Halloween is quickly approaching, which for many can be quite a costly night. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be! Here are some Halloween Costume ideas that are cheap and creative for 2012. These costumes are mostly for adults, but many of these can be turned into kids costumes.
Replacement Ref Costume
1) Replacement Ref – The replacement refs for the NFL got everyone talking lately. You can do all sorts of stuff with this costume but all you really need is a referee shirt, a pair of really dark Stevie Wonder type glasses and you are good to go! Here is an example of a similar costume for sale on Kijiji right now for $20!
2) Psy – If you haven’t seen the music video or heard the song Gangnam Style by Psy yet then you must be living under a rock. This video has exploded to become one of (if not) the most watched videos ever on YouTube. To complete the look, grab a wig and pick your favorite clothing look from the video. You can probably find many of the looks at places like Goodwill or Value Village.
3) Prince Harry – This one will take some creativity and may get a bit more costly but given his popularity in the news lately if you pull it off well this costume will for sure be a hit at your Halloween Party.
4) Toddler In Tiara – This costume is pretty easy to put together and quite cheap. All you need to do is make a sash, find a cheesy 80’s style dress (try Goodwill or Value Village) and buy one of those cheap tiaras from the dollar store.
5) Pregnant Snooki– The news of Snooki from Jersey Short having a baby was all over the tabloids the last year. All you really need is a pillow to stuff your belly, a slutty dress and a wig styled like Snooki. The dollar store has many wigs that could probably do the job. While Jersey Shore characters have been popular costume choices over the past few years this new take could still be pulled off quite well.
Pregnant Snooki Halloween Costume
6) Steve Jobs – He died a year ago today but will be remembered forever. The costume can be really great and is super easy to put together. All you need is glasses, a black turtleneck, jeans and white shoes. Walk around with a really old Apple product and explain to people how great it is to get into character.
7) Bath Salts Zombie – This year everyone has been talking about a zombie apocalypse and there have been several crazy incidents where bath salts were involved. Why not take a Halloween costume favorite (the zombie) and walk around with a bag of bath salts (the legal kind). This costume is really all about the makeup. Basically take some clothes that you no longer want and rip them up a bit, paint your face white and add blood all over everything!
8) Olympic Athlete – The Olympics were one of the biggest events this year and there are so many things you can do with this costume. Pick your favorite sport or athlete and design your costume around them. To finish it off, make your own Olympic medal to wear around your neck.
9) Locked Out NHL Player – It doesn’t look like the NHL is going to be back anytime soon. For this costume all you really need to do is wear your favorite player’s hockey jersey and instead of a hockey stick grab a golf club or luggage bag with European stickers all over it.
10) Oktoberfest Beer Maiden – If you bought a costume to go out for Oktoberfest, why not reuse it for Halloween! The beer maiden is usually a simple costume that doesn’t cost too much but is always a hit with the men!
11) The Avengers / Batman (more expensive) – There were two of the most popular movies in 2012. Pick your favorite character from these movies and put together a costume.
12) 50 Shades of Grey – I got this idea from a Wisers Whisky party that I attended recently. For this costume head to your local paint store and gather a bunch of grey paint chips (the cards that show you how the colours will look) and stick them all over your outfit. If you want to add more to the costume, you can add a pair of handcuffs.
Other Cheap Halloween Costume Ideas
*To see image examples for all these costumes, simply Google them and you should find lots of ideas *
Up Costume
Nerd – All you need is a dorky pair of glasses, suspenders and if possible a pocket protector.
Ken & Barbie – Good for couples. Wear a big box around you with Barbie logos on it.
Up Costume – See image to the right. Perfect for a young kids costume.
Grapes – Wear a purple or green shirt and tie matching color balloons all over you.
Soldier – Head to your local army surplus store and put together a costume for cheap.
Police – Find a Police shirt and hat and go as a police officer working a bust. Most of these things can be found at an army surplus store as well.
Katy Perry – You’ll need a blue wig, some kind of giant cupcakes to go over your breasts and a pair of short shorts.
Hippy – All you need is a tie die t-shirt, raggy pants and some funky 60’s style glasses.
Protester – Whether you want be one of the Anonymous protesters (you’ll need the V for Vendetta mask) or go as one of the “Occupy” protesters and make a funny sign.
Hipster – Just Google “hipster” for costume ideas. This one should be cheap and easy!
Rasta – Get a Bob Marley t-shirt, some dreads, a rasta hat and carry around a giant rolled up joint.
Mormon – You’ll need a white dress shirt, dress pants and tie with a book of Mormon to go in your pocket.
Tourist – Throw on a Hawaiian shirt and wear a camera around your neck to pull this look off.
Waldo – All you need is a red & white stripe t-shirt, a similar striped hat, round glasses, blue pants & a cane.
Athlete – Grab some sports gear from your favorite sport that you already own and wear it out!
Cheap Places To Find Costume Supplies
Dollar Store – The dollar store has lots of things that can help you put your costume together. There are things like wigs, hats and all sorts of accessories that can help you make a great costume and prices are super cheap! Also a great place for Halloween decorations!
Army Surplus Store -One of my favorite places to find costumes. You can put together a cool authentic looking Halloween costume without breaking the bank.
Goodwill / Value Village / Used Clothing Stores -These places are full of old things that can make great costumes. It may take a few trips to find the perfect thing as stock changes all the time so keep a lookout.
Online -Kijiji, Craigslist and eBay have lots of costumes on for cheap prices. These require some advance planning so better start looking now!
Your Own Closet – Look for items in your own closet that you can put together into a costume.
If you have any other cheap costume ideas for 2012 Halloween, let us know in the comments section below.
