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Trick or treat, pandas! With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to start planning your ultimate costume. But if you’re feeling stuck, don’t stress—we’ve got you covered.

We’ve rounded up a collection of creative, funny, and downright impressive costume ideas that people really pulled out all the stops for. And even if you’re not celebrating, stick around to admire the incredible talent and effort that went into these spooky looks. Enjoy!

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    Seeing all these spook-tacular costumes has definitely gotten us into the Halloween spirit! Curious about how these masterpieces are brought to life, Bored Panda reached out to two talented Redditors featured on our list: u/hipunen and u/throwbot3001.

    u/hipunen shared some of the incredible costumes she’s crafted over the years, including Oswald Cobblepot (aka The Penguin from Batman), a Demogorgon, Darth Maul, and even the Babadook. With such stunning attention to detail, it’s hard to believe these aren’t the original characters stepping off the screen.

    #4

    Stone Statue Costume I Put Together Last Year

    Stone Statue Costume I Put Together Last Year

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    Daniel Atkins
    Community Member
    5 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Now go out to the park stand very still and then startle passersby.

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    “It’s hard to explain why I love Halloween so much,” u/hipunen tells us. “I must have fallen in love with it around 1998 when I came across a chapter about Halloween in our English book. Since it wasn’t celebrated at all in Finland back then, it felt new and exciting. Around that same time, I discovered The Little Vampire book series at my local library, and I was hooked.”

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    “I just love the spooky aesthetic and the colorful, mysterious atmosphere. It lets you explore the more sinister side of things safely. I’ve always been a crafty person, and since Halloween decorations weren’t available here when I was a kid, I started DIY-ing everything. That tradition stuck, and it’s still what I enjoy most!”

    #7

    My Handmade Mothman Costume From This Year

    My Handmade Mothman Costume From This Year

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    u/hipunen’s costumes look so authentic because they require a lot of hard work. “I usually start one or two months before Halloween,” she explains. “Sometimes it can take more than 45 hours!”

    “It takes quite a lot of time to put them together, especially since I don’t want to buy costume sets online,” she adds. “I try to craft and sew as much as I can myself, and for certain pieces, I rent from the local theater.”

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    #8

    I Was Ever Given This Year (The Ship That Got Stuck In The Suez Canal). I Spent The Day Blocking Students In The Hallways

    I Was Ever Given This Year (The Ship That Got Stuck In The Suez Canal). I Spent The Day Blocking Students In The Hallways

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    #9

    My 94-Year-Old Grandpa Is Proving That You're Never Too Old For Halloween

    My 94-Year-Old Grandpa Is Proving That You're Never Too Old For Halloween

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    #10

    My "Star Trek" DS9-Era Ferengi Costume For Halloween. All Mine Besides The Base Prosthetics

    My "Star Trek" DS9-Era Ferengi Costume For Halloween. All Mine Besides The Base Prosthetics

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    Nikki Bastian
    Community Member
    5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's... Uncanny. You look like you could be an extra. Well done!

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    When it comes to finding inspiration, u/hipunen draws from all over and keeps her ideas organized on Google Keep. “I usually pick ideas from movies, series, or games, and I like to choose costumes where even my own mom wouldn’t recognize me.” And we’re not surprised—every costume she makes transforms her into someone completely different.

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    u/throwbot3001 caught our attention with his creative, literal take on an Amazon Prime costume made entirely from cardboard. “I got the idea from a 2016 Buzzfeed article about a woman who made a similar Amazon Prime costume,” he says. “I’ve wanted to make my own ever since.” And the result is definitely pure prime delivery—straight to the costume hall of fame.

    #14

    "I’m The Ghost With The Most, Babe." Happy Halloween

    "I’m The Ghost With The Most, Babe." Happy Halloween

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    James Doe
    Community Member
    6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow. Very great costume. Immediately recognizable and great execution! Quite believable rotten face, awesome dedication! (Covering up the belittling comment)

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    #15

    I Made A Burning Witch Costume And Like To Harass The Hateful Hellfire Christians At The Local Halloween Parade. This Year My Husband Joined As A Puritan

    I Made A Burning Witch Costume And Like To Harass The Hateful Hellfire Christians At The Local Halloween Parade. This Year My Husband Joined As A Puritan

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    “For the head, I followed an Etsy template for Optimus Prime by Paperassa. The rest of the body was a lot of trial and error, but the overall visual inspiration is from an Optimus Prime tutorial by Dannyeurena on Instructables,” u/throwbot3001 shares.

    “It took me two full weeks of working after hours to finish the costume,” he adds. “One week just for the head, and then another week to complete the body, arms, and legs after I got a hot glue gun.”

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    #17

    No One Recognized My Husband's Halloween Costume At The Bar. He Was So Disappointed

    No One Recognized My Husband's Halloween Costume At The Bar. He Was So Disappointed

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    #18

    Happy Halloween From Your Friendly Neighborhood Wild Thing

    Happy Halloween From Your Friendly Neighborhood Wild Thing

    I grew up loving "Where The Wild Things Are" and decided to try my hand at making a costume this year. I didn’t have time for feet, but I’m happy with my first try! I wanted to share it because it brought me a lot of joy handing out candy last night to see how many people also loved the book!

