Because Halloween is the most commanding holiday at Brit + Co HQ — we literally start Halloween in June — we have to properly plan, source and come up with cream-of-the-crop costume ideas, ranging from couples costumes to mom and baby to group costumes. Harley Quinn steals the show in every movie she's in, and after a lot of research, it's no surprise that this light-hearted, bubbly badass, who's been known as the Joker's GF for years, won our hearts in Suicide Squad. (Psst: There's an entire history of the Suicide Squad that's really fun to dive into, BTW.) Here's how I recreated this DIY Harley Quinn costume for Halloween (who hits the top of my list for most fun costumes EVER).
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Maybe I secretly want to be Harley Quinn IRL — and I’m sure I won’t be the only one. ;)
With this homemade Harley Quinn costume, you'll look like the real deal
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Materials
- Cosplay wig
- Leather holster
- Daddy's li'l monster t-shirt
- Puddin' choker
- Fingerless glove
- fishnet stockings
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- Studded belt
- Full-finger ring
- Studded bracelet
- Booty shorts
- High-top Converse
- Red + blue hair ties
- Sharpie
I am a huge fan of DIY-ing your look when it makes sense, but I always stick to a time-versus-money protocol when planning. That being said, you can totally buy or DIY this costume. I did a combo of both.
How to Create this DIY Harley Quinn Outfit
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Buying wigs on Amazon can be tricky, but this one was a winner — I highly recommend purchasing rather than making this yourself. I had a hard time finding the shorts for a reasonable price, so I got a red and blue pair, cut them in half, then sewed them back together with one red leg and one blue leg.
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The shirt was another piece I contemplated making but ended up buying. I cut it up and added black makeup to rough it up and make it more like hers.
DIY Harley Quinn Costume Makeup Ideas + Accessories
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Face: Apply foundation a few shades lighter than your skin tone and keep your skin on the more fair side — no need to contour or add any blush. Instead, use a black eyeshadow to stipple on the bruised/dirty looking face. I used black face paint and a fine brush to paint on the heart. You guys, I messed up! I accidentally put the cut on the wrong side of my head. DON’T DO THIS. Ha!
Eyes: Apply red shadow on one eye and blue on the other and smudge it towards your temples on each eye. Add black eyeliner and mascara to make it pop.
Lips: Go for a true red lipstick and paint a smudge on your lower lip.
Accessories: You could make the choker with fabric, cardboard cutouts and gold spray paint, or you can buy this GEM for $10! I had a studded belt, so it didn't make sense to buy one, although this one is a little different than hers. Stack your bracelets over the glove and add that ring to your other hand.
Now you're ready to slay some bootay!
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Seriously — I want to live in this DIY Harley Quinn costume! Who's joining me?! Be sure to join our newsletter for more DIY inspiration and fun giveaways!
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This post has been updated.