Puns and Halloween are two of my favorite things. Together, they fuel my obsession for sharing the most hilarious DIY pun Halloween costume ideas out there. The best part is that each costume can be altered to fit your budget, style, and sense of humor. Even if we all dressed up as the same pun, each one would be slightly different. This is exactly why I adore Halloween.
Ultimately, a DIY pun costume provides the perfect opportunity to exercise your creativity and punny sense of humor. I mean, you know it is an awesome holiday when it is acceptable to wear a doughnut floatie or tiara in public. Coupled with tasty Halloween treats and scary movie marathons, it is safe to say that this time of the year rules.
Keep things stress-free by starting your costume hunt early(ish). The sooner you start researching costume ideas, the more time you will have for finding the right clothing, accessories, and props. If necessary, you will also have ample time to order items online. To get you started, I compiled a list of my favorite Halloween pun costumes. Each idea calls for a few key items that you can style together for a pun-tastic outfit. As always, feel free to inject your personality into these costumes. Happy Halloween!
1. Dunkin' Donut
Show off your adoration for America's favorite doughnut chain with a quirky and hilarious "Dunkin' Donut" costume. Start off with a sports jersey ($11.49, Amazon) and a sweatband set ($5.29, Amazon). Of course, you can use a team jersey that you already own. Finish it off with an amazing doughnut pool floatie ($14.99, Amazon), and dunk the night away.
2. Black eyed pea
For a punny play on words, dress up as a black eyed pea with a "P" shirt ($19.99, Amazon). Use black eye shadow to give yourself a faux black eye. Feeling craft savvy? Paint a large letter "P" on a plain t-shirt. You can also print it out or apply a large iron-on patch.
3. Breadwinner
If you don't feel like buying new clothes, wear a normal outfit and grab a loaf of bread. Throw on a gold medal ($6.99, Amazon) and call yourself a breadwinner. Boom.
4. Deviled egg
With a little handiwork, you can make a DIY version of this classic pun outfit. You'll need a plain white t-shirt ($3.78, Amazon) and a large piece of yellow felt ($5.05, Amazon). Take some scissors and cut a large circle. Glue the felt to the center of the t-shirt, and finish it off with a pair of devil horns ($5.28, Amazon). You'll look good enough to eat.
5. Hawaiian Punch
Hawaiian Punch reminds me of my childhood during the '90s. I know I'm not the only one, though. Luckily, with just two items, you can take a walk down memory lane by using it as inspiration for a punny Halloween costume. All you need is a pair of boxing gloves ($22.24, Amazon) and a Hawaiian shirt ($19.90, Amazon).
6. Formal apology
Turn a "formal apology" into a literal costume by slipping into a fancy shmancy dress ($68, ASOS). Carry around a humorous apology sign ($5.02, Amazon) to finish off the look. Alternatively, you can print out "SORRY" on a piece of paper and wear it around your neck.
7. Blessing in disguise
Halloween is such a blessing in disguise. I mean, you get to wear disguise glasses ($5.49, Amazon) and a "Bless You" shirt ($19.97, Amazon) and call yourself a blessing in disguise. So good. If you don't want to purchase a new shirt, you can also write or paint the word "bless" on a plain tee.
8. Cereal killer
If you're willing to take on the title as your neighborhood's cereal killer, look no further. Buy a batch of mini cereal boxes ($27.39, Amazon) and empty them out (or eat it all). Glue the boxes to an old shirt or sweatshirt, cover everything with fake blood ($8.95, Amazon), and carry around a rubber knife ($4.79, Amazon). Dun dun dun.
9. Dr. Pepper
Another food pun idea? You bet. Slip into a doctor's coat ($12.71, Amazon) embellished with a red chili pepper patch ($4.29, Amazon). You can also simply print out a picture of a pepper and adhere it to your coat.
10. Holy cow
Turn this popular expression into an actual costume by wearing a cow print t-shirt ($24.95, Amazon) and an angel halo headband ($1.29, Amazon). Extra points for wearing a pair of angel wings ($9.99, Amazon).
11. Miss Universe
Channel your inner pageant queen with an uber cool galaxy print dress ($18.99, Amazon) and a sparkly tiara ($10.99, Amazon). Seal the deal with a sash that reads "Miss Universe" ($6.95, eBay) or buy a plain sash and write the words with paint.
12. French kiss
I've always been a fan of this classic pun costume. Start by wearing a striped shirt ($19.90, Uniqlo) and a beret ($5.04, Amazon) for those French vibes. Slip into a Kiss mask ($17.09, Amazon) or DIY the iconic look using white face paint and black eyeliner. Rock on, bébé.
13. Freudian slip
Show off your appreciation for neurology and puns by dressing up as a Freudian slip. You'll need a slip dress ($24.99, Amazon) embellished with print outs of random words. Carry one of Freud's books for good measure.
14. Pig in a blanket
Staying warm and punny on Halloween night is one of the best ways to celebrate the holiday. Fortunately, carrying around a blanket ($17.99, Amazon) is totally acceptable when you're dressed up as a pig in a blanket. Don't forget the pig ears ($4.01, Amazon) and nose ($4.03, Amazon), too.
15. Queen bee
Transform your average bee costume into an awesome pun with the simple addition of a tiara ($10.99, Amazon). You can also easily curate a bee costume by wearing a black and yellow striped shirt ($25.99, Amazon) and an antennae headband ($7.78, Amazon).
16. Killer bee
Swap the tiara for fake blood ($8.95, Amazon) and a rubber knife ($4.79, Amazon) for a killer bee costume. Talk about a plot twist.
17. Party animal
Halloween is the perfect time to bring out your "party animal" side. Throw on your favorite animal ensemble, such as this charming fawn costume ($49.99, Halloween Costumes). Top it off with a paper party hat ($4, Amazon). This is an easy, clever way to re-use last year's animal costume.
18. Chick magnet
If you think about it, the term "chick magnet" is pretty hilarious. This is especially true if you take several rubber chickens ($5.21 each, Amazon) and glue them to a shirt or sweatshirt ($7.99, Target). If you can live without the rubber chickens, simply print out photos of chickens and attach them to your clothing.
19. Social butterfly
Whether you're a people person or a social media maven, this social butterfly costume idea is the best way to show that. To start, you'll need a t-shirt featuring your favorite social media platform, like this Snapchat t-shirt ($28.15, Skreened). You can also print out the logo and paste it on a plain t-shirt. Finish it off with a pair of butterfly wings ($14, Target) and socialize the night away.
20. Taco Belle
Proclaim your love for Disney and tacos with a brilliant "Taco Belle" costume. To pull this off, wear a billowing light yellow maxi dress ($20, BooHoo) and carry around a Taco Bell box or two. Take it up a notch and use that box as your trick-or-treat bag.
21. Chilly Pepper
Gosh, this one cracks me up. A cozy pepper costume ($49.99, Halloween Costumes) paired with a scarf ($19.90, Uniqlo) makes you a chilly pepper. I die.
22. Gold digger
A shiny gold dress isn't just for New Year's Eve, people. You can use it to create a humorous "gold digger" costume for Halloween. You'll need a statement gold dress ($32.90, Forever 21) and a small plastic shovel ($2.11, Amazon). For convenience, add a strand of cord to the shovel and wear it as a necklace.
Images: Meghanehalloranphoto/Instagram (1); Polyvore (23)
