Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes

Of course, celebrities always have fantastic Halloween costumes. I mean, between the bottomless budgets; access to the best costume designers, hairdressers, and makeup artists on the planet; and the drop-dead gorgeous, perfect faces and bodies they have to work with, how could they not?

But even so, some costumes stand out above others. Usually because they’re clever, or funny, or somehow especially appropriate for that particular celebrity (or celebrity couple, or celebrity family). Here are a few of my personal favorites that I’ve seen celebrities wearing over the years. 

Sandra Bullock and her son Louis dressed as Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story in 2013. Not only is Jessie a perfect costume for the sweet and cheerful Bullock, but her son was at the age where his vague confusion about the concept of Halloween and his delight in discovering all about it was a perfect parallel to Buzz himself. 

It’s always fantastic when celebrities spoof each other, and Ellen DeGeneres has gone above and beyond in this category many times. Two of my favorites are last year, when she took on Nicki Minaj, complete with impressive underboobage and dark roots, and 2012, when she donned a duplicate of Sofia Vergara’s dress from the Emmy Awards, complete with fake feet in high heels so she could still wear her beloved white tennis shoes. Rock on, Ellen.

Speaking of hitting it out of the park every year, let’s talk Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka, and family. Every year they do a whole family theme, finding costumes that are hilariously perfect for each member. One year Neil was Captain Hook, David was Peter Pan, their daughter Harper was Tinker Bell, and their son Gideon was Mr. Smee; one year they did the Wizard of Oz with Neil as the Tin Man, David as the Scarecrow, Harper as Dorothy, and Gideon as the Cowardly Lion; last year’s Batman theme featured Neil as the Riddler, David as the Joker, Harper as Batgirl, and Gideon as the Caped Crusader himself. But two of my favorites are Harper as Alice in Wonderland, Gideon as the White Rabbit, and the two dads as Tweedledum and Tweedledee; and the year they all went as monsters, with Neil as Frankenstein’s monster, Gideon as the Werewolf, Harper as Bride of Frankenstein, and David as Count Dracula. Whatever they paid their hair and makeup artist, it wasn’t enough. This family always finds the right blend of spooky and family fun.

Heidi Klum goes all-out with her Halloween costume every year, usually going for something that makes her unrecognizable: full-face old-age makeup to be a little old lady, a fierce 8-armed Indian goddess covered in blue paint, and a gorilla completely covered in fur (except for her rather prominent – and fortunately artificial – breasts). But what better costume for a model nicknamed “The Body” than an anatomical model?

Katy Perry as a Cheeto. I don’t know why this strikes me as completely hilarious, but it does. I mean, she’s a CHEETO!!!! As Larry the Cable Guy would say, “That’s funny, right thar.”

Remember that awful year when Miley Cyrus dressed up in a teddy bear teddy and acted gross with Robin Thicke? She was pretty horrible, but the many celebrity and non-celebrity costumes the routine spawned were pretty awesome. Here’s to everyone who mocked her the following Halloween, including Kelly Ripa, Paris Hilton, and even Joan Rivers.

But lest you be intimidated by these great costumes, just keep in mind that even with all their money and looks, some celebrities still come up with hot messes instead of cool costumes:

 The Hanson brothers as…got me. Your guess is as good as mine. 80s gorilla, biker fairy, and pirate bee? Yeah, I got nothin’.

Snooki as…The Queen of the Pickles? A Pickle Hunter? 

 Kyle MacLachlan as Cheez-Wiz. Next year, Kyle, go as a Cheeto. At least everybody likes Cheetos.

The Costume Conundrum

Halloween tends to bring out strong emotions in the parents of young children: we either immerse ourselves in the spirit of the season, creating elaborate costumes for our children and ourselves, decorating our homes and yards within inches of their lives, carving 27 perfectly-sized jack o’lanterns for the porch, and eagerly awaiting bringing in fancy themed snacks for class parties; or we become the Halloween equivalent of the Grinch, buying whatever costume is still in the store at the last second, tossing an uncarved pumpkin on the steps, and turning off the porch light at the earliest possible moment.

