It's late October—you and your kids are gearing up for the big night of trick-or-treating. Your checklist probably looks something like this: Candy, check. Pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, check. But there's still one major thing left to finalize…the costumes! With all the preparation and anxiousness that goes into Halloween, it's easy to get caught up and fall behind on the costume part of the plan. But don't let that shake you in your boots just yet. You don't have to scamper around and wait in long lines at the mall to buy expensive last minute costumes for your kids. Just take a peep at these simple yet creative costume ideas that you can put together on the fly and more importantly, on the cheap!

Black cat

Nothing says Halloween more than a black cat costume, and nothing can be easier to make. Simply find a black sweat suit or leotard and stretch pants (if it's going to be a girl's costume). Make some cat ears by cutting out felt or cardboard in the shape of cat ears and securing it onto a headband. You can also use the felt or construction paper and cut out a long thin tail; use a safety pin and attach it to the back of the sweat pants and/or leotard. Take some black eye liner or face paint and use them to make whiskers and a black nose. Presto, now your kids are purrrrrrrrrrr-fectly ready to collect candy!

Pile-o-leaves

Nothing can scare the candy out of a household than the fear of looming yard-work. For this costume idea, find a pair of brown, black, or any other "fall" colored hooded sweat suit. Cut out yellow, orange, and brown leaves from construction paper and use some safety pins to pin leaves all over the sweat-suit and hood. If you're feeling extra creative, try and paste some real leaves on sheets of construction paper and pin them to the sweat-suit instead. Once you're ready, walk around carrying a rake and gather your candy in a lawn bag!

Mummy

A Halloween classic, this costume is not only a spooky crowd pleaser, it's also super easy to put together. All you need to do is wear a white sweat suit and tear some strips from a large white sheet and have someone help you tie them all around you. You could also use rolls of toilet paper instead. Paint your face white, and paint some darker circles around your eyes. For a real mummy touch, sprinkle a little bit of baby powder in your hair and on your sheet strips!

With these simple, creative, and fun costumes you'll never have to fear the last minute Halloween outfit run-arounds. Just make sure you don't scare anyone too much! Happy trick-or-treating!

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Halloween costumes on the fly!

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