I don’t remember family Halloween costumes being such a big deal when I was a kid, but they definitely are now. Whether you know someone who has an entire costume for every member of their family planned by July or you just know a family down the street who always manages to look cohesive, there’s a chance you’ve thought about your own family’s Halloween costume. But look, we don’t have the time or the funds to create something over-the-top this year. So, if you just want a last-minute family Halloween costume, there are plenty of easy options.
Wear these to the school Halloween party, to a neighborhood gathering, to a costume contest — wherever you want. But please know these last-minute family Halloween costumes are extremely easy because these are meant for the exhausted parents who have 30 minutes before trick-or-treating starts and want to join in the fun. You can make most of these with stuff out of your own closet, and there are options for every size family. So stop stressing — Halloween is supposed to be fun.
Bob’s Burgers
Honestly, the most specific part of any Bob’s Burgers costume is Louise’s hat, but you could whip that up with a little DIY action. The rest of the family? Just dig through your closet and grab a couple of aprons for the perfect Halloween family costume.
Farmers & Animals
Plaid shirts, overalls, jeans — I know someone in your family has something in their closet to turn them into a farmer. If your kids already have some animal costumes to match, that’s great, but don’t sleep on some light crafting to make pig ears, to turn a white t-shirt into a cow print, to make some tails — whatever you need for your sweet little farm to come together.
Cats & Witches
Got a witch hat or two? Throw them on with your favorite black, purple, or green outfits and then give cat ears and draw on whiskers to the rest of the fam. This is super easy and such a fun classic Halloween look.
Peter Pan
Nobody actually has to be Peter Pan, so don’t panic there, but the classic story has a ton of characters that work well for a family Halloween costume. The Darling children are all in easy pajamas — long nightgowns and pink footed jammies — and you can easily whip up a Tinkerbell, Peter Pan, Smee, or even one of the Lost Boys with stuff you have in your closet. Make a Peter Pan hat, glue some craft pom poms to your shoes… there are plenty of ways to make easy accessories for this look.
Winnie-the-Pooh
Again, you don’t need an elaborate costume here. Cut a red t-shirt into a crop top for whoever’s going to be Pooh, grab a pink shirt and draw on some stripes for Piglet, wear your comfiest gray sweats and add a homemade tail for Eeyore — this one’s actually simpler than you think and can be pretty much made out of all easy, DIY supplies.
Frog and Toad
If your kid loves all the easy-reading Frog and Toad books (or loves the series on Apple TV), this is such a fun costume to throw together. Make some frog and toad eyes with felt and pin them to the top of your and your kid’s head, and then you just need some neutral-colored jackets and pants. Frog and Toad also have plenty of friends you can rope into your costume if you need more than just two looks.
Skeletons
Skeleton pajamas are the perfect Halloween costume for little kids, but even a black outfit with a little DIY crafting and some face makeup can make a great skeleton vibe for the whole family.
The Office
Because the characters in The Office are all in just office clothes, it’s pretty easy to throw these looks together with items in your closet. A baby dressed as Dwight Schrute? Kind of the best.
Room on the Broom
A witch costume is easy enough to make at home, and in Room on the Broom, the witch has some specific things that work well to differentiate the character, like an orange bow in her braid. Other family members can be the animals she takes along for a ride, or even the dragon if you have a red outfit you can do a little DIY work on.
Coraline
Got a yellow raincoat and boots? Then someone in your family can easily be Coraline. The other characters are fairly easy to throw together, too, and you can even get a little spooky and be the Other Mother if you have some buttons around.
The Royal Family
Whether you want to go the route of Princess Diana and her sons or Kate Middleton and her gang, all you really need is your Sunday best and some nicely brushed hair to pull this off. (Unless you go with Princess Di in the biker shorts and sweatshirt, which is kind of the best look.)
Modern Family
You can be the Dunphys, the Pritchetts, or the Tucker-Pritchetts easily — it all just depends on how many people you need a costume for in your group. The real trick here is staying in character, and I’m always down to see more Phil Dunphys out in the real world.
Vampires
Vampire teeth are super cheap to pick up at the store, and you can easily do some bite marks and dripping blood with lipstick or face paint — whatever you have on hand. Because vampires have infiltrated the modern age, everybody can wear whatever they want to pull this off.
The Green Ribbon Girl
OK, so maybe this one is more of a couples costume, but listen — one of you (your kid, you, your partner, whoever) dressing as Jenny, the girl in In a Dark, Dark Room who wears the green ribbon and doesn’t tell her husband Alfred why until the very end of your life? A major easy costume and a huge Halloween hit.
Ghosts
It really doesn’t get much easier than dressing your entire family up as ghosts. Baby powder in the hair, some gray face makeup, and whatever clothes you want to wear are all you need to pull off a spooky vibe.
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