Halloween is a great opportunity for kids to get creative and temporarily become whatever they wish for a night. Choosing what to be every year can be tricky, especially when you’re on a budget and cannot go buy a perfect costume. That is why do-it-yourself (DIY) costumes are perfect so that you can create a costume by wearing a specific outfit or simply using fabric to modify your outfit to match your desired character.

Mario & Luigi

With a mobile version of Mario Kart available, Mario, Luigi and other game characters have been gaining popularity. Those costumes are a simple and easily recognizable option. Mario and Luigi both have very simple outfits that are cheap and easy to recreate.

Both costumes include overalls with a red or green shirt ($6 at Michaels) underneath, brown shoes, white fabric ($2 at Michaels), red or green fabric ($2 at Michaels), a red or green hat ($4 at Walmart), brown shoes, and either fabric adhesive ($6 at Michaels), a string and needle for sewing, or even a stapler. The colored fabric would be used to make ‘M’ and ‘L’ on the characters personalized hats with the white fabric being a circle background. This estimated $20 costume is perfect for gamers.

Pac-Man & Ghosts

One of the simplest and easiest group Halloween costumes is Pac-Man and the colorful ghosts from the arcade game. These characters have been around for a long time, making costumes that everyone will recognize.

For the Pac-Man costume, you will need a preferably over-sized solid yellow shirt ($4 at Michaels craft store), black felt or fabric ($2 at Michaels), scissors, and either fabric adhesive ($6 at Michaels), a string and needle for sewing, or even a stapler. The black fabric will need to be cut into a large triangle for the mouth and a smaller circle for the eye. These pieces will be glued with fabric adhesive, sown, or stapled to the shirt. This estimated $12 or less costume will be what Pac-Man would look as a two dimensional figure, similar to the game.

Although Pac-Man could be an individual costume, including the colorful ghosts from the game could also make it a group idea. There are four ghosts, their colors being red, orange, blue, and purple. The same materials needed for Pac-Man would be necessary for this costume, but also include white fabric ($2 at Michaels). The white fabric would be cut into ovals for the eyes, black fabric for the pupils, and no mouth would need to be attached to the shirt. Again, this costume is under $15 and perfect for anyone on a budget this Halloween.

Mean Girls

When dressing up as the main characters from the movie Mean Girls, of course, pink is most important. Whether you want to be Regina George, Gretchen Weiners, or Karen Smith, the color pink is a common element. As stated in the movie, “On Wednesdays, we wear pink.”

To dress up as any of the girls from the movie, wearing items of clothing very similar to theirs is important. For some pieces you might have to go out shopping, while some you may already own. The price range for this group costume varies largely depending on what you already own.

Regina George is known for her pink sweater covering a white tank top paired with a pink skirt, and pink high heels. If you’re not blond, think about a wig, but the closest variation to this outfit is ideal. Next is Gretchen Weiners in her long sleeved pink top and beige pattern skirt with black heels. The outfit for character Karen Smith involves a pink long sleeved shirt with a pink skirt, and pink high heels.

The list of options for DIY Halloween costumes are endless. These types of costumes allow your creativity to run wild while staying in a cheap price range.