Creative and Fun Halloween Costume Ideas

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. As a kid, I loved dressing up and getting free candy. As an adult, I love dressing up and giving free candy. The best part has always been the costume. Who doesn’t love having the opportunity to be someone (or something) else, wear something ridiculous, and go out in public with no fear of being looked at funny? With so many great costume ideas out there, choosing the right one can be daunting. It’s tempting to go with the costume in a bag, but who can afford it? It’s not like you can wear the dress that came with your Bride of Frankenstein costume to Aunt Flo’s wedding next month. Fortunately, I’ve got a few clever (and budget-friendly) costume ideas just for you!

Creative Costume Ideas

If you’re a sports fan, you’ve probably got a jersey lying around. For Halloween, be your favorite athlete – with a twist. Got a Troy Polamalu jersey? I do. Throw it on and carry around a bottle of Head and Shoulders. How about an old Shaquille O’Neal jersey you never thought you’d wear again? Print out a fake PhD in Leadership and Education and throw on your commencement cap and be Shaq at graduation.

I understand that not everyone can love sports, so whatever you’re watching on TV, turn it into a costume. Since no one wants to hear “What are you supposed to be,” make sure you commit to the costume AND the attitude if you’re taking this route! To give you an idea of what I mean, I’ll provide a few examples of costume ideas from some of my favorite shows. TV Character Idea #1 – Sherlock Holmes from the TV show “Sherlock”: wear a long coat, don a deerstalker hat (ironically of course), and make invasive observations about others. TVCI #2 – Daria Morgendorffer from “Daria”: Wear a green jacket, orange t-shirt, black skirt, boots, and round glasses, and speak in a monotone all night. PCI #3 – Sterling Archer from the TV show “Archer”: wear a black turtleneck, carry a fake gun, and make sure everyone knows you’re a secret agent – but it’s a secret, so make sure they don’t tell anyone.

Ladies, we’ve got to address the elephant in the room. We’ve all heard that Halloween is just an excuse for us to wear underwear and cat ears without being judged. Let’s show everyone that’s just a silly rumor! This year, be an Inner Beauty Queen. Don the ugliest dress in your grandma’s basement, throw on a tiara and sash, and have your four-year-old cousin do your makeup. You can also check out Take Back Halloween for more classy costume ideas that aren’t a sudden movement away from indecent exposure.

I have one last idea for you before I go get to work on my costume. We here at Pencils would love to see you be a pencil for Halloween. For the most basic pencil look, all it takes is a yellow shirt, yellow pants, black shoes, some silver face paint or a silver wig, and a pink hat. Show us your pencil costumes in the comments, or just tell us what you’re going to be for Halloween!