Staff picks: Last minute Halloween costumes

Halloween is a time for candy, cauldrons, and costumes, so this week the staff has decided to help out us procrastinators with last-minute costumes you can wear at upcoming scary parties, spooky seances, and spine-tingling celebrations.

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I spend months on my costumes, so I had a hard time choosing something for a last minute staff pick. I finally decided to do something so quick anyone with a blank t-shirt and a sharpie can do it! “Error 404: Costume Not Found” is great for anyone invited to a party last minute. All you have to do is grab a blank T-shirt and a sharpie and write “Error 404: Costume Not Found” on the front.  [Cassidy Bailey]

Honestly, I really have never liked Halloween, and that’s mainly because I don’t like candy. I have not dressed up for Halloween since I was in middle school; however, I must admit that if I had to go, I would definitely just throw on a jersey and start on my way to get candy. A black Cam Newton jersey would be a good fit with the macabre nature of the holiday. Go Panthers. 6-0. [Tyler Hotz]

The best Halloween costumes reveal a bit of your character even as you put on a disguise. If you have an ugly sweater and a willing cat, you can be a crazy cat lady. For me, though, that’s pretty much who I am every day. [Allie Gruszkiewicz]

I have a shirt that says “I don’t do Halloween costumes” on it, but I don’t really call my idea “lazy Halloween,” I just call it “Halloween” because I do this every year. But since Tennessee plays Kentucky on Halloween night this year, I probably will just wear an orange Tennessee shirt and say I’m dressed as a Tennessee fan or something (this actually makes sense because being a Tennessee fan is frightening). [Wyeth Wilson]

Halloween is a time for both clever and scary costumes, and to me, nothing is scarier than a Cereal Killer. All you need to make this costume is a plain white T shirt, some used cereal boxes, and a fake bloody knife. First you flatten out the cereal boxes and tape them or Velcro them onto the shirt. Then you just get out with your bloody knife and get some great laughs and great scares. [Madison Tenney]

Disclaimer: this staff pick is not my way of endorsing the Canadian rock band Nickelback. A really simple Halloween costume that I have yet to try, but find extremely clever is the “nickel-back” costume, where you simply tape nickels to the back of your shirt. If I ever choose to do this as a costume, I will take a picture of it, and show it to everyone and sing the line from Nickelback’s hit single “Photograph,” “look at this photograph.” [Maggie Kimber]

If you’re short on time like I usually am around the end of October, Halloween costumes are