For a parent, Halloween is just about the worst competitive peer pressure that there is. Let’s admit it: we judge each other on our kids’ costumes. Can we make the perfect costume, exactly what the child has been begging for for weeks, have every detail perfect, including hair and makeup and shoes? Is OUR Thor (or Ariel, or Barbie, or Iron Man, or whatever character is popular this year) as authentic and as awesome as the neighbor kid’s Thor (or Ariel or Barbie or Iron Man)? Or do we not love our child enough to handmake armor out of 38,743 individual soda can pull-tabs and to design a magnetized hammer that actually sticks to the ground when anyone but our child tries to pick it up? I think a lot of us simply admit defeat and don’t even try.

And I count myself among that number. I come from a long line of seamstresses, and I am a seamstress myself. I had always had visions of sewing magnificent costumes for my kids, as my mother always had for me. I imagined myself sitting with each of them, poring over pattern books and picking out fabrics, then seeing their growing excitement as they tried on their costume at each stage, as it slowly grew into being under my talented fingers.

But what really happened is that they saw the rack of ready-made costumes at Costco in August and did that little jumping, squealing happy dance that no parent with a heart can resist, and I threw down my 25 bucks and called it a day.

But the truth is, KIDS DON’T CARE. Well, some kids might care. But the vast majority of kids would be pretty happy with a costume made from construction paper and tape.

What the parent sees:

What the kid sees:

Remember, these are kids to whom a cardboard box becomes a castle, a pirate ship, a rocket, and a smuggler’s cave. We see what’s there; they see what’s in their imagination. And the less we give them to work with, the cooler their imagination can make it. An elaborate costume leaves no room for creativity; a “suggested” costume allows for coming up with cool effects and weapons and abilities.

So the mom I admire, and the mom I strive to be, is the one who doesn’t worry about what other people will think about her kids’ costumes, but the one who gives her child a costume that will allow them to imagine, to pretend, to dream, to strive, to think.

But I still hope that someday one of them wants a great costume that I can sew after we design it together. 

Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids

A few years ago, I finally learned my lesson, and now I buy my kids’ Halloween costumes at Costco the first week they appear in the store (which is usually around mid-August), before they sell out (which is usually around late August). I sew, and I’d love to make their costumes, but the ones at Costco are so inexpensive (and reasonably well-made) that I can’t compete with the cost. But there are plenty of easy and inexpensive costumes that you can make yourself, either ahead of time or at the last minute, so I thought I’d post a few ideas for those of you who either aren’t fortunate enough to have a Costco nearby, or who just like to be a bit more creative. Here are ten simple costumes that you can make or put together quickly and inexpensively with easy to find materials.

Raining Cats and Dogs

What you need:

• Your child’s usual rain gear (raincoat, boots, rain hat)
• An old umbrella
• Stuffed cats and dogs
• Fishing line or heavy-duty thread
• Needle

What to do:

Stitch a few stuffed animals on top of the umbrella, then sew lengths of the fishing line onto the edges of the umbrella and attach a few more, so they look like “it’s raining cats and dogs.”

NOTE: You can also make a similar "rain cloud" costume by gluing or stitching puffs of cotton batting or white tulle or chiffon to the umbrella instead of the stuffed animals. 

Stick Figure

What you need:

• White or light colored pants and long-sleeved shirt
• Paper plate
• Narrow elastic
• Stapler
• Black electrical tape
• Thick black marker (or black paint and a small paintbrush)

What to do:

Using the black marker or black paint, draw a smiley face on the paper plate. Staple the elastic to both sides at a comfortable length to hold the mask in place. Have the child put on the pants and shirt and put on electrical tape to form a stick figure.

Lego Block

What you need:

• Cardboard box large enough to fit over the child’s torso
• Heavy, sharp scissors
• 12 plastic Solo cups OR 12 plastic cups from single-serving applesauce or fruit cups
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Glue gun
• Spray paint

What to do:

Cut armholes and a headhole in the cardboard box (be sure the holes are big enough that the child can get in and out, but not so big that the box slides down his or her shoulders). Using a ruler and one of the cups, trace 6 evenly-spaced circles each on the front and back of the box in the pattern above. Use the glue gun to glue on the cups. When dry, spray paint the whole box and allow to dry. If you want to get really fancy, you can use a smaller box to make a matching hat. Extra points for having the child wear a shirt and pants the same color as the block!

Elmo from Sesame Street

What you need:

• Red hoodie
• Two large Styrofoam balls and one slightly smaller one (oval, if possible)
• Black paint or Sharpie
• Orange paint
• Glue gun

What to do:

Paint the small Styrofoam ball orange and allow to dry. Use black paint or Sharpie to add “pupils” to the large balls. Using glue gun, attach eyes and nose as in photo above. Be generous with the glue!

Wyldstyle from Lego Movie

 

What you need:

• Black hoodie or long-sleeved shirt
• Purple (or pink) and blue electrical or masking tape
• Purple (or pink) and blue hair spray or clip-in hair extensions
• Hair elastic
• Brown eye pencil
• Pink lipstick

What to do:

Make a pattern of pink and blue swooshes on the right side and right arm of the sweatshirt, using the photos above as a guide. Use the hair elastic to make a small high ponytail on the left. Spray in hair streaks or clip in extensions as shown above. Add freckles using the eye pencil and some pink lipstick to complete the look.

Artist

What you need:

• Black beret or soft, floppy hat
• Black long-sleeved shirt or sweatshirt
• Large piece of cardboard
• Pencil
• Several colors of paint, including white
• Large paintbrush
• Sharp scissors
• Black ribbon or cord (yarn will work in a pinch)
• Black or brown eye pencil

What to do:

Cut out the shape of an artist’s palette from the cardboard, including a large “thumb hole”. Paint white. When dry, add blobs of several colors of paint. Using the point of the scissors, make two holes or slits near the top and thread the ribbon or cord through, making a large enough loop to slip over the child’s head. Use the eye pencil to give the child a tres magnifique French mustache!

Mike Wazowski from Monster Inc./Monsters University

What you need:

• Light green T-shirt
• White, dark green, and black felt
• Sharp scissors
• Glue gun
• Optional: Dark blue or black baseball hat and light blue felt

What to do:

Cut out three concentric circles from the felt, with white the largest, dark green much smaller, and black slightly smaller. Glue onto each other and the shirt to form the eye. Cut a thin smile from the black felt and glue to shirt under the eye. If you want to add a Monsters University hat, use the template here to cut an M and a U from the blue felt and glue to the baseball hat.

Bert from Mary Poppins/Chimney Sweep

What you need:

• White dress shirt
• Dark pants
• Suspenders
• Red bow tie
• Newsboy (or similar) cap
• Old broomstick or dowel
• Pack of black pipe cleaners
• Small piece of black felt
• Scissors
• Glue gun
• Brown or black eye pencil or dark foundation makeup

What to do:

To make the broom, criss-cross pairs of pipe cleaners at the top of the broomstick or dowel and glue in place. Repeat until broom looks full. When finished, cut a black felt circle about 2 inches across and glue over the top of the stack of pipe cleaners. (Good photos and directions here). Use eye pencil or foundation to make dirt smudges on the child’s face. 

Rosie the Riveter

What you need:

• Denim or plaid shirt
• Red bandana or red polka-dot scarf
• Jeans

What to do:

Fold the bandana into a rectangle and wrap around child’s head, tying in front. Roll up the shirt sleeves above the child's elbows and knot the front shirttails at the waist.

Skeleton

What you need:

• Black long-sleeved shirt (or hoodie) and pants
• White duct tape or masking tape (extra bonus points if you can find glow-in-the-dark tape)
• Scissors

What to do:

Following the photo above, cut strips of tape and stick onto shirt and pants to form a simple skeleton. 

Happy Halloween!!!

Cool Costumes for 2013

As I’m planning my kids’ Halloween costumes, I can't help but snoop through the internet for ideas. And there are some amazing, clever, and hilariously funny costumes out there. Most of these are beyond the skills or ambition of the average person, but those of us who can’t (or won’t) make them can at least appreciate their brilliance. Here are the top ten that jumped out at me.

Head in a Jar

Novelty Factor: A nice variation on the classic Headless Horseman.
Requirements: Long trench coat, ski gloves, large plastic snack jar with lid (VERY important to put holes in the lid), cotton balls
Overall Effect: Creepy and mysterious

Stick Figure

Novelty Factor: You’re not exactly likely to run into another stick figure while out trick-or-treating.
Requirements: LED rope, battery pack, toddler who doesn’t walk very well yet.
Overall Effect: Hilariously funny when in motion and still pretty funny when still.

Grumpy Cat

Novelty Factor: It’s easy (and timely) enough that you might run into a few fellow grumps here and there. Just give each other dirty looks.
Requirements: White face paint, lots of brown eyeshadow, an extremely grumpy expression.
Overall Effect: Funny. You know, in a grumpy sort of way.

Army Guys

Novelty Factor: In the unlikely event you run into someone else wearing the same costume, he can just join your army.
Requirements: Rain gear, helmet, boots, some kind of large weapon, large quantities of green spray paint and matching green body paint, a high degree of commitment, the ability to hold a pose without moving for a very long time.
Overall Effect: Variable, dependent on the last two requirements above.

Tetris

Novelty Factor: Much like the Army guys above, if you run into someone else wearing the same costume, he can just join your group.
Requirements: Lots of similarly-sized cardboard boxes, various bright colors of paint, a good sense of spatial relations.
Overall Effect: The more levels you can form, the more impressive the costume. Bonus points for recruiting some really tall or really short people.

Miley Cyrus

Novelty Factor: This costume will pretty much only work for the year 2013, so it’s fair to say it’s novel.
Requirements: Teddy bear onesie, large foam finger, complete lack of dignity.
Overall Effect: The response to your version will probably be as mixed as it was to the original. In other words, is it trampy or is it art? The answer is a resounding, “YES.”

The Human Anatomy

Novelty Factor: I guarantee you will not see someone else wearing the same costume, unless you happen to live in Heidi Klum’s neighborhood. (Yes, this photo really is Heidi Klum.)
Requirements: Paintable catsuit with bald cap, large quantities of red, black, and white paint, impressive knowledge of human anatomy.
Overall Effect: Shocking and amazing. In a good way.

Doctor Who

Novelty Factor: Even if you bump into another Doctor Who, chances are it won’t be the same incarnation, and even if it is, you can both shrug it off with the words, “wibbly-wobbly” and “timey-wimey.”

Requirements: Depending on your incarnation of choice, requirements may be a tweed blazer and bow tie (plus optional fez); double-breasted pin-striped suit, tennies, and overcoat; or a long knitted striped scarf and large felt hat. Bonus points for having the TARDIS and a sonic screwdriver along.
Overall Effect: Even a poor attempt at this costume will leave fangirls squealing, just watch out for those creepy weeping angels.

Minion

Novelty Factor: You’re pretty likely to run into another minion or two this year, but with a costume this cute, who cares?
Requirements: Bright yellow hoodie, overalls, goggles, ability to speak gibberish.
Overall Effect: Adorable even if the wearer isn’t under the age of 6.

Guy on Stilts

Novelty Factor: Unless you happen to not be the only guy in the neighborhood who’s seven feet tall, you’re pretty much guaranteed the unique vote for this one.
Requirements: Two tall cardboard boxes that fit over your legs from ankle to knee, spare pair of shoes, being seven feet tall.
Overall Effect: People who know you will do a double-take. So will people who don’t.

So if you don’t have your Halloween act together yet, maybe these will give you some inspiration! And if not, there’s always the old bedsheet with eyeholes costume.

Just be warned that you’ll probably collect a few rocks.

Halloween Costumes!

If you could make a chart of how much fun Halloween is during every year of your life, it would be anything but a straight line. When you’re very small, you have no idea what’s going on. Someone puts clothes on you – the same as every other day - then they carry you around the neighborhood and people exclaim how cute you are – the same as every other day – and then when you come home they don’t let you have any of the wonderful treats you think you should get – the same as every other day. Not very exciting. When you’re a bit older, you get to choose your own costume, usually some hero or cool guy that you desperately want to be, you get to stay up later than usual, and you get to eat candy. A LOT of candy. This goes on for a number of years, until you reach, say, high school age, and the costume is not nearly as exciting as the candy (unless you are female, in which case the costume is an opportunity to dress waaaaay sexier than you can get away with any other time). So the interest drops off again during most of your early adulthood. But then when you have children and you get to live vicariously through them, the excitement skyrockets off the chart once again.

Being both a theater performer and a seamstress, Halloween provides me with fabulous opportunities for creative costume-making. Since I’m an adult, I don’t have much opportunity to make a costume for myself, but now that I have kids, I can’t WAIT for them to pick a costume so I can let my creative juices flow. And I will admit, I have been known to direct their preferences a bit to echo my own.

My son’s birthday is just a few days after Halloween, so his first Halloween costume was actually this:

(My husband gets credit for making all three of these jack-o-lanterns.)

When my son was almost a year old, my husband beat me to the punch and got him an adorable tiger costume before I told him I wanted to make something. It was so adorable that I couldn’t say no.

My daughter was born a few months before my son’s second birthday, so she was not quite three months old on her first Halloween appearance, and neither of them had much say in their costumes. We had gone to the Big E in September of that year and my husband had bought fabulous cowboy hats for himself and my son, so when I found some fake suede at a good price, I couldn’t help myself: I made my son a pair of chaps and a fringed vest, and we bought my daughter a teeny-tiny cow costume.

Last year, my son was nearly 3 and my daughter was only 1. Which meant that it was pretty much my last chance to talk my son into going as whatever I wanted, and my daughter neither cared not even noticed what she was wearing. So after umpteen different changes, my son finally set his heart on being Mr. Smee from Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and I decided that my daughter would obviously have to be Tinker Bell. (She was blonde, adorable, and barely mobile: it was perfect.)

  (I had given him an old pair of wire-rimmed glasses with the glass removed, and a pair of shorts and sandals like Mr. Smee’s, but it was all I could do to get him to wear the shirt and the hat. Sometimes, the hill is just not worth dying on.)

But this year, my son is nearly four. Four years old is the age when a Halloween costume is incredibly exciting. Pretending to be someone else is an everyday occurrence; hero worship is at its peak; dressing up is a highlight of not only the day, but the week, the month, and the year. And on top of that, there’s candy. Halloween is almost better than Christmas. And so his decision of what to be is of the utmost importance. And naturally, it changes from week to week, day to day, and practically hour to hour.

His first thought was that he wanted to be the red Power Ranger. But when he saw the costume at the store, he changed his mind. And after driving past the Halloween display at Ben Franklin Crafts, he decided he wanted to be a skeleton instead. Easy-peasy! I’d buy an articulated cardboard skeleton, tack it to a black sweat suit in a few strategic places, and done. But before I got that far, he decided he wanted to be a pirate instead. Or maybe a gladiator. Something with a sword, anyway.

So I’ve given up on making him a fabulous costume. I’ll just wait until the day before and punt. It’ll be a challenge to my creativity, but I’m up to that challenge! I come from a long line of fantastic last-minute costume creators. After all, my first Halloween costume was a bunny outfit made from a winter parka, an old pillowcase, and a bent coat hanger. And my all-time favorite was simply a white choir robe, a borrowed belt, and a few bobby pins.

 

 

Anyone can come up with a fantastic costume with a month or so of lead time. I can't wait to see what I come up with in an hour and a half!