You know what's even scarier than Halloween [1]? Trying to find the creepiest costume [2] of them all. With a night of blood, gore, and haunting horrors, it's hard to not want to channel your spooky side. That's why we did the dirty work for you and found the most chilling costumes [3]. Whether you want to fulfill your dream of playing your favourite villain or you just want to look downright zombie-like, these scary costume ideas [4] epitomise every Halloween horror out there. And the best part? You can make them all at home [5] for next to nothing.
Check out the spookiest costumes [6] ahead, and get your inspiration — or blood — flowing.
— Additional reporting by Lauren Harano
Killer Nurse
She's here to take good care of you.
What you need to do: Wear an all-white dress, nursing hat, and surgical mask. Cover yourself in blood and hold a fake knife.
Dead Bride
Living brides are so cliché.
What you need to do: Use an old white dress hanging around in your closet and splatter fake blood all over the front. Make sure to rub a line of blood across your throat for a slit, and use tule to make a veil. Grab some dead flowers from your backyard to hold in a bouquet for the evening.
Dead Disney Character
Your childhood heroes live on forever . . .
What you need to do: This is an easy one — simply take your favourite Disney costume, then add blood and zombie makeup.
Vampire
Bloodsuckers are in films and books everywhere, so you can customise this costume to your favourite fictional vamp.
What you need to do: Whether it's a black blanket, curtain, or sheet, tie it around your neck for a sinister cape. Make your own blood at home by mixing water, syrup, and red food dye together. Let it bleed out of the corners of your mouth like you just had lunch.
Sadako/Samara
Bring The Ring to life and be the creepiest girl in scary movie history.
What you need to do: Use a night gown or long white dress as your outfit, and comb all of your hair to the front of your face. It's as easy as that.
The Joker
This villain will always be Batman's greatest enemy.
What you need to do: Use a movie still to copy the Joker's face with black, white, and red paint. Brush your hair out to look wild and wear a button-down shirt with a tie.
Frankenstein's Monster
Everyone's favourite monster!
What you need to do: Paint your face green, and use an eyeliner pencil to draw scars on your face. Wear a black or green suit, and you have become Frankenstein!
Zipper
Have you ever seen anyone so exposed?
What you need to do: Pull a zip out of an old sweatshirt, adhere it to your face, and open at the bridge of the nose with face glue. Fill in the inside of the open space between the zipper with fake blood or red paint. Make sure to add some blood to your shirt, too.
Sinister Clown
Your childhood nightmares have come to life!
What you need to do: Wear all of the most colourful clothes you have, and use spray hair colour all over your hair. Use makeup or face paint to create a gaping mouth and red nose. Just add blood for extra scares.
Ghost
It may be an obvious idea, but how freaked out would you be to turn around and see your friend standing there dressed like this?
What you need to do: Pull that sheet off of your bed and use a Sharpie to draw creepy eyes where your face will go. You can also cut eyes out with scissors.
Beheaded
Your head is missing, it doesn't get much more terrifying than that.
What you need to do: Wear a large shirt that is large enough so that you can hide your head inside of it when wearing it regularly. If you don't want to buy a fake head, you can always use papier-mâché paste and newspaper to create a head of your own. When it dries, draw on a face with paint.
Mummy
It's a classic that always entertains.
What you need to do: Got toilet paper? Start rolling it all over your body until you're completely covered.
Skeleton
This costume is bone-chilling.
What you need to do: Use white fabric paint to draw bones onto a black shirt and leggings. Paint your face white and ring your eyes with black eye shadow.
Billy the Puppet
This puppet from the Saw movies has always been haunting.
What you need to do: Draw targets on your cheeks and lines from your mouth to your chin with eyeliner. Wear a bow tie and suspenders.
Creepy Doll
Remember that doll that sits in your grandma's bedroom? Use that as your inspiration.
What you need to do: Put your hair in pigtails and wear your frilliest dress. Use eyeliner to ring your eyes and make stitches or porcelain cracks across your face.
Zombie Prom Queen
She never got to enjoy her win . . .
What you need to do: Mix mascara and water together and use a cotton swab to create dark eyes and tears rolling down your face. Smudge lipstick across your mouth, make your hair disheveled with hairspray, and add a crown on top of your head. Complete the look with a prom queen sash made from paper or old fabric.
Carrie
Making this cult classic a reality is supereasy.
