Once you pass trick-or-treating ages, Halloween costumes often cease to be a priority. However, there’s no need to panic when you get a last-minute invitation to a friend’s costume party and you find yourself without a costume. Plenty of simple costumes can be thrown together in a day or even a few minutes, using clothing and supplies around the home, to prepare you for whatever festive Halloween activities you may choose to do.
Cheerleader
Use curling ribbon in a primary color to make a set of pom-poms. If you have white ribbon as well, mix the two together. Cut 10-inch pieces of ribbon (100 of a single color or 50 of each colored and white ribbon). Use a leftover cardboard box to make a handle, cutting a piece about an inch wide and five to six inches long. Tape the ends of the ribbon to one end of the cardboard strip, then wrap the entire cardboard handle with opaque tape. A complementary outfit is also simple: pick a solid-colored skirt that matches your pom-poms, a plain white top and white sneakers.
Dinosaur
Locate a green-colored hoodie and line the back with “spikes.” You can easily make upright spikes from two triangles of felt sewn together and stitched on two ends with plastic bags. Sew both halves along their open edge to the back of the sweatshirt. Glue two large googly eyes to the upper edge of the hood. For an extra touch, create a tail from two very long pieces of felt sewn together and stuffed with more plastic bags. Pin it to the back of the sweatshirt or your jeans.
Toga
When you’re really in a pinch, a toga is the costume for you. Hold a twin-sized bed sheet (or the equivalent amount of fabric) in front of you lengthwise. Wrap it around your body, placing the middle of the top edge just under your left arm and bringing the two upper corners above your right shoulder. Tie in a secure knot, then work from under your right are all the way to the floor to pin the open right side with safety pins.