20 DIY Halloween Couples Costumes for Under $20

Mimes
Mimes

Calling all Halloween costume procrastinators: Waiting until the last minute to put together your costume doesn?t mean it can?t be fabulous.

For $20 or less, you and your significant other can be the life of any party with a do-it-yourself couples costume that’s easy and cheap to put together. Whether you plan on dressing up with a friend or a significant other, check out these DIY Halloween costume ideas.

Last updated: Oct. 29, 2020

Shaggy-Phelma
Shaggy-Phelma

Shaggy and Velma From ?Scooby-Doo?

Estimated cost: $19

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: For Shaggy, you need a green T-shirt, a pair of jeans or dark pants and black tennis shoes. For Velma, look for an orange shirt, red skirt or dress, red shoes and orange knee-high socks.

Where to get supplies: To save money on these clothing items, check your closet first. If you don?t have a green shirt for Shaggy, try your local thrift store. If you have a green shirt with a logo on it, you can always turn it inside out.

For Velma, you can find an orange T-shirt for about $5 at Walmart, a red skirt for as little as $9 on Amazon and orange knee-high socks for about $5 at Party City.

DIY instructions: This DIY Halloween costume is pretty simple, requiring no do-it-yourself work. Collect the necessary costume pieces, and you?re good to go.

The Today Show, New York, America - 31 Oct 2013
The Today Show, New York, America - 31 Oct 2013

Wilma and Betty From ?The Flintstones?

Estimated cost: $14

How long it takes to make: 2 hours

What you need: For Wilma, you need a white dress and fake pearl necklace. The Betty costume requires a blue dress and blue bow. If you?re super crafty, you can create your own Wilma and Betty dresses using white and blue fabric and one of your existing dresses as a pattern.

Where to get supplies: If you don?t already have white and blue dresses in your wardrobes, head over to a fabric store and purchase inexpensive fleece or cotton. Use leftover blue fabric to create Betty?s big blue bow, and buy a cheap necklace from Forever 21.

DIY instructions: You?ll likely need to purchase 1.5 yards of fabric for each dress. Use a pencil and paper to trace a pattern around one of your existing dresses, leaving a few extra inches at the bottom to add in the Flintstone-signature zig-zag design. Once you?ve cut the dress patterns, use a sewing machine — or a needle and thick thread — to stitch it all together.

Back-To-Future-Marty-Jennifer
Back-To-Future-Marty-Jennifer

Marty and Jennifer From ?Back to the Future?

Estimated cost: $20

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: For Marty, you need a flannel shirt, red puffy vest and jeans. For Jennifer, search for some type of blue vest — either puffy or denim works fine — a collared white shirt and light pink pants or leggings.

Where to get supplies: Your closet probably already boasts a flannel shirt, a collared white shirt and jeans. Go to your local thrift store for a red puffy vest, and keep an eye out for a blue denim vest and light pink pants. The pink pants will probably be the hardest to find, so if you don?t have luck at the thrift shop, check out Amazon to find the best deals.

DIY instructions: This DIY couples costume is easy: Find the supplies, put them on and you?re done.

Stick-Figures
Stick-Figures

Stick Figures

Estimated cost: $20

How long it takes to make: 1 hour

What you need: This DIY costume requires two pairs of white sweatpants, two white long-sleeved T-shirts, black tape, white paper or paper plates and a black marker.

Where to get supplies: Find inexpensive white sweatpants for less than $8 at Walmart or a thrift store. If you don?t own a white T-shirt, check out deals for packs of white long-sleeved tees on Amazon. There’s a good chance you have black electrical tape in your junk drawer.

DIY instructions: Start by drawing a stick-figure face on a white paper plate or piece of paper. Use any type of string — even a shoelace — to tie the mask around your head when you?re ready to hit the town on Halloween. For the body, place your white tee and white sweatpants on the floor and draw out a stick-figure trunk and limbs using the black tape.

Team-Rocket-Pokemon
Team-Rocket-Pokemon

Pokemon Team Rocket

Estimated cost: $20

How long it takes to make: 30 minutes

What you need: Create an all-black outfit using black pants and a black shirt, or wear a black skirt and top or black dress. You also need white or black gloves, red tape, white paper and a black marker.

