We've all been there: It's the night before the big Halloween party and you and your sweetie only have the clothes on your back, a roll of duct tape, and a leftover pizza box. Now what? Rather than raiding the nearest pop-up costume store and dropping a small fortune, consider these 10 Halloween costumes for couples, each a snap to assemble and none that cost much in the process.
With the newest princess born this past May, the celebrity spotlight continues to shine on Kate Middleton and Prince William. For her, find a gently used button-down dress at the thrift store, wear your hair long and loosely curled, and top it off with a delicate hat. For him, wear a suit and tie with a solid, light-colored shirt. If there are youngsters at home, dress the oldest in overalls with a polo shirt underneath, and place a crown atop his (or her) head. A baby swaddled in white with a little crown on her (or his) head fleshes out the theme.
If you're really into coffee -- and your significant other -- dig out a plain black T-shirt and write "Coffee Addict" in big letters across the front with a white fabric marker. For the other costume, start with a tan or beige shirt; download, enlarge, and print out a copy of a coffee-shop logo; affix the logo to the front of the shirt; and cap it with bunched-up white tissue paper (the foam on a latte).
An apple off the kitchen counter mated with greenery, real or fake, is the easy route to dressing up as Adam and Eve. Use the greenery to create headpieces and coverings for the essentials. Wear tight-fitting, neutral-colored clothing, such as leggings and a T-shirt. The dollar store is a reliable source for the props, be it decorative leaves or that darned snake.
Hunger Games fans can dress as a favorite on-screen couple. For Katniss, fashion your hair into a long side braid; put on green cargo pants, a dark shirt, and worker boots; and carry a bow and arrows. The outfit for Peeta is essentially the same, minus the braid. Both characters should carry a handful of berries to heighten the effect.
This Halloween get-up for two comes straight from real life but with vintage flare. Bust out the best apron in the house or snag one at the thrift store, and pick out a few flashback pieces of costume jewelry, such as a butterfly pin or fake pearl earrings. For the husband, root around for an old pipe and plastic-rim glasses and suit up in a sweater vest and necktie. If you don't have these items in your own drawers, mine your social network.
These paired outfits owe a nod to this season's new Muppets TV show. For Piggy, don a string of pearls, a blonde wig, a fancy dress (the more sequins the better), and, of course, a pig nose. For Kermit, wrap a pointy green collar (you can make one out of felt) around your neck, wear a green shirt, and paint your face with green face paint. Or, cover your head with a bag painted green and paste on two oversize eyes (don't forget to cut slits so you can see).
You're sure to win some extra points for creativity and frugality with this matched Halloween costume. Start with white shirts and white pants that may already be hanging in the closet. Use electrical or duct tape to mark out the arms, body, and legs. Complete the look with stick figure faces taped out on a piece of white poster board or the cardboard from an empty pizza box. Attach a stick to each and hold in front of your faces.
This is a nifty idea built on a low-tech foundation of a gray shirt and jeans. Use yellow tape to mark out streets across the shirts and a black marker to write street names on the tape. Take a large piece of red cardboard and cut out two teardrop shapes with a hole in each for your faces. Write A on the top of one and B on the top of the other. Print out a few pictures of street artifacts, such as a stop sign, bus stop sign, and construction cone, and tack onto the shirts.
For a back-to-the '90s moment, pretend you're Wayne and Garth of movie-comedy fame. Dig up old, ratty band T-shirts and ripped jeans and two baseball caps. To up the authenticity quotient, use an opened can of paint or white-out to brand the ensemble. For the finishing touch you'll need a backstage pass: Fans of a certain age may have one stashed away, but if not, lanyard and a laminated piece of paper do the trick.
Nothing goes together better than salt and pepper, making this thrifty Halloween costume a romantic gesture, to boot. The toughest part may be deciding who gets to be the salt and who gets to be the pepper. Dress in all white or black and use paint or tape to adorn your shirts with an "S" or a "P" in the contrasting color. Plop on winter hats, preferably in gray or silver, and you're a set.