Halloween tends to creep into our lives every year and not just with the spiders, scary movies, and jack-o-lanterns. The true “creeper” of the Halloween season is pulling together your costume with what seems like so little time. We spend the whole year being inspired by movies, T.V. shows, books, and basically any other topic that crosses our paths in all the months leading up to October. You would think the end of October would be something that you cannot stand to wait for. This is not the case, in fact, it is quite the opposite.  

The first four weeks of October are without a doubt snatched away as you try to balance the mountain of tasks that come with the season. You spend every waking moment trying to sort out and organize these tasks. It feels as if you have to plan out your fall themed activities, manage schoolwork and manage all of your after-school activities. You have to decide whether you should go as your favorite “Friends” character, fun Halloween classic mummy or witch, or if you use all your creativity potions to conjure up something out of all the ideas that have swirled your brain the past eleven months.  

No matter what your predicament is, if you are like most who wish to celebrate Halloween but also have a ton of other tasks to think about, and you need to throw together a costume three days before the big night, do not just toss a sheet over your head in defeat and call yourself a ghost. There is plenty of other options. Here are four simple DIY costumes that will cost you under $20 and take you less than an hour to make.  

Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute 

If you and your friends are “The Office” fanatics and make less than a paper salesman’s salary, these are the perfect costumes for you. Both Jim and Dwight have very basic styles making their look an easy one to achieve.  

For Jim, grab a long-sleeved light blue button down, some black slacks, and a matching tie. These items can be found at goodwill and should not come out to more than $10-$12. If you want to go the extra mile, you can look up “Jim Halpert Wig” on amazon, however this would break your $20 budget if you are looking to stay within that range, as these wigs average out to about $20 on their own.  

Dwight’s style is similar to Jim’s but of course with his own twist. Dwight sticks to the “business-look” of a button down shirt, black slacks and a tie, however, he often swaps out your average long-sleeve button down for his yellow short-sleeve button down and may even match it with a striped tie instead of a basic black one. These items can also be found at Goodwill for just as cheap as Jim’s look. How could you forget Dwight’s signature glasses? Unless you have incredible luck, you are not likely to find these at Goodwill as well, however you can get them for the as low of a price as $3.99 if you type in “Dwight Schrute Glasses.”

Rosie the Riveter

If you look at Halloween as another opportunity to express yourself and the strong person you are, Rosie the Riveter can help you do just that. Her signature pose tied up with her bright red bandana bring out the power in anyone. 

Along with its purposeful meaning, Rosie the Riveter may even be one of the simplest costumes out there. All you will need is any type of pants, your favorite denim jacket, and a red bandana. The denim jacket can be bought at Walmart for $14.98, and while you are there, get your red bandana for just $0.50! 

Your Favorite Rapper

In terms of creativity, this costume has the most beat. From their songs to their style, most artists have some easily recognizable completely re-creatable looks. 

You will want to start off by focusing on a basic idea of the type of outfits they wear. For example, Lil Yachty wears everything from basketball jerseys and jeans to hoodies and sweatpants, so chances are you will find just what you need right in your own closet. 

Now to spice is up a little and really re-create your icon’s look, try to focus on an aspect of their appearance that separates them from other artists. This can be as simple as drawing on some tattoos with body paint or eyeliner, buying a fake gold grill, or getting a few cans of colorful hair spray and designing a rainbow on your head. 

Charlie Brown

Is it really Halloween without Charlie Brown and his great big pumpkin? Definitely not. They do not play this every Halloween night for nothing! So, bring out one of the best parts of your childhood Halloween experience by showing off your homemade Charlie Brown costume.  

All you have to do is get yourself an $8.00 yellow t-shirt in the biggest size possible from Target and glue on some black zig-zags that you cut out of Cotton Calico Fabric (which you can get at Hoppy Lobby for $9.09), and you’ll be ready to go searching for The Great Big Pumpkin!