10 Last Minute Halloween Costumes Anyone Can Do

If you’re anything like me, you spend 364 days a year waiting for Halloween and the idea of waiting last minute to put a costume together is unfathomable. However, for the other 90% of people, Halloween is just another day and finding a costume is the least of their worries.

I get it, Halloween costumes can take a lot of time and money that we don’t have. But every year, that inevitable Halloween party invitation comes along, and you have to wear a costume or forever be known as “the person who hates Halloween” or be labeled as “lame.” To avoid the negative spotlight, it’s best to have a costume. Even if it’s the most simple Halloween costume ever, something is better than nothing!

To help you have some fun and actually enjoy the holiday, here are 10 Halloween costumes that don’t require a lot of time and effort to throw together!

1. Starbucks Barista

Everyone is familiar with the 6 A.M. saviors that are Starbucks baristas. While this costume maybe someone else’s daily uniform, it is actually super easy to throw together for some last minutes Halloween costumes!

For this costume, you can wear your everyday blue jeans and black shirt, both of which you most likely already own. Then, just throw on a black baseball cap and green full-length apron, and you’re ready to head out the door!

Since everyone knows what a Starbucks barista looks like, you don’t even need the Starbucks logos, but definitely bonus points if you can add it! If you’re in a pinch, you can also print out the Starbucks logo and safety pin it, glue, or tape it to the front of the apron and/or hat!

2. Sandy Olsson/Danny Zuko

Being Sandy and Danny is always a classic costume because it’s effortless to pull together, and everyone knows the characters! Yes, the costume is adorable for couples, but you don’t need an S/O to be recognizable! Everyone will know you’re Sandy and even if people don’t recognize you as Danny specifically, you will at least look like a Greaser.

For both these costumes, all you have to do is wear all black. Easy! If you’re going as Sandy, consider wearing an off-the-shoulder top and pair it with some red heels or shoes. For Sandy, her recognizable features are the hair, the black outfit, and the red shoes… don’t forget the red shoes!

For Danny, you can either wear all black like he does at the end of Grease or wear a white t-shirt with a black jacket and black pants.

3. Wednesday Addams/Pugsley Addams

I didn’t grow up with siblings, but the dynamic sibling duo that is Wednesday and Pugsley makes me wish I had. Both Wednesday and Pugsley can be individual costumes, but they are ten times cuter when done together!

For Wednesday, all you really need is a black dress and braids. Yes, she has the Peter Pan collar that makes the dress, but if you’re in a pinch, you can really wear any black dress. You can even throw on a white collared shirt underneath the dress to get the white collar and cuffs!

For Pugsley, you will need a black and white horizontal striped shirt, black shorts, and black knee socks. However, the key to this costume is the shirt, so if nothing else, find a horizontal striped shirt. It almost resembles the classic prison look; if you’re stopping by the Halloween store last-minute, check out the jail section and you can probably find something!

4. Risky Business

One of the easiest costumes that are a Halloween classic comes from the movie Risky Business. We all know that iconic scene with Tom Cruise when he slides across the floor in just a white button-up and socks with the sunglasses. Over the years, this has been a crowd favorite Halloween costume because all you need is an oversized button-up shirt, short shorts, crew socks, and sunglasses.

The reason this costume has become so popular is that there is never a shortage of white button-ups or crew socks, and you probably already own shorts and sunglasses. Even if you don’t, you can go to literally any store that sells clothing such as Target and purchase the whole costume in one stop. As an added bonus, it’s super inexpensive, and you can wear everything on non-Halloween days!

5. Scarecrow

Being a scarecrow is a costume that is on everyone’s Halloween Pinterest board because I mean come on, how adorable is this costume? Not only is it cute, but both men and women can do it, and you probably have something in your closet already to make this costume!

While the overalls are preferable and make the costume that much better, they aren’t necessary. For this costume, all you really need is a plaid shirt. The reason this costume is so simple is that it relies heavily on the makeup which really only requires an eyeliner and maybe some orange facepaint or eyeshadow.

If you have the time, add a floppy hat or cowboy hat to the costume and maybe some fake flowers you can find at your local craft store!

6. Coraline Jones

Not only is the movie Coraline a Halloween must-watch, but she also makes for a simple costume! Coraline’s signature trait is her blue hair and lucky for us, blue wigs are very easy to find this time of year. No matter which Coraline look you go with, the blue wig is essential!

The most recognizable look of Coraline’s, however, is her yellow raincoat. While this may seem like a very broad costume piece, pairing the blue wig with the yellow coat will make you instantly recognizable! Throw in a dragonfly hair clip, and you’re ready for Halloween!

7. Little Red Riding Hood

Everyone knows the story of Little Red Riding Hood and throwing together a last-minute costume is straightforward because all you need is… well… a red riding hood.

During Halloween, many stores stock up on simple, generic costume pieces such as animal ears, wigs, tutus, and capes because it allows people to DIY their own costume. You can use a red cape for multiple different costumes so stores will normally have many in stock.

If you want an extremely easy and quick Halloween costume, pick up one of these red capes and be Little Red! You can even team up with a friend or S/O and make it a duo costume of Red and the wolf!

8. Be Punny

Puns are a fun way to bring a little humor and creativity to your Halloween costume and guess what? They can be extremely easy to make! No matter how simple your actual costume is, no one will even be paying attention to that because they will be distracted by your punny sense of humor!

To come up with your costume, all you need is a word or phrase that is often 2-3 words. Some fun examples of this are “holy cow,” “oh dear,” deviled egg, serial (cereal) killer, ceiling fan, identity thief, copy cat, and blessing in disguise.

What’s fun about this costume is you can be super creative! Run with your puns and have people laughing all day long!

9. Boo

Even if little kids aren’t for you, it’s impossible to deny that Boo in Monster’s Inc. is absolutely adorable. Not only does Boo make us want kids but she also has a super simple and comfy outfit that would be ideal for a last-minute Halloween costume!

For this costume, all you need is an oversized pink t-shirt, purple leggings or tights, and white shoes. All of these pieces can be found at almost any basic clothing store like Target, or you can even go to a craft store and find this stuff too! Finish off the look with pigtails, and you’re ready for Halloween! Bonus points if you make this into a group costume!

10. Jim and Pam

Even though Jim and Pam’s everyday wear is pretty ordinary, there is just something about the outfits, when worn together, that make everyone know you’re Jim and Pam from The Office. The reason this costume is so great for a last-minute situation is that you probably already own their work attire or have something like it. You can even add the 3 black circles to Jim’s look and go as the famous hole punch that Jim sports in season 2!