Where to get supplies: Raid your closet for black clothing, hit your local dollar store to find gloves, and purchase red tape at Walmart, Target, Staples or Office Depot. You?ll find the best deals on black hats at your local thrift store or on Amazon.

DIY instructions: Start by using a black marker to draw giant exclamation points on the white paper. Next, use the red tape to draw a letter “R” on each of your shirts. Finish the outfit by cutting the tips of the fingers off your gloves.

Juno-Bleekr
Juno-Bleekr

Juno and Bleeker From ?Juno?

Estimated cost: $14

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: For Bleeker, you need gold gym shorts, a burgundy T-shirt, white socks, white tennis shoes, a gold sweatband and matching gold wristbands. For the Juno costume, find jeans, a zip-up hoodie, a striped orange T-shirt and a brown skirt.

Where to get supplies: First, search through your wardrobe or ask your friends for pieces. If you can?t find an article of clothing, explore your local thrift store. The most difficult item to find will likely be Juno’s striped orange shirt, but you can purchase one on Amazon for around $10. You can also find a gold sweatband and wristband set for less than $4 on Amazon.

DIY instructions: Get all your supplies together, get dressed and you?re done.

Up Next: DIY Halloween Kids’ Costumes for Under $10

Black-White-Characters
Black-White-Characters

Black-and-White Characters

Estimated cost: $16

How long it takes to make: 30 minutes

What you need: You need to find low-cost costume makeup and black hairspray to create a grayscale effect on your skin. Additionally, pick up black eyeliner and clothing items that are black or white or both.

Where to get supplies: You can easily find cream makeup and hairspray at stores like Party City or your local Halloween pop-up shop.

DIY instructions: Wear as much clothing as possible (think long sleeves and pants) to minimize the amount of gray costume makeup required — and save money. Ideally, you should be using the makeup only on your face, neck and hands.

Before applying the makeup, spray your hair with the black hairspray so you won?t get any residue on your finished skin. Don your black-and-white garb, use a sponge to apply the makeup, and finish it off with black eyeliner.

Ice-Skaters
Ice-Skaters

Ice Skaters

Estimated cost: $15

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: Your costumes require black spandex, a tight black shirt and a leotard.

Where to get supplies: Stop by your local thrift store to see if there are any fun leotards on the rack. If you can’t find anything appropriate, visit Amazon online to find a plain leotard for as little as $6. Use stockings or pantyhose that are already in your wardrobe to finish the woman?s costume.

Check out Amazon for men?s black spandex for less than $9, and use a black shirt already in your closet.

DIY instructions: Assemble your costume, and you’re ready to party.

Tina-Jimmy-Jr
Tina-Jimmy-Jr

Tina and Jimmy Jr. From ?Bob?s Burgers?

Estimated cost: $11

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: For Tina, you need a black skirt, blue shirt, white socks with red stripes and a pair of glasses. For Jimmy Jr., pick up a yellow shirt, jeans and large headphones.

Where to get supplies: Find a black skirt and jeans in your closet. If you don’t have T-shirts and socks in the appropriate shades, check out Walmart and Amazon for deals. You or your friends likely have black-framed glasses and large headphones lying around the house, but you can also find these items at your local thrift store. As a last resort, buy a cheap pair of black-framed sunglasses at the drugstore, and pop out the lenses.

DIY instructions: This couples costume idea is perfect for couples who tend to procrastinate — it doesn?t require any DIY crafting.

Bunnies
Bunnies

Bunnies

Estimated cost: $13

How long it takes to make: 30 minutes or less

What you need: You need white and pink clothing items, and either two sets of bunny ears or two headbands, construction paper and tape.

Where to get supplies: Use whatever white and pink clothing you have in your closet — and consider adding an inexpensive tutu for extra flare. Find bunny ears in the Halloween section of your local dollar store, Walmart, party store or Halloween shop. You can also make your own bunny ears with headbands and colored construction paper from a local craft store.

