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30 easy last-minute Halloween costume ideas for kids
From witches and vampires to Wednesday Addams and KPop Demon Hunters, these easy Halloween costumes can be pulled together with clothes, props and bits you probably already have at home.
- Hollie Bond
Published: October 12, 2026 at 4:36 PM
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Halloween is getting scarily close and this year 31st October falls on a Saturday at the end of half term. So, if you've got a child who has suddenly announced they need a costume for a school event, party or trick or treating, don't panic. We've rounded up some of our favourite easy Halloween costumes that can be pulled together at the last minute, without needing to be particularly crafty or spend a fortune.
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Our last-minute Halloween costumes include plenty of no-sew ideas that use clothes and dressing-up bits you may already have at home, plus simple props and accessories that you can make from cardboard, paper or things from the recycling box.
We've also included ideas for reusing costumes you may already own – from witches and skeletons to vampires and fairies – and turning them into something a little different. In fact as long as you have some face paint to hand any costume can suddenly transform into a Halloween version!
There are ideas for younger children who prefer cute rather than scary Halloween costumes, as well as some creepier options for older kids who want to give everyone a fright. And if your child is a fan of a particular character, we've included some easy ways to recreate recognisable looks from Harry Potter, Isadora Moon and KPop Demon Hunters, without needing to buy a complete costume.
For each Halloween costume, we'll tell you exactly what you'll need to create the look, with plenty of ideas for swapping shop-bought items for things you already have at home. And, if you're really tight on time, we've also included links for costumes you can buy that are trick-or-treat ready. So, whether you've got weeks to prepare or you're looking for a last-minute Halloween costume the night before, there's hopefully something here to save the day.
Here's our pick of easy, last-minute Halloween Costume ideas...
Easy Halloween costumes you can make in minutes
1. Witch
What you'll need:
- Black dress or black top + skirt/trousers
- Witch's hat
- Broomstick
- Optional green/black face paint
No time to make it? Buy a kids' witch costume from John Lewis for £16.99 here
2. Vampire
What you'll need:
- White shirt
- Black trousers/skirt
- Black cape
- Face paint for fangs around the mouth
No time to make it? Buy a kids' vampire costume from Tu at Sainsbury's for £15 here
3. Skeleton
What you'll need:
- Existing skeleton outfit, or black clothes with white card/tape made into bones
- White and black face paint
- Add a silly hat to become Funnybones or red hoody for Coco if your child wants to be a character
No time to make it? Buy a kids' glow in the dark skeleton outfit at M&S for £14 here
4. Ghost
What you'll need:
- Old white sheet or white clothes
- Scissors to cut eye holes
- Black pen for eyes and mouth
No time to make it? Buy a kids' ghost costume for £11.99 from Amazon here
5. Zombie
What you'll need:
- Old clothes - old school uniform works well
- Face paint
- Hair spray/gel
- A little fake blood
6. Witch's cat
What you'll need:
- Black clothes
- Black eyeliner/face paint for nose and whiskers
- Homemade ears
- Tail made from tights/scarf/ piece of black material
No time to make it? Buy a cat dress halloween costume from Morrisons for £10 here
7. Scarecrow
What you'll need:
- Jeans/dungarees
- Checked shirt
- Straw hat or hat you can stick straw bits to
- Face paint
- Hay/straw optional
- If your kids love Julia Donaldson they could choose to be Betty O'Barley or Harry O'Hay.
