41 of the best Halloween DIY costume ideas and hairstyle tutorials

The secret to a great Halloween costume is all in the details. Hair and makeup can transform a simple outfit into a fancy dress party success.

Here is a massive roundup of 41 of the best Halloween costume ideas and hairstyle tutorials to help you get the look, and they won’t cost a lot either.

41 best Halloween costume ideas and hairstyle tutorials

The Zombie Bride

Get teasing with this zombie bride DIY costume from the amazing I Spy DIY. See the full tutorial here.

Medusa

This Medusa costume is great for long hair, or just add in extensions. Try a braided upstyle and see the rest of the tutorial from Martha Stewart here.

Downton Abbey

Lady Mary from Downton Abbey is an easy costume you could pull together with a few accessories. Try this tutorial from Refinery 29, as shown with a wig or replicated with your own hair. See the full tutorial here.

1920s themed hairstyle tutorial

Channel old Hollywood glamour with this vintage vixen look from The Beauty Department. Click here for the tutorial. You can also try this tutorial for a faux bob in straight hair.

Frida Kahlo Hairstyle Tutorial

Get braiding for this Frida Kahlo costume idea. See the full tutorial from Refinery29 here.

Madame Butterfly Costume

Perhaps a little OTT, but still easy to DIY. See the full Madame Butterfly tutorial on Martha Stewart here.

Karl Lagerfeld Hairstyle Tutorial

Word is Karl keeps his hair white with Klorane Dry Shampoo, but a white and grey coloured hairspray is the secret to this hairstyle tutorial. See the full look here from Refinery29.

Fun Frizz Hairstyle Tutorial

This fun frizz tutorial could work for a zombie, or a 70s disco costume. Click here for the tutorial.

The best spooktorial ever – Bride of Frankenstein

HDOF-BOF-D1 from Joe Varca on Vimeo.

Love this Bride of Frankenstein tutorial from Hairdresser on Fire. Absolutely amazing, and you can find the full post here.

Movie character costumes

Mary Poppins costume

The centre parted fringe and hat are simple touches that set off this Mary Poppins costume by Keiko Lynn. See the full outfit post here.

Katniss from The Hunger Games costume

This two in one Halloween costume tutorial from Jenni of I Spy DIY will be a favourite this year. Choose Katniss in the woods or be the girl on fire with these easy tutorials. See the full post here and watch the video for more tips. Try this Katniss-style side braid tutorial for more hair inspiration too.

Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games costume

If you think Katniss will be too popular, try Effie Trinket. Curl your hair and use coloured hairspray or wear a wig for this look. Click here for the makeup tutorial from Refinery29.

Celeb inspired Halloween costumes

Lady Gaga Hair Bow

Lady Gaga’s will give you hundreds of ideas for costumes but her hair bow is instantly recognisable. Try these hair bow tutorials to get the look.

Katy Perry costume ideas

Express your inner diva with this Katy Perry costume DIy from I Spy DIY. See the full tutorial here.

Olympic gymnast costume

Repeat after me – scrunchies are not back in fashion! Except to capture the spirit of the Fab 5 Olympic gymnasts, you can wear a scrunchie for this costume. See the full tutorial by I Spy DIY here.

Hair-raising Halloween costumes

These six hairstyle tutorials from Martha Stewart are so creative. Great for kids, but easily modified for a fun adult costume too. See the tutorials here.

Ballerina or Black Swan

Always a classic, try this big bun hairstyle tutorial and check out this amazing makeup tutorial from Refinery29.

What I Wore Halloween ideas

Jessica Quirk of What I Wore has created all these costumes with DIYs for every look. Head to her Halloween Review for all the tutorials. My personal favourites are Little Edie Beale of Grey Gardens and Rosie the Riveter. You can find more headscarf tutorials here.

Do you like to dress up for Halloween? What’s your best ever Halloween costume?