What you need to do: Dig up your old prom ensemble and make sure you don't mind staining the dress. Mix red food dye and water into a bucket and dump the solution over your head (we suggest doing this in the shower so that you don't make a splattered mess).
The Child Snatcher
If you have seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, you know that this evil villain is the creepiest guy in town.
What you need to to: Create a black top hat with construction paper and scotch tape by making a cylinder with two pieces of paper and a circular brim with a third piece. Create a big, fake nose with tan construction paper and string or moulding clay that can be glued to your face (with makeup glue, of course). Wear a long trench coat to complete your look.
Back From the Dead
This girl is fresh out of the grave.
What you need to do: Wet your hair and let it hang in your face. Use coffee to dye your clothes and make them look aged. Use brown and black eye shadow to create bruises and dark eyes.
Wicked Witch of the West
The most iconic and terrifying witch of them all.
What you need to do: Use green paint to paint your entire face, chest, and hands. If you don't want to buy a witch hat, use black construction paper to create a cone and glue it to the top of a circularly cut piece of paper. Secure it to your hair with bobby pins.
Cruella de Vil
You can't help but love this dognapping villain.
What you need to do: Buy a bottle of white-hair spray paint and spray one side of your hair. Paint on arched black brows and bright red lipstick. Wear black and white clothes only. You're set!
Witch
We hope your potions are ready.
What you need to do: A black witch's hat is the key piece to this costume. The rest is up to you. Feel free to make it as creepy as you can by using fake blood, dark face makeup, and chilling accessories.
Evil Bunny
This is one bunny we definitely don't want to cuddle.
What you need to do: Wear a completely white outfit. Use red paint to ring your eyes and smudge into the center of your hands. Put your hands to your head, and you have some very scary bunny ears!
Deadly Butcher
Warning: never complain about her steaks.
What you need to do: Put on an old cooking apron, and smear fake blood on your hands and wipe it all over your clothes. Use a fake hatchet as your massive butcher knife.
Killer Housewife
Where do you think she's keeping her husband?
What you need to do: Put a blood-splattered apron over your most lady-like dress, and make sure to wear a string of pearls. Make a fake butcher knife by covering styrofoam with tinfoil and painting a styrofoam hand black.
Creepy Devil and Lizard Creature
They'e coming for you.
What you need to do: Both of these costumes require a little makeup magic. Focus on the creepiness of your face and keep the rest of the costume simple.
Medusa
Be careful, this mystical monster might just turn you to stone.
What you need to do: First thing's first — the snake halo. Buy toy snakes and spray paint them gold. Once that's done, sew or glue them all onto a hat or headband. Complete your costume with gold and silver makeup and accessories, and get white-colored contacts to make this mythical creature really come to life.
Little Red Riding Hood
Uh-oh, where's the Big Bad Wolf?
What you need to do: This dark fairy tale character only really needs a red cape. Put a red cape on over your clothes, and add fake blood to your face.
The Grady Twins
If you have seen The Shining, they're hard to forget.
What you need to do: You and your friend need matching blue dresses and white knee socks. Make sure you're not attached to those items, because the next step is to squirt fake blood all over yourself. You're ensemble is complete!
Friends Forever
Think of the phrase "'til death do us part," but aimed at you and your best friend.
What you need to do: The Purge masks will make this killer costume absolutely terrifying, so be sure to snag one for you and one for your bestie. Wear any outfit you want, but make sure that whatever you wear is smeared in fake blood. Once you put your mask on and grab a fake weapon, you two will be unstoppable.
The Purge
"Just remember all the good that the purge does."
What you need to do: This Purge costume is all about the creepy mask. Get creative by decorating the mask with scary quotes and fake blood. Stain your outfit with blood, and bring your fake weapon to take on the night.
Haunted Scarecrow
A scary scarecrow? That has "Halloween [7]" written all over it.
What you need to do: If you're crafty, this costume is for you! Find a piece of burlap and cut out a hole for your nose, eyes, and mouth. Stick it to your face with the help of skin adhesive, and get the makeup out! Add black lipstick and eye shadow to the parts of your face that are not covered by burlap, and use fake blood for the finishing touches.
Pennywise From It
This clown is not kidding around.
What you need to do: Tone down the traditional Pennywise costume by wearing just a little face paint and coloring your hair red. Add colored contacts if you really want to give people chills. If you can find creepy fake teeth, those will be sure to add the finishing touch.
