For so many people, Halloween is an event that's anticipated months in advance. Those who love the holiday spend time thinking about the perfect costume. They search the internet for ideas and then get pure joy from designing the costume and, eventually, showing it off.
But there are just as many people who are the complete opposite β those who tend to do that planning at the last minute. So last minute that it can only be described as a "scramble" and not "planning" if we want to be accurate. But what if those people have kids who are excited about the scary magic that the festivities bring?
Thankfully, many Halloween costumes are fun, cool, and relevant with little prep time or thought needed. And not only that, but there are many creative ways to upcycle a Halloween costume from the year before or one that we found in the storage bins.
If upcycling a Halloween costume sounds like the best way to get the most out of the holiday, here are 15 creative ways to go about doing that.
Cat Into a Robber
Cat costumes have been popular for generations because they're straightforward to put together, and usually just require adding ears and a tail. But if you're tired of being the same black cat year after year, upcycling to a robber is simple. The bulk of the outfit is done, swap the ears and tail for a mask, and that's pretty much it.
Doctor Into Dentist
Not all upcycles have to be super extravagant or elaborate. If someone has a doctor costume at home and it fits well, looks fantastic, and was comfortable, changing it into a dentist is a fun way to flip it. It can be done several ways, too β a child-friendly dentist or maybe even one that looks like it may be possessed or have scary intentions. Perfect for Halloween!
Angel Into a Bride
When we think of visions of beauty, two things come to mind: a bride on her wedding day or an angel. That's why this upcycle works both ways β if there's an angel costume at home, it can be switched into a bride pretty quickly by changing the makeup and removing the wings. The same goes for the other way, too. Add some wings, a halo, glitter, maybe, and it is done.
Vampire Into a Magician
Vampires are always fun at Halloween, and it doesn't matter if there are several others at the same party or gathering with the same one. It's a staple, but it can pretty quickly be changed into a magician costume, too. They both have large black capes, and honestly, they can both rock a tall top hat. But, of course, turning this into a magician requires toning down the paint and accessories.
Ghost Into a Toga Outfit
A ghost costume is super popular, and there are several levels of DIY with many different vibes it could go with, like a friendly ghost, a possessed ghost, or an evil ghost. But the benefit of this costume is more that there's not a whole lot that goes into it. And that white sheet can always be turned into a toga outfit for a Roman senator or something similar.
Mime Into a Prisoner
Mimes feel like a lost art, but they're always a fun go-to costume for Halloween. They were probably a more popular choice several years ago, but sometimes it's fun to bring back the nostalgia for the scariest day of the year. The costume can be upcycled into a prisoner costume β or can quickly be changed the other way, too.
Marionette Into a Possessed Doll
Some people are naturally freaked out by marionettes and dolls β which is probably why both can be done with mostly the same costume and accessories. If someone was a marionette puppet one year, it could be reimagined as a possessed doll by removing the strings and tweaking the makeup. This one can go as scary or gory as needed.
Witch Into a Bat
It wouldn't be Halloween without at least a few witch costumes in the neighborhood, but bats are just as iconic for the holiday. The fun thing about both is they're almost the same costume, with a few tweaks here and there. But they're both black, typically able to be rocked with the same type of fabric. And both have the same festive Halloween feel to them. One needs a hat, the other some wings.
Doctor Into a Headless Scientist
Doctor and nurse costumes are staples at the Halloween store, and it's usually possible to add accessories to make the outfit more believable. If there's a need to upcycle the doctor or nurse outfit, going into the spooky and changing it to a headless scientist is a pretty simple switch with just a few added accessories and dressing the outfit a little differently.
Ghost Into a Mummy
Ghost costumes are popular because they're easy, last-minute outfits. And there's nothing wrong with a simple DIY costume. But if the adult or kids have already dressed as a ghost or already turned that into a toga outfit, next up is a mummy costume. Take the sheet, tear it into strips, glue it to a white outfit, and add some texture so it looks like old bandages.
Businessman Into a Weatherman
A cute costume that kids often love to put on for Halloween is wearing a suit, a tie, a '50s-style hairstyle, and calling it a "businessman" costume. It's perfect for places that have colder weather for trick-or-treating and an idea for school functions where having a scarier costume isn't ideal. Flipping it to an upcycled look would dishevel the suit and tie, flip an umbrella inside out, and go as a weatherman.
Dog Costume Into Social Media Filter
People love dressing up as dogs for Halloween because they're cute and don't scare the little kids. If someone in the family was a dog last year, other than switching up some of the accessories or the color of the dog to flip it for another year, make use of filters. There are so many social media filters that turn people into comically funny dogs (like the one with the tongue out) which would be a cute upcycle.
Cruella de Vil Into Sia
Cruella de Vil will probably be a popular costume for 2021 because the new live-action movie recently came out. But if there's already a Cruella costume at the house from different year, or word got out that there are going to be too many people with the same costume at the party, flipping it to singer Sia can work. The singer is known for wearing a half black, half white wig β just add a giant bow.
Zombie Version of Last Year's Costume
If the costume from last year still fits, or it will fit another kid, there's one easy way to flip it into a custom costume that has a little more cool factor. Grab some dirt, fake blood, and scissors, and turn the costume into a zombie version of whatever the kiddo was last year. Pirate? Now a zombie pirate. Bumble bee? Now a zombie bumblebee.
Fairy Tale Character or Superhero Into a Descendant
Kids often fall in love with superhero or fairy tale characters. Sometimes, they dress as them for Halloween, and other times we do a whole family-themed thing going on. So one way to flip those costumes taking up storage is to switch them up slightly to be the descendant, or child, of the superhero or fairy tale character instead.
