Last-minute Halloween Costumes That Don’t Suck

Halloween is just days — or hours — away, and you spent so much time deliberating costumes, living your life or mercilessly stalking your ex on Facebook (admit it) that you don’t have anything to wear. But you do, you really do. Just take a gander at these options, tear open your closet, and get creative.

It may take a quick pitstop to the nearest Party City, Target or drugstore, but a semi-homemade costume is a lot more interesting — and easier on the wallet — than those $59.99 barely clothed superhero/nurse/cutesy animal ensembles.

Carrie costume

Chloe Grace Moretz stars in the third Silver Screen adaptation of Stephen King’s classic story, which hits theaters this summer. Expect this costume to be big for Halloween 2013 — and prove you’re ahead of the curve by rocking it now.

• Fake blood, $2.99 at Party City
• Old prom dress from a thrift store, Ross (check the clearance section) or your closet; if none of those will work, many Halloween stores sell a Carrie costume, and at $29.99,  it’s one of the cheapest things you can be
• Blonde wig, $7.49 at Kmart (note: most big box stores that sell costumes — like Target, Walmart, and Kmart — put steep discounts on wigs the week before Halloween)
• Prom crown or sash (optional)

LMFAO Crew

•  Gym t-shirt with sleeves cut off — Grab an old one from the back of your closet and chop off the sleeves, or head to your nearest gym and buy some of their swag
• Gold lame pants or bike shorts, courtesy of your local American Apparel/Urban Outfitters, or overnighted from Amazon
• Afro wig ($16.99, Party City) or cardboard box decorated to look like a robot (Note: you can often stop by Target, Walmart, or a grocery store and ask for an empty stock box. It’s a free way to score a decent-sized box without Dumpster diving.)
• Optional accessories: Cheapo sunglasses with the frames popped out, fake gold chains with printed “Everyday I’m shufflin'” signs attached, brightly colored kicks, boombox

Karen from Mean Girls

Beyond being simple to throw together, this costume is SO WORTH IT just so you can say, “I’m a mouse, DUH” to anyone who questions your costume. (This idea is totally stolen from a girl I saw in Vegas. Pure genius, random girl, pure genius.)

• Mouse ears, $10.19 from Amazon or $9.99 at Party City
• Black tank dress or chemise, like this $14.99 number from Target
• Adhesive or Stick-on Rhinestones to form into backwards K, $5.16 from Amazon, or check your local craft store (Okay, so Karen technically did this for her prom outfit, but it’ll help convey your look — and make you stand out from all the girls who actually believe lingerie and animal ears are a costume.)
• Heeled boots

 For more ideas:

• PSY (of “Gangnam Style” fame), Breaking Bad, Taylor Swift, Honey Boo Boo and Hunger Games costumes
• Katy Perry as Kathy Beth Terry, Lady Gaga, Bridesmaids cast, Occupy Sesame Street and the Kardashians
• Teen Mom, Antoine Dodson, Russell Brand, “California Gurls” Katy Perry costume