No time to make it? Buy a scary scarecrow costume from Amazon for £14.49 here
8. Devil
What you'll need:
- Red clothes
- Devil horns
- Red face paint (optional)
- Black cape and red trident (optional)
No time to make it? Buy a kids' devil costume for £6 from The Entertainer here
9. Pumpkin
What you'll need:
- Orange top and black trousers of skirt
- Black card for pumpkin face to stick on top
- Green headband/hat or witches hat
No time to make it? Buy a pumpkin tabard outfit from Morrisons for £10 here
10. Bat
What you'll need:
- All-black clothes
- Black card, material or felt bat wings attached to the back of top (cover fairy wings with black material for an easy win)
- Homemade bat ears on a headband or bat mask
- Black face paint
- Optional fangs
No time to make it? Buy a kids' bat costume at M&S for £9 here
Easy Halloween character costumes
11. Wednesday Addams
What you'll need:
- Black dress
- White collar
- Two plaits
- Pale face
- Black lipstick/face paint
No time to make it? Buy a Wednesday Addams costume from John Lewis for £16.50 here
12. Harry Potter or Hermione Granger
Pic: Anna Dilku
What you'll need:
- Black cape
- White shirt
- School trousers/skirt
- Stripey tie/scarf
- Stick wand
- Round glasses and lightning-bolt scar for Harry
- Time turner and messy hair for Hermione
No time to make it? Buy a Harry Potter costume from Amazon for £18.63 here
13. Isadora Moon
Pic: Jessica Connor
What you'll need:
- Black dress/top
- Black-and-white striped tights
- Vampire wings
- Bat hairband
14. Mona the Vampire
Pic: Fordana Chaudhury
What you'll need:
- Red cardigan
- White shirt
- Black skirt
- White tights
- Purple cape
15. KPop Demon Hunters – Rumi
What you'll need:
- Yellow jacket or cardigan
- Shorts and white top
- Purple hair mascara or wig tied in long plait
- Chunky jewellery and boots
- Homemade microphone
- Purple/gold accessories
No time to make it? Buy a Kpop Demon Hunters costume from Smyths Toys for £12.99 here
16. Minecraft Steve
Photo by James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
What you'll need:
- Turquoise T-shirt
- Blue trousers
- Cardboard sword/pickaxe
- Cardboard box and pens to make pixel head
No time to make it? Buy a Minecraft Steve costume from Matalan for £18 here
17. Demogorgon
What you'll need:
- Dark clothes
- Homemade cardboard head
- Red/cream paint
No time to make it? Buy a Stranger Things Demogorgon costume from Amazon for £27.33 here
18. Elphaba
What you'll need:
- Black clothes
- Witch's hat
- Green face paint
No time to make it? Buy the emerald witch costume for £14 from Morrisons here
19. Glinda
- Pink dress
- Tiara
- Wand
20. Witch from Room on the Broom
Pic: Amy Townsend
What you'll need:
- Red top
- Dark coloured trousers or skirt
- Black cape
- Witch's hat and broomstick, if you have them
- Wand made from yellow card on a stick
- Toy cat (optional)
Already got a dressing-up costume? Give it a Halloween twist
21. Pirate ghost
What you'll need:
• Existing pirate costume
• White/grey face paint
• Ghostly makeup
22. Zombie princess
What you'll need:
• Existing princess dress
• Messy hair
• Grey/pale face paint
• Fake blood
23. Zombie ballerina
What you'll need:
• Existing ballet outfit
• Torn-looking tights
• Pale face
• Dark eye makeup
• Fake blood
24. Vampire fairy
What you'll need:
• Existing fairy dress/wings
• Dark makeup
• Fangs
• Black/red accessories.
Creepy Halloween costumes for older kids
25. Maleficent
What you'll need:
• Black dress/clothes
• Homemade cardboard horns
• Black cape
• Purple/green face paint
No time to make it? Buy a Maleficent costume from Amazon for £29.95 here
26. The Nightmare Before Christmas – Jack Skellington
What you'll need:
- Black trousers
- Black/white jacket or shirt
- White face paint
- Drawn-on black mouth/nose
- Cat shaped bow tie made out of cardboard
- Optional Santa hat and beard
No time to make it? Buy a Jack Skellington costume from Matalan for £14.40 here
27. Beetlejuice
What you'll need:
• Black-and-white striped clothes
• Messy hair or green wig
• White/green face paint
No time to make it? Buy a Beetlejuice costume from Tesco for £20 here
28. Frankenstein's monster
What you'll need:
• Old dark clothes
• Green face paint
• Black hair
• Cardboard bolts/neck pieces.
No time to make it? Buy a Frankenstein's monster costume from Amazon for £16.22 here
29. Mummy
What you'll need:
• White/cream clothes
• Toilet roll or strips of old white fabric
• Face paint
33. Werewolf
What you'll need:
• Dark clothes
• Brown/grey face paint
• Homemade ears or mask made out of cardboard
• Messy hair and fluffy gloves for hands or paint nails black
No time to make it? Buy a kids' werewolf costume from Tu at Sainsbury's for £15 here
34. Creepy doll
What you'll need:
• Old-fashioned dress
• White tights
• Pigtails
• Pale face paint
• Drawn-on cracks
Images: Getty
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Authors
Hollie BondSenior Digital Journalist
Hollie is Senior Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes articles about pregnancy, parenting, child health and getting pregnant. She has written for a number of national lifestyle magazines and websites over the past 12 years including Family History Monthly, You and Your Wedding and Muddy Stilettos. She has two children aged 5 and 8 and hasn't slept since 2017!
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