DIY instructions: You only need to get crafty with this one if you opt to create your own bunny ears. In that case, draw four ears on white construction paper, and cut out the patterns. Next, draw four smaller ears on the pink paper, and cut them out. Glue or tape each pink ear on top of a white ear. Then, use tape or glue to secure the ears to the headband.

If you have trouble keeping the ears up, add a pipe cleaner or straw to the back of each ear for support.

Waynes-World
Waynes-World

Wayne and Garth From ?Wayne?s World?

Estimated cost: $18

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: This costume requires ripped jeans, T-shirts, a flannel shirt, a black hat and an optional blond wig.

Where to get supplies: Most of these items are probably already in your closet. If you don?t have ripped jeans, find an old pair you never wear, and rip them at the knees. Unless you both have long hair, consider getting wigs. Get a Garth wig and glasses online for just $10.31 and a Wayne wig and hat for only $7.80 on World-Costume.com.

DIY instructions: This one is self-explanatory — assemble the pieces and get dressed.

Dear-Headlights
Dear-Headlights

Deer and Headlights

Estimated cost: $15

How long it takes to make: 30 minutes

What you need: For the deer costume, find some brown clothing and pick up a set of antlers or a brown headband and pipe cleaners. For the headlights, you need all-black clothing, yellow tape and two wireless stick-on LED lights.

Where to get supplies: If you can?t find deer antlers — some are already on shelves for the holiday season — head to your local craft store for a headband and brown pipe cleaners. Pick up some yellow tape or inexpensive yellow fabric while you?re there. Next, search for wireless stick-on LED lights. Amazon has a set of three for $6.

DIY instructions: For the deer antlers, twist two brown pipe cleaners around your headband, adding pipe cleaners as necessary to create the look of antlers. For the headlights, use yellow tape to create dotted lines on your black outfit, and add two wireless stick-on LED lights, using extra tape on the back of the lights to keep them secure.

Old-Married-Couple
Old-Married-Couple

Old Married Couple

Estimated cost: $20

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: Out-of-style clothing, glasses and optional gray hairspray are all you need for this couples costume.

Where to get supplies: Find old-fashioned clothes at your local thrift store, or see what your relatives might be willing to let you borrow. You can buy gray hairspray at your local party store or Halloween shop, and borrow some big-framed glasses from a friend.

DIY instructions: If you opt to spray-paint your hair gray, be sure to avoid getting the spray on any items of clothing, especially if they?re borrowed.

Minions
Minions

Minions

Estimated cost: $18

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: This costume requires goggles, yellow shirts and overalls or jeans and suspenders.

Where to get supplies: If you don?t already have a yellow shirt or sweatshirt, shop for the best deals at either Walmart or Amazon. Borrow two pairs of overalls from friends. They made a style comeback recently, so someone is bound to have them. Buy two sets of safety goggles at your local Walmart or home improvement store.

DIY instructions: This one doesn?t require any instructions other than putting on the outfits.

FBI-Agents
FBI-Agents

FBI Agents

Estimated cost: $0

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: This costume requires two pants suits, two skirt suits or one of each.

Where to get supplies: Find suits in your closet or your parents’ closet. Next, purchase a badge, or scrounge up some markers and white paper. An index card will also do the trick.

DIY instructions: Search for images of FBI badges online, and use the pictures as a reference when creating your replicas. This no-cost costume is a great way to rock Halloween without spending a fortune.

Pac-Man
Pac-Man

Pac-Man and Ghost

Estimated cost: $9

How long it takes to make: 30 minutes

What you need: Purchase yellow poster board for Pac-Man and blue, pink, yellow or red poster board for the ghost. You also need construction paper for the eyes, twine to wear the cutouts and whatever glue and heavy-duty tape you have at home.

Underneath the cutout, you can wear a T-shirt in the color of the costume and dark pants, or if you don’t have a shirt in the right color, wearing all black will make the costume pop.

Where to get supplies: Find colored poster boards for about $1 each at Hobby Lobby and construction paper and twine on Amazon for about $2 and $5, respectively.

DIY instructions: From the yellow poster board, cut out a large circle. Cut out a slice of the circle for Pac-Man’s mouth. Cut the other poster board in the shape of a ghost. Cut out three medium-size white circles and three small black circles.

