One of my favorite Halloween costumes when I was little was a homemade witch. My mom cut up black fabric and hastily sewed it together (as no one in our family knew how to sew). She decorated the fabric by drizzling neon green puffy paint all over it before hacking a jagged hole out of the top to slip over my head. The uneven, frayed cut added the perfect effect.

I found some old green face paint underneath my mom’s bathroom counter and painted my entire top half, chest and all.  Excitedly, I stepped into a pair of my grandmother’s old black shoes and completed the outfit with a witch hat and a kitchen broom. Ready to trick or treat, I walked confidently up my neighborhood block in my costume. I probably looked like a train wreck, but I didn’t care one bit. To top off the Halloween night, I scared my sister so badly that she cried.

Conversations with Anythinkers brought up many memories of their favorite handmade Halloween costumes, including Sandra Dee from “Grease,” a knight with a cardboard shield, a bedsheet ghost, a handmade princess costume and a Harry Potter costume made with an oversized sweater.

We shared a common sentiment – homemade Halloween costumes are the best. Anythink has the resources to help you create for this year’s spookiest night.

Check out these books and more with your Anythink account.

"Casual Cosplay" 

"The Costume Making Guide"

"First Time Sewing"

"Sew Me! Sewing Basics"

"How to Create Spectacular Halloween Costumes"

"Print, Pattern, Sew"

Need some ideas for costumes this year?  Here are some of the most popular characters of 2021 for kids, teens and adults:

Good luck and happy making!

Ahsoka Tano from “The Clone Wars”

Raya from “Raya and the Last Dragon”

Cruella Deville from Disney’s “Cruella”

Monkey D. Luffy from “One Piece”

Wanda and Vision from “WandaVision”

Ted Lasso and Roy Kent from “Ted Lasso”

Vintage Ghostbusters

Fortnite costumes

“Avatar the Last Airbender” costumes

Cats and Pandas