Halloween is just around the corner, and for many college students, finding costumes and decorations on a budget can be difficult. Here’s some quick and easy options on a budget.
Costumes can be a super fun way to show off your Halloween spirit while walking around campus. Some can be complicated, but others can be achieved easily by scraping together materials laying around your dorm room.
Black Cat – A Halloween staple and classic, this costume can be achieved simply with a pair of leggings, a black shirt of some kind (could be a turtleneck, t-shirt, or even a sweatshirt) and a pair of cat ears (these can be found on Amazon, or achieved by attaching cardboard wrapped in fabric to a cheap headband).
The Average College Student – If you don’t really feel like putting in the energy to make or put together a costume, one of the simplest things you can do is go as yourself. All you need to do is rummage through your own closet and put together an outfit.
Name Tag – Adding on to the simplistic costume, you can get a name tag (can easily be found at any Dollar Store or on Amazon in a multi-pack). You can write a random name of a friend and go “as” that person. Another costume possibility is to write a bunch of names on all of the tags and cover yourself, becoming an “identity thief.”
Your Favorite Professor – Halloween is on Saturday this year; however, you don’t need to let that stop you from copying your favorite professor’s style.
Two Peas in a Pod – If you are part of a couple, two peas in a pod would be a quick and easy costume pick. All you really need is two green t-shirts or sweatshirts, weather permitting, and a blanket to wrap around each of you.
M&M’s – Similar to the idea of two peas in a pod, M&Ms are another easy costume that only requires different colored t-shirts, drawing an M on each. This costume can be used for small and large groups.
Ghost – Many people have seen the viral TikTok trend surrounding ghost photoshoots. The classic ghost look can be achieved by cutting two holes for eyes in a white sheet and placing it over your head.
Halloween Decorations aren’t always cheap to buy pre-made, but there are plenty of cheap ways to make your own from scratch.
Pumpkins – Pumpkin decorating is an essential part of the Halloween season; however, finding real pumpkins can be challenging and expensive while
unable to leave campus. Amazon and any Dollar Store has styrofoam pumpkins for roughly a dollar each. These pumpkins can be carved, painted, or drawn on with a sharpie to create a cheap, spooky decoration.
Monsters – If you have access to any paper towel and toilet paper rolls, you can reuse them by cutting holes in the side for eyes, and decorating the rolls to look like little monsters. You could even add fairy lights inside for a glowing effect.
Glass Bottles – If you happen to find yourself in possession of recycled glass bottles, a little bit of paint and some water with food dye can lead to spooky “potion” bottles you can put anywhere.
Cardboard Graveyard – With the plethora of Amazon deliveries, there comes a surplus of cardboard boxes. A few of these boxes and a pair of scissors can be used to create a miniature graveyard by cutting the cardboard into little tombstones and lining them up against a wall.
Index Card Spider- If you happen to be skilled in origami, or even if not, all college students have index cards, and there are plenty of online origami tutorials for making a spider out of notecards.
Whether you are looking for a fun costume or impressive decorations, Halloween can be done on a budget, even for the most broke college student.
Josh Steen 
Chloe Rupe 
Grace Nealy