Use slices cut from construction paper for the eyes and pupils. Glue two eyes on the ghost and one eye on the Pac-Man. Tape twine to the top back of each cutout so that you can wear your creation around your neck.

Two mimes standing against blue sky.
Two mimes standing against blue sky.

Mimes

Estimated cost: $18

How long it takes to make: 15 minutes

What you need: For this costume, you need face paint, a black-and-white striped shirt, black pants, black suspenders, black shoes, white gloves and black berets.

Where to get supplies: Wear whatever black pants and shoes you already have in your closet. A black-and-white striped shirt is ideal, but if you don’t already own one, a plain white shirt will work as well.

Purchase black suspenders from Oriental Trading for $5 each. Amazon sells a pack of eight gloves for less than $2 and black berets for $1 each. If you don?t have a face-paint kit, look for white clown makeup for about $3.50 at online costume retailers. Use black eyeliner and red lipstick you already have to complete the look.

DIY instructions: The only thing you need to DIY for this costume is your makeup. Use the white makeup to cover your entire face, black eyeliner or face paint to over-line your eyes and red lipstick or face paint on your lips.

Archer-Lana, archer, cosplay, costumes, costuming, dragoncon, dragoncon2012, lana
Archer-Lana, archer, cosplay, costumes, costuming, dragoncon, dragoncon2012, lana

Archer and Lana From ?Archer?

Estimated cost: $17

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: The Archer costume requires a black turtleneck, black pants and a toy gun. For Lana, you need a white turtleneck sweater dress, a black belt, black knee-high boots, hoop earrings and a gun holster.

Where to get supplies: For Archer, you likely already have a black turtleneck (or you can borrow one from someone who does). Wear any black pants you already own. Buy a cheap toy gun — Amazon sells one for about $5.

For Lana, the belt, boots and hoop earrings are all items likely already in your closet, or items you can borrow easily. If you don’t own a white turtleneck sweater dress, wear any form-fitting white dress. Find a shoulder holster on Amazon for about $12.

DIY instructions: No DIY required! Just get dressed, and enjoy being cartoon spies.

Napoleon-Dynamite-Pedro
Napoleon-Dynamite-Pedro

Napoleon Dynamite and Pedro From ?Napoleon Dynamite?

Estimated cost: $17

How long it takes to make: 10 minutes

What you need: For the Napoleon costume, you need a light-brown Afro wig, glasses, a “Vote for Pedro” T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. For Pedro, you need a button-down shirt, bolo tie and jeans.

Where to get supplies: Amazon sells an Afro wig for under $6, clear aviator glasses for under $2, and “Vote for Pedro” T-shirts for $4. Complete the look with your own jeans and sneakers.

For Pedro, you likely already own the base of the costume — a blue button-down and jeans — so you just need to add a few inexpensive touches. You can find bolo ties on Amazon for less than $5.

DIY instructions: Once again, no crafting is required. For Pedro, draw on his signature mustache with black face paint or a black eyeliner pencil.

Doug-Funny-Patty-Mayonaise
Doug-Funny-Patty-Mayonaise

Doug Funnie and Patti Mayonnaise From ?Doug?

Estimated cost: $16

How long it takes to make: 45 minutes

What you need: For Doug, you need a white T-shirt, khaki shorts, a green sweater vest and Converse sneakers. For Patti, you need a blue top, blue skirt and Converse sneakers. Additionally, pick up some pink felt and fabric glue to create a shirt that looks like Patti’s.

Where to get supplies: You likely already have a white T-shirt, khaki shorts and Converse sneakers at home. You can find a green sweater vest on Amazon for around $8.

For Patti’s costume, pair a blue skirt you already have with a DIY blue shirt with pink polka dots. Blue T-shirts are available on Amazon for $4, and a sheet of pink felt sells at the Online Fabric Store for less than a dollar.

DIY instructions: Cut circles out of the felt, and glue them onto the blue top. Put on the rest of the items, and you’re good to go as the cartoon couple.

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Gabrielle Olya contributed to the reporting for this article.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 DIY Halloween Couples Costumes for Under $20

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