50 People Who Took Their Halloween Costumes To The Next Level

Halloween is the perfect time of year for people who love to get their hands dirty and make something creative. From an array of home decorations, and monument-like yard decorations to delicious fall baked goods, there is a little something for everyone.

But at the top of most people’s minds are the Halloween costumes. From spooky to topical, each year brings out a collection of folks who make brilliant and creative outfits, either for good, old trick-or-treating, a party, or just for the fun of it. So get comfortable as you scroll through and be sure to upvote your favorites from this year.

#1 This Halloween Costume

#2 My Wife Is Bedbound So I Made Her This Halloween Costume

#3 Last Minute Costumes. Lol. They Were A Hit!

While Halloween or at least the North American interpretation of it comes from the Celtic tradition of Samhain (Calan Gaeaf in Wales and Cornwall,) many cultures have their own variant of a holiday based around dressing up and perhaps going over to the neighbors to demand treats or songs.

In nearly all cases, these traditions had pagan roots, focusing on appeasing spirits, helping one survive winter and perhaps communicating with loved ones who had passed away. Post-Christianization, in many places, the church simply chose to “adopt” the ideas and shift them in a more “acceptable” direction.

#4 Come Play With Us… Forever + Ever, + Ever

#5 Cat Scratches

#6 My 72 Yr Old Mom Having Fun Lol

At the time, the equivalent of a trick-or-treat was the practice of guising, where a group of children would dress up and go door to door in search of treats. The term “guising” comes from the dis-guises the children would wear. As many a curmudgeonly adult has said, children these days have it too easy. Back in the day, getting a treat from a house would require at least a verse or a song.

#7 My Office Costume Contest Entry This Year

#8 Wheel Chair Costume

#9 What’s Up Everyone?

On the other hand, the guisers had more responsibilities as well. Trick-or-treat was taken more literally, where a lack of a treat would lead to tricks, or, in other words, mischief from the costumed children. These days, you are a lot less likely to encounter a child who will vent their fury at not getting some candy, unlike the guisers of the past.

#10 Happy Halloween From Your Friendly Neighborhood Wild Thing!

#11 Chicken Cord On Blue

#12 My Sister’s Husky Has A Fantastic Costume This Year

The form of trick-or-treating, as we know it today, was first recorded in Kingston, Ontario, in 1911, where it looked much like the guising described earlier. In general, at the time there was a resurgence in interest around Halloween activities, as costume parties began to become more popular again.

#13 Frida Kahlo

#14 I Make My Own Costumes Every Year

#15 My Kid Won Her Elementary School Costume Contest!

American historian Ruth Edna Kelley wrote in 1919 that “The taste in Hallowe’en festivities now is to study old traditions and hold a Scotch party, using Burn’s poem Hallowe’en as a guide; or to go a-souling as the English used. In short, no custom that was once honored at Hallowe’en is out of fashion now,” which with some minor modifications could be said to be true of today as well.

#16 My Daughter’s Halloween Costume

#17 I’m An Amputee. Here’s My Costume. The Terminator!

#18 Headless Horseman Halloween Costume

Soon after, the more common “trick-or-treat” demand emerged as standard. The Sault Daily Star, also based in Ontario, wrote that “Almost everywhere you went last night, particularly in the early part of the evening, you would meet gangs of youngsters out to celebrate. Some of them would have adopted various forms of “camouflage” such as masks, or would appear in long trousers and big hats or with long skirts.”

#19 Couples Costume | Predator & Thermal

#20 We’re Creepy And We’re Cooky

#21 I Made My Plant Costume

“But others again didn’t…”Tricks or treats” you could hear the gangs call out, and if the householder passed out the “coin” for the “treats” his establishment would be immune from attack until another gang came along that knew not of or had no part in the agreement,” the newspaper reported in 1917.

#22 My Homemade Halloween Costume This Year – I Was A Wine Bottle Opener

#23 E.t. This Year

#24 My Jack Sparrow Costume ( Ps I Am A Girl Lol)

Some alternative theories even argue that the tricks came first, and treats existed as a means to pacify them. Louise and Gary Carpentier, editors of Halloween Postcards Catalog, wrote, in 2007, that “”There are cards which mention the custom [of trick-or-treating] or show children in costumes at the doors, but as far as we can tell they were printed later than the 1920s and more than likely even the 1930s.”

#25 “Hello Mah Baby, Hello Mah Honey, Hello Mah Ragtime Gaaaaal!” Should Have Had The Soup!

#26 Home Alone 2 Done With The Family!

#27 Bob Ross And Painting Costume

“Tricksters of various sorts are shown on the early postcards, but not the means of appeasing them,” so perhaps it was simply people treating these folks as another racket. In the US, it was also not exclusively seen as a Halloween activity, as an older part of the Thanksgiving celebrations also involved going around in a costume.

#28 This Year’s Family Costume Fun!

#29 Til The UK Doesn’t Dress Up For Halloween Like Americans Do

#30 This Years Costume

Either way, these days, costume making has been elevated to an art form, as one can see here. If you still want to see other, brilliant and creative costumes, We has got you covered. Check out our article on folks with disabilities who made awesome costumes. Or see what outfit one-legged comedian, motivational speaker, and former US Paralympian Josh Sundquist made this year.

#31 Myrtle And Harry