The Halloween Costumes You Already Have in Your Closet

So you haven't decided what to be for Halloween and frankly, just the idea of putting a costume together is exhausting day-of. Hey, understandable! Spending north of fifty dollars on a costume you'll wear for exactly one night isn't exactly an attractive option, especially if you're just handing out candy, taking your little one out for treats, or low-key getting together with some friends. But what if I told you there are costumes galore in your closet and you need one little extra piece max to complete the look? It's true! Here are just a few costume ideas straight from the closets of Karyn Kimberley, Erin Boechler (formerly Erin Crooks), and I, each one put together in literally five minutes flat. If we can do it, *you* can do it.

And speaking of "we can do it!", first up is Erin Crooks as Rosie the Riveter. Slip on some jeans, grab your denim shirt, roll up the sleeves, add a red bandana in your hair, and ta-da. Red lipstick completes the look like POW.

Photos by Erin Crooks Photography and Karyn Kimberley, originally published on the Our Collective Muse blog.

When you think of Audrey Hepburn, your mind probably goes to Breakfast At Tiffany's, and the iconic look couldn't be easier to mimic. Grab your favourite LBD, don a ton of pearls, and pull your hair into an updo (cheat the look by pulling a ponytail halfway through and securing the sides down with bobby pins). Borrow your grandma's gloves, buy a Dollar Store tiara, and you're Audrey. Oh, and the cigarette holder? Construction paper rolled up and glued.

Cub Scout's honor, this is an easy one if you had a sibling, friend, husband, or otherwise go through the Boy Scout program (or if you were a Girl Guide, of course!). The bandana is run-of-the-mill, the hat is just a solid colour, and you can either go the pigtail route or tuck your hair under your hat. Easy peasy.

Cute critter costumes are a great go-to as you probably already have a pair of cat or bunny ears lying around but if you don't, they're a solid investment of a toonie. It's the purrfect choice for the "all black everything" girl, though if you want to keep cozy, a fur vest would also do the trick.

With most of our closets overflowing with festival vibes, a hippie costume has never been simpler to pull together. The trick to making it look like a costume and not just your everyday style is to use every element at your disposal: flared jeans, boho top, beaded necklace, and a flower crown. Paint a quick flower, heart, or peace sign on your cheek and it's Halloween.

A lot of these costumes feature black pants or jeans and there's a reason for that: everyone has that in their closets! Here, a cowgirl look is made by adding a denim shirt, bandana, and hat. Simplicity FTW.

What do you get when you wear every camo and military-inspired item in your closet at once? Um, YOU'RE IN THE ARMY NOW. We happened to have a helmet kicking around from a previous year but if you don't (and yeah, you probably don't), a ponytail, beret, or five-panel will do just fine.

You have 100% of the materials needed to be a mime: striped shirt, black pants, red bandana, white facepaint, and a khol with which to draw your teardrop. Now all you need is to perfect the 'trapped in a box' pose.

Hello again, summer wardrobe! It's us, rifling through you to become a tourist! A floppy hat, bright white pants, and your flowiest floral kimono and you can almost feel the waves lapping over your toes. Bonus points for drinking out of a novelty tumbler all night long.

Do you have overalls, a plaid shirt, a straw hat, and some basic facepainting skills? If yes, it's time to scare some crows. This outfit would really sing with some straw sticking out of the pockets but tbh, that would have gone over our self-imposed five minute limit.

Stealing the show in a couple's outfit is Wayne and Garth. If you don't own this stuff, a boy in your life probably does so borrow from him. The only extra in this one is non-Rx glasses but let's face it, you're going to wear those later for a job interview so it's money well spent.

And we could go on. But now it's your turn to raid your closet and get creative-- we'll just be lurking on Instagram, waiting to see what you come up with. ;)

xo