The Nightmare Before Halloween

Halloween is quickly creeping upon us! Finding the perfect costume doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Today I’m sharing some of my looks from the past few years in addition to costume ideas that I’ve come across on the internet and really love. The DIY projects always amaze me. Some costumes are so simple to put together and yet so brilliant.

1. Bag of Jelly Beans: My friend Vanessa showed up to a Halloween party as a bag of jelly beans. Her costume was not only adorable but really easy to make. I found a tutorial to make her costume here. If you are in a last minute pinch, a plastic bag filled with balloons always works but I love the shimmery mesh fabric Vanessa used for this look.

2. Ann Darrow Gorilla Hand Costume: I always thought this costume was really clever. My friend Macy’s mom made the gorilla hand and she wore a simple white dress underneath. So many fun photo opportunities with this look. Costume available here.

3.Wizard of Oz Group Costumes: This is one of the funnest Halloween nights I can remember. We rented a limo and party hopped around town. It always makes an impression at a Halloween party if  you can coordinate a group of friends to dress up as a cast of characters. We were quite the hit that night. The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies to watch around Thanksgiving and I loved dressing up as Dorothy.

4.The Fantastic Mr.and Mrs. Fox: One of my favorite Halloween costumes to date. It was really easy to put this together. Kiel had the jacket, pants, etc in his wardrobe and I found the yellow dress at a thrift store. We hand-painted apples on the dress to complete the look and bought the fox masks on Etsy.

5.Jackie and JFK: Jackie and JFK are one of the most iconic and stylish couples of all time. I really loved this couples costume that I came across on Pinterest. The pillbox hat, light blue dress suit, and signature JFK shades are just too perfect. I tried to pull off Jackie a few years back and in retrospect I think my look fell short. I did enjoy donning the 60’s hair for a night! JFK and Jackie Costume Photo Credit: Her Campus

6.Scouts: I will admit I was never a Girl Scout but I did come across this Girl Scout uniform at a thrift store one year and decided to dress up as Scout for Halloween. Kiel pulled out an old boy scout uniform and our couples costume was complete. This costume is fairly easy to find at a local thrift store or even your parents attic.

7.Circus Family Costume: This will be our first year dressing up Harry for Halloween. Last year we spent it in the hospital and I have had so much fun looking up family themed costumes in recent weeks. I loved this family’s circus theme — the little lion is just too precious. The circus costume possibilities are endless — ringmaster,  trapeze artist, muscle man, clown, elephant, etc. Photo Credit: Tell Love and Party

8. Circus Lion: I really loved this idea for a baby costume. It goes along with the circus family theme but I thought the addition of the red wagon dressed up as a circus cage was really smart and adorable. The lion costume could also be swapped out with other circus animals if you wanted to do a circus caravan with multiple kids. I imagine the wagon would really come in handy trick or treating with the little ones on Halloween night. Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty (Click the link for their DIY tips)

9. Pet Lions: I clearly have a thing with lions this year but this post would not be complete without sharing this photo of Puffin and Bennie. We rarely get these two together for a photo and I will admit it took a lot of treats and cat nip to make this happen. (Cat Lion Costume, Dog Lion Costume)

10. Jurassic Park: When in doubt a Jurassic Park themed family costume is always a great idea. I really enjoy this take on Drs. Alan Grant and Ellie Settler complete with a baby dino. This would be a simple costume to create from your own wardrobe or a thrift store. Photo Credit: Cupcakes and Cashmere

11. Ratatouille Family Costume: How cute is this baby Remy!? This is another family themed costume that I really like. Recreate this costume for him and her with a chef hat, chef coat, and apron. Photo Credit Via: Brit + Co (I searched high and low for the original source of this photo. If anyone has it please let me know and I will update this link)

12. Up Baby: This baby costume wins the internet. It’s beyond precious and an amazingly easy DIY. All you need is a half dozen balloons, tennis balls, PVC piping, and a pair of thick glasses. Photo Credit: Auburn Soul Photography via Brit + CO

13. Cotton Candy: Pretty in pink this DIY costume is perfectly sweet for kids or adults.  Photo Credit and DIY Tutorial: hello, Wonderful

14. Cruella de Vil: Cruella may be cruel but she has a fabulous sense of style. I’ve always wanted to dress up like her for Halloween and really loved this take on the Disney villain by Lauren Conrad. See her tips for putting together this Halloween costume here. Photo Credit: Lauren Conrad

14. Belle from Beauty and the Beast: Last year Julia Engel posted a photo of herself dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast for Halloween and I thought she did an amazing job with her costume. She looks nearly identical to Emma Watson from the movie. There are so many options for Belle costumes on the internet but I really loved Julia’s rendition of a simple blue dress, white shirt, apron, ballet flats, and bow tied in her hair. Photo Credit: Julia Engel

15. Heathers: I’ve always loved the cult classic 80’s movie Heathers. The wardrobe is perfectly exaggerated prep and it would be so much fun to dress up as one of the Heathers for a night. I’m ending this list with Keiko Lynn’s group costume take on the three Heathers. Keiko, the Queen of Halloween, did an incredible job coordinating with My Style Pill and Brooklyn Blonde for an epic rendition of the Heathers complete with croquet mallets and 80’s hair. Photo Credit: Keiko Lynn (Check out her site and this link for lots of Keiko’s amazing Halloween inspiration)