halloween disguise, no worries! I have your back with a few tips to make the perfect Halloween costume.
I am always on the lookout for Halloween costume ideas. I have a running Pinterest board with images of costume ideas or cool cosplay outfits. Once I have decided on a character or theme, I start to figure out what I will need for the ideal look.
After you decide on your general look, you are ready to start assembling the components of your costume.
While stores like Spirit, local costume shops, or big box retailers sell pre-made costumes of varying quality, I recommend trying to build your own. It isn’t necessarily as hard as it seems – and you can often save money and create a costume that will last for multiple seasons.
I start by going to thrift stores and/or browsing clearance shelves at stores. I look for a base dress or shirt & pants that fit what my character wears. Need a princess dress? Your local thrift store probably has a ton of worn-only-once prom dresses in a plethora of sizes. Looking for a killer clown outfit – polkadot and stripe prints are always making their way to thrift store racks. These clothes are made for general everyday wear, so they usually have some durability – whereas many pre-made costumes consist of thin fabrics that tear and fray just by looking at them. Allow yourself time to find the piece that really fits with the overall look you want.
Unless you buy a pre-made bagged costume, you probably won’t find exactly what you want right off the rack. However, you will be surprised at just how close you can come. It is way easier to add to something that is already made than create from scratch. Though, if you have the talent to do that, I applaud you!
Think about adding new trim (which can be sewn or hot glued). Maybe you need to cut off sleeves or alter a hemline and then use fabric glue for the rough edges. A patch, extra fabric, or fabric paint may turn your blank canvas dress into your character’s wardrobe.
Here is a costume my Mom and I made by thrifting a lacey off-white dress:
The dress itself what just my size and the off-white lace looked like a voodoo doll color pallet. We sewed on a heart patch, square patches, and thick stitches to make a voodoo doll-inspired frock.
Don’t forget the accessories to fill out your costume. In my voodoo doll costume above I added mismatched gloves, ripped red leggings (just from my wardrobe), and a pre-made voodoo doll headband from the store. I also wore button earrings and split-color Pair Eyewear top-frames. Last year I was a little lazy, but in previous years I also wore mismatched striped socks and black boots. I also had a small homemade voodoo doll that I carried with me.
For your costume think about what goes with your character. Would he/she/it wear a hat or belt or carry a weapon or prop? Are there functional accessories that would pull your full look together – like themed shoes or a matching bag? Shoe covers are an easy way to complete a look while still wearing comfortable footwear. Being comfortable is a must for all the walking, dancing, and general Halloween mayhem you can expect.
According to the National Retail Federation’s 2025 Halloween consumer survey, 51% of adults who celebrate the Halloween season dress up in costumes. That same year the HalloweenCostumes.com released survey results
Some days you just need a little dose of Halloween! These Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting will satisfy those spooky cravings. The pumpkin spice flavoring and sweet frosting are no
Day 97 of my #Emilys100DaysOfHalloween challenge is “Pet a Black Cat”. My furry familiars are an integral part of my daily life and I am forever grateful for the shelter
Welcome to my home of all things horror & Halloween! The Horror of Being Emily showcases resources, creative projects, small businesses, and more related to my weird and wonderful Halloween & horror obsession.
