Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas for Adults

A stuffed bear makes an excellent accessory to a last minute pajama costume.Tsuneo Yamashita/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Last minute party invites and Halloween plans can leave you scrambling for a decent costume with very few commercial options available. Fortunately there are a few easy choices for those looking to throw together a Halloween costume with little time to spare.

Cat

Last minute cat costumes require only a solid-colored outfit and eyeliner to pull off. Pair a tight fitting black, white or orange shirt with similar colored slacks and shoes. Draw a nose, cat eyes, whiskers and teeth on your face with a grease pencil or solid eyeliner. Black and white eyeliner show up well on most skin types, and gold works for those who are extremely pale. Last minute cat accessories like ears and a tail can be found in most retail stores, or can be foregone completely.

Pajamas are an ideal last minute costume choice for those with limited budgets or access to costume stores and retail outlets. Almost everyone has at least a few pairs of clean pajamas at any given time, and they require no additional accessories. For home-based Halloween parties try wearing a pair of thick socks or slippers in lieu of shoes.

Pair your favorite sports jersey with tight-fitting leggings or slacks for a last minute sports star costume. Athletic sneakers, matching baseball caps and a glove, bat or football make excellent accessories and can be found in most sports-loving households. For a more realistic look apply black cream makeup or black eyeliner under the eyes to resemble "eye black." Those with no access to last-minute makeup can cut two 1-1/2 long strips of black electrical tape and apply on the cheekbones. Electrical tape may come loose quickly and should only be used when makeup is unavailable.

Greek god or goddess costumes can be assembled at the last minute using several common household objects. Togas can be created by wrapping a white or tan bed-sheet around the torso and shoulders and tying in place with twine, yarn or fishing line. Tridents and lightning bolts can be cut from cardboard such as old pizza boxes and painted to match your costume, and a pair of leather sandals as shoes finishes the look.

A tight-fitting shirt and pair of jeans is all you need to create a convincing 50s style greaser costume. A carton of cigarettes rolled into the sleeve of your shirt will give you a look reminiscent of a young James Dean, and a pair of cowboy boots and leather jacket is a simple way to finish off the costume. For a greaser style haircut, simply slick your hair back with a small handful of "wet style" hair gel.