50 Animal-Inspired Halloween Costume Ideas For All Ages

Bethany Kosten

Bethany Kosten is a freelance editor at Brit + Co. and an information junkie who is passionate about creating and consuming clever content. Being an idea enthusiast makes her unique, but also — and this is critical — awesome. Side note: Bethany is a serial chips and salsa eater. (Seriously, hide them.)

Full Bio

Sep 16, 2021

Halloween is SOON and that means it's time to party like animals, y'all. This is one holiday when it's totally appropriate to show off your wild side without worrying about having your sanity questioned. Finally, an excuse to dress up as something you're not. So we say forget trying to pin down that perfectly creative and easy-to-execute costume and just go a little wild. If you're still costume-less and idea-less, it's safe to end your “what to wear" quest now — whether you want to buy, DIY, dress up the whole fam, you and your sig-O and/or just wear a fuzzy onesie all day and night we have you covered.

Flamingo

You know what they always say: Halloween is the best time to let your inner bird shine. This outfit is super easy and quick to make, so you'll have time to make one for yourself and your little mini-me.

Nemo

Turn it into a family costume with the whole Finding Dory getup. (via Brit + Co)

Bumble Bee

Grab some felt and get crafty with this tech-focused and contemporary take on a classic bee costume - the Bumble dating app! (via Brit + Co)

Baby Cow Costume

Everyone will be udderly delighted by this tiny cow. And it's SO easy to execute. (via Make It and Love It)

T-Rex Costume ($99)

Clearly falls under the cute category. We can hardly imagine anything more aww-dorable!

Pig Costume

A completely pink clothing ensemble can transform into a pig costume with the simple addition of ears and a snout. (via A Little Red House)

Wise Old Owl Glasses

How simple and cute are these sweet owl glasses that can double as Halloween photobooth props too! (via Emmy in the Making)

Bear ($37)

Is Halloween here yet? We just can't wait for an excuse to walk about in this cozy bear costume.

Adult Giraffe Onesie Kigurumi Pajamas ($60)

In case you didn't know that adult onesies were a thing, here's proof. If it pains you to invest in a piece that you'll only wear one day of the year, take heart knowing that this costume can definitely double as cozy pjs after their big debut.

Little Llama Costume

Your little one will feel eight feet tall in this adorable DIY. (via Oh Happy Day)

DIY Penguin

Wanna pull something creative out of your craft closet? This penguin looks boutique, but no one needs to know that you actually created it out of a few items in your craft closet. (Shhh, we won't tell!) Dress as Mary Poppins and — boom. Mom + baby costume FTW! (via Make It and Love It)

Baby Woodland Deer Costume ($69)

We're obsessed with this, the sweetest fawn we've ever seen.

Panda Bear ($45)

This cuddly panda costume is already a steal, but if you're the crafty type, this look could also easily be cleverly recreated with a black tutu, tights, leg warmers and a hoodie.

Lion Halloween Makeup Tutorial

Lion Halloween Makeup

Mee-yow! (via From Head to Toe)

Little Lamb

Got a last minute invite to a costume party? Rummage through your bathroom cabinet for the cottonballs, there's still time to DIY this one-of-a-kind little lamb. (via Parents)

Party Animals

Knock it out of the park at this year's Halloween bash with a costume that calls for a mask of your choice and your Saturday night best. Who's ready to party? (via Brit + Co)

DIY No-Sew Fox Ears

For our procrastinating friends who have that Halloween thing to go to and nothing to wear, here's a DIY idea that's ideal for last minute. Use a bit of fur and some glue to transform a headband into a fantastic foxy headpiece. (via BITS)

No-Sew Kids Lion Halloween Costume

Wanna play king for a day? This no-sew lion costume is totally fun. (via A Night Owl Blog)

Raven Mask ($59)

Can you say… HOT?

Big Bad Wolf Hoodie

DIY enthusiasts, Halloween is the perfect time to get your game on. (via Martha Stewart)

Animal Ear Clips

This easy tutorial might be the last minute and/or work-appropriate costume of your dreams. (via Gleeful Things)

DIY Snail Costume

Have you ever seen a snail as cuddly as this one? We didn't think so. (via Oh Happy Day)

Cow Costume ($25+)

Halloween just doesn't get any more comfy than this cow costume.

Handmade Hooty Owl Costume

This costume gets its inspiration from our feathered friends. Proof that DIYs are a zillion times more creative than anything you'll find in a superstore. (via My Owl Barn)

Caterpillar Costume ($69)

Bundle up your toddler in this Eric Carle-inspired costume. It's just about as snuggly as they come.

Dog Costume

To recreate your child's favorite animal, spray paint brown spots onto a grey hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants, then add a brown felt tail and ears. Almost too easy. (via BHG)

Foxy Halloween Costume

This foxy getup is as non-basic as it gets. With a bit of makeup and a quick hair transformation you'll blow everyone's minds. (via Katie Nash)

Madame Butterfly Costume

You can bet that no one at your party will do a butterfly like this! Let Martha help you craft a beautiful butterfly hairpiece using a flurry of the winged beauties (artificial, of course). (via Martha Stewart)

Denim-Clad Horse People

Get a little country and a little creepy with this easy last minute couples costume. (via Brit + Co)

Lion Mask ($12)

Tease your hair and turn this into a pretty sweet last minute costume.

Faux Fur Tail + Ears Tutorial

These simple sewing tutorials will transform you into any animal you want based on what faux fur you pick. (via jessyratfink on Instructables)

DIY Halloween Zebra Costume

Go for Best in Class with this easy to make zebra costume. That mane will be the talk of the party! (via Baby Gizmo)

DIY Jellyfish Costume

Wanna be that mom who comes up with cool out-of-the-box costume? Well, you can stop racking your brain because we've just located the prettiest DIY. This jellyfish might just be our favorite of the bunch — and you could DIY an adult version with longer tentacles! (via Style Me Pretty)

Bjork Swan Dress Tutorial

No one will ever guess that this dress was a DIY. Bjork's got nothing on her. (via A Beautiful Mess)

Halloween Bunny Ears and Dress Up Kit ($20)

Why not go a bit more cutting edge with your costume? This ensemble from ASOS has all the items you need to transform into a bunny for a few bucks.

Kids' Giraffe Costume ($89)

This impressive DIY is (wait for it) actually really inexpensive to do using posterboard and ModPodge. That's right, you might even have the goodies to make it right now.

Butterfly Costume

Bust out your tie dying skills on Halloween for more than a hippy costume. (via Oh Happy Day)

The Perfect Black Cat

Okay, so here's the thing about the black cat. A lot of people will be doing it. So if you want go for this look, better to go DIY. And sassy. (via Brit + Co)

Care Bear Family

What? Care Bears count as animals — especially when the whole family gets involved in an amazing DIY project that calls for some sorbet-hued sweatsuits and a set of crafting skillz. (via See Vanessa Craft)

Fantastic Mr. Fox Sibling Costume

Pop culture + animal-inspired = this DIY idea that you can do to any degree (the print in the kiddy costume is hand-painted, but the masks in the adult version could be a last minute hack). It makes a sweet sibling ensemble or works for grownup Wes Anderson fans who have the Hallotween look down pat and can't be Margot and Richie Tenenbaum one more year. (via Skirt As Top)