Zombie Nun
Back from the dead, and scarier than ever.
What you need to do: A black dress with a white collar will do the trick here. Put on a black hood with a white accent to copy the the veil, and add fake blood and dirt to your outfit.
Bride and Groom Zombies
It was a killer wedding, to say the least.
What you need to do: Once you and your S/O are dressed in formal clothes, add dark makeup and white contacts to your eyes. Rub dirt and soot on your outfits to appear as though you just came from the graveyard.
Silence of the Lambs
Like they say, "Whenever feasible, one should always try to eat the rude."
What you need to do: Wear a black shirt and paint your face completely white. Then add red colored contacts to your eyes and part your hair down the middle. Tape a fake moth to your lips or draw it with face paint, and your work here is done.
Vampire Clown
As if being a clown wasn't scary enough . . .
What you need to do: This look is all about the makeup. Paint your face white, and then get to work with the clown features! Be sure to add the triangles around your eyes and a large jagged smile to really make this believable. Wear anything from a black and white outfit to brightly colored clothes with dirt all over them.
Killer Clown
Who wants to see a real circus clown?
What you need to do: Wear a red clown wig with a big colorful bow tie, and the rest of the costume will follow. Add creepy face makeup with a red nose, and don't forget a blood-soaked fake weapon.
Chopped Up
Ouch is right.
What you need to do: This costume requires fake blood, and then some more fake blood. Put blood stains all over your outfit, and add deathly white face makeup. Make a fake knife with cardboard and markers, and attach it to a headband. Done and done!
Jack-o'-Lantern
You'll be the scariest pumpkin in the patch, that's for sure.
What you need to do: Orange and black face paint will turn you into this terrifying pumpkin in no time. Be sure to paint a jagged mouth across your face and put black makeup all around your eyes.
Devil
The underworld is waiting for you.
What you need to do: This costume is red-hot and creepy in all the best ways. Wear an all-red outfit, paint your face and body red, and add black lipstick and eye makeup to your look. Stick fake horns to your head with adhesive, and wear black or white contacts for a chilling effect.
Werewolf
Is someone howling at the moon?
What you need to do: Make your hair as messy and wild as possible for this scary costume. Once that's done, add animalistic face makeup and fake ears to the sides of your head. Complete your costume with fake blood and vampire teeth.
Spider
What kind of web are you spinning now?
What you need to do: You just need to wear an all-black outfit for this creepy crawler costume. If you have a lace shirt or dress, that's even better! Add spidery makeup to your face by painting eight legs around each eye.
Jack Skellington
This costume will cause nightmares long after Christmas.
What you need to do: Wear a black-and-white pinstriped shirt or simply just a black shirt with a white bow tie. Add skeleton makeup to your face, and don't forget your trusty sidekick Zero!
Ghostface
Shhh, no need to scream.
What you need to do: Wear a black outfit that has a black hood, and let the screams commence! If you don't have a Ghostface mask, you can either paint your face white and black or get crafty with construction paper.
Werewolf Attack Victim
It's just a scratch, right?
What you need to do: This costume is chilling and extremely easy. Wear casual clothing, and let the makeup do the real work. Add fake blood and bruises to your neck and chest that resemble large gashes from a monster. If you really want to freak people out, add fake blood to the rest of your outfit, too.
Tooth Fairy Gone Bad
We wouldn't want him taking our teeth . . .
What you need to do: Use old fairy or angel wings as your main prop. Add a big white tooth (cut out of paper) to a simple t-shirt. Put fake blood all over your shirt and face to make it look as though you were recently pulling some teeth.
Krumm
Perhaps the scariest creature from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, you will bring back some major nostalgia with this costume.
What you need to do: For starters, dress in head-to-toe pink. If you don't have pink clothes, dye them in fabric dye. Wrap two tennis balls in white duct tape and use a Sharpie to draw on pupils. You can also use a Sharpie to draw a massive grin on your stomach. Use a brown marker or paint on cotton balls to achieve Krumm's signature armpit hair.
Zombie
Whether you're a fan of The Walking Dead [8] or old-school zombie thrillers, this costume is a guaranteed hit.
What you need to do: Shred up any old clothes you have with scissors and soak parts of the outfit in a red food dye and water solution. Keep one of your arms inside of your shirt as if you have a missing limb. Don't forget to smear blood all over you face.
