Halloween Costume Ideas for Students on a Budget
Spooky season is nearly upon us, and if you’ve got a Halloween party or two around the corner, you may be wondering how you can pull together a kick-ass costume on a scarily small student budget!
Never fear, because we’re here with some low-cost ideas. From horror classics to pop culture characters, these cheap Halloween costumes make the most of clothes you already own, charity shop finds and a few homemade accessories.
Black cat
Instantly recognisable and easy to put together, a black cat is a sure-fire winner on Halloween.
Most of us own black clothing; you can wear anything from a leotard and leggings to a black tracksuit. Next, stuff a thick pair of black tights with paper to make a tail and fasten it to your outfit with a couple of safety pins.
Grab some black eyeliner to draw whiskers and a nose on your face. For the ears, cut two triangles from black card and attach them to a headband, or pick up a cheap ready-made cat-ears band from the supermarket. Black fingerless gloves make a good finishing touch if you already have a pair.
Regan from The Exorcist
More than 50 years after its release, The Exorcist still packs a terrifying punch. To recreate Regan’s look, all you need is an old-fashioned floral nightie (you can pick a cheap one up from your local market or Primark), a can of hairspray, some green face paint, black eye makeup and some fake blood.
Firstly, stain your nightie with green paint to resemble the thick green vomit that Regan spouts out in the film. Blacken around your eyes with black eyeshadow and then streak your face with green to create a ghastly pallor, blending with a bit of black to create bruising here and there. Next, draw slashes on your face and neck with the fake blood. Backcomb your hair and spray with hairspray to set.
If you’ve got any room in the budget, you could splash out on a pair of grisly green contact lenses to indicate that your demonic possession is now complete!
Agent Smith from The Matrix
If you’ve got a black suit in your wardrobe that you’ve brought for your university balls, all you need to add is a black tie and some dark sunglasses, and you’re almost good to go. For Agent Smith’s signature earpiece, attach a short section of a spiral keychain (check out the pound shops) to the inside of your collar and stick the other end behind your ear. Slick your hair back and put on your best blank-yet-menacing expression.
Mr Wallace from Pulp Fiction
Mia’s sharp black bob is key to this look. You can pick up a wig online for under a tenner. The rest – cropped black trousers, white shirt, black bra and black flats – you’re likely to have lying in your wardrobe, or you can easily find at a charity shop. A prop cigarette and trickle of fake blood from one nostril complete the look.
Peter Griffin from Family Guy
Scope out Vinted, eBay or charity shops for some green trousers. Then all you need is a belt, round glasses and a white shirt a couple of sizes too big, so that you can fit a small cushion underneath. Slick your hair into a side parting with strong-hold gel.
Mummy
Soak an old white sheet (or fabric bandages) in strong tea to give it an aged, yellow look, then take it out and let it dry completely before cutting and tearing into strips.
Wearing an old white t-shirt and leggings or tracksuit trousers, wrap the strips around you and fasten with safety pins. Keep the wrapping loose enough to move comfortably and make sure you wrap your top and bottom halves separately so that you can go to the loo!
Cover your face with white face paint and use black eyeshadow to darken around your eyes and mouth. Finish with a few strips around the head, leaving your eyes, mouth and nose clear.
Claudia Winkleman
Claudia’s iconic Traitors’ look is instantly recognisable and pretty easy to pull together. All you need is a wig with a heavy fringe (check out online or fancy dress shops) and you can source the rest from your existing wardrobe or charity shops: think big woolly jumpers, kilts or tartan trousers, big black boots and fingerless gloves. Top it all off with Claudia’s trademark tan, heavy black eyeliner and pale lipstick.
The Joker
A good trawl around the charity shops should produce what you need for a decent Joker costume: trousers, waistcoat, a garish shirt and clashing patterned tie. Spray your hair green and borrow your flatmates’ red lipstick and blue eyeshadow to recreate his sinister clown makeup.
Scarily good student accommodation
At true student, you won’t find any tricks, just treats. Our rooms are spacious, with double beds, smart TVs, a desk and chair, and ensuite bathrooms with rainfall showers and backlit mirrors. Our social spaces are pretty special too, with Festival Zones, cinemas, gardens and rooftop terraces to hang out in. Ready to find your dream student accommodation?
Explore our locations and book a viewing here