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    #19

    I Spent Over 20 Hours Working On My Halloween Costume. This Is The Result

    I Spent Over 20 Hours Working On My Halloween Costume. This Is The Result

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    So where do you show off such elaborate costumes? u/hipunen loves to throw a Halloween party for her friends, complete with themed decorations. “We usually go to a local club or bar, where many places have official Halloween parties with costume contests,” she says. This year, she’s ready to celebrate on Saturday with a brand-new costume, this time based on her own original concept rather than a character.

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    #21

    Some Of My Costumes Of Previous Years. Oswald Cobblepot, Demogorgon, Darth Maul (Genderbender) And Babadook

    Some Of My Costumes Of Previous Years. Oswald Cobblepot, Demogorgon, Darth Maul (Genderbender) And Babadook

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    u/throwbot3001 is just as determined to make the most of the effort he’s put in. “I plan to attend every event I can with this costume before it breaks down,” he says. “First up is an at-work Halloween party and costume contest. I hope to win this year and maybe inspire others to try DIY-ing their own costumes in the future.”

    “This is the first time I’ve really gone ‘all out’ for a costume. Who knows what next year will bring?”

    #23

    My 72-Year-Old Mom Having Fun On Halloween

    My 72-Year-Old Mom Having Fun On Halloween

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    Glen Ellyn
    Community Member
    6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You go, Mom! Oh, and a real tricycle - the kind I had as a child.

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    #24

    All Of My Coworkers Agreed To Dress Up As Smurfs For Halloween. I'm The Only One To Go Through With It

    All Of My Coworkers Agreed To Dress Up As Smurfs For Halloween. I'm The Only One To Go Through With It

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    Glen Ellyn
    Community Member
    6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good for you. I hope your co-workers were very embarrassed that they chickened out.

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    #25

    My Mom Just Won Her Company's Halloween Costume Contest As "Fifty Shades Of Gray." I Also Need Everyone To See Last Year's Costume When She Was A "Social Butterfly"

    My Mom Just Won Her Company's Halloween Costume Contest As "Fifty Shades Of Gray." I Also Need Everyone To See Last Year's Costume When She Was A "Social Butterfly"

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    If you love the idea of Halloween but haven’t dressed up in years because you think you can’t pull off something half as impressive as the costumes in our list, u/throwbot3001 has some encouraging words for you.

    “I just want to share this quote from Adam Savage’s book, Every Tool’s a Hammer: ‘It doesn't matter if you’re a model maker, a potter, a dancer, a programmer, a writer, a political activist, a teacher, a musician, a milliner, whatever. It’s all the same. Making is making, and none of it is failure.’”

    With just a few days left until the big night, consider this your sign to try something special. Good luck, and happy Halloween!

    #26

    Cancer Took My Eye Last Month But Not My Sense Of Humor. I Was Ralphie (A Christmas Story) For Halloween. You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

    Cancer Took My Eye Last Month But Not My Sense Of Humor. I Was Ralphie (A Christmas Story) For Halloween. You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

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    #27

    I Won First Place With My Jack Skellington Costume

    I Won First Place With My Jack Skellington Costume

    It took me 5 hours to do the makeup and hair, and I made the whole costume in a week. I altered the clothes I had to achieve this vision, and it paid off with a cash prize and first place!!

    AdisPlatypus Report

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    #28

    This Halloween I'm 8 Months Pregnant, So I Thought I'd Bring Some Body Horror/Levity To The Giant Gut

    This Halloween I'm 8 Months Pregnant, So I Thought I'd Bring Some Body Horror/Levity To The Giant Gut

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    #29

    Getting Ready For Halloween Like This

    Getting Ready For Halloween Like This

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    #32

    Why Not Dressed As A Zoidberg?! I'm Going For A Nice Scuttle On Halloween

    Why Not Dressed As A Zoidberg?! I'm Going For A Nice Scuttle On Halloween

    turdles0848 , turdles0848 Report

    #35

    My First Renaissance Fair Costume As Well As Halloween. I Did The Makeup About 4 Times. Wicked Witch! All Done By Myself (I’m A Guy)

    My First Renaissance Fair Costume As Well As Halloween. I Did The Makeup About 4 Times. Wicked Witch! All Done By Myself (I’m A Guy)

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    #37

    Last Weekend, My Girlfriend And I Won Second Place In A Halloween Contest For Our Homemade "Spirited Away" Costumes

    Last Weekend, My Girlfriend And I Won Second Place In A Halloween Contest For Our Homemade "Spirited Away" Costumes

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    #47

    This Family Halloween Tradition Has Been Work. Every Year It Gets Harder And Harder To Pull Off

    This Family Halloween Tradition Has Been Work. Every Year It Gets Harder And Harder To Pull Off

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    #49

    My Buddy Had A Halloween Costume Contest At Work Today. I Think He Nailed It

    My Buddy Had A Halloween Costume Contest At Work Today. I Think He Nailed It

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    #50

    I Wanted To Be Something Cute For Halloween, But My Boyfriend Ruined It

    I Wanted To Be Something Cute For Halloween, But My Boyfriend Ruined It

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    Note: this post originally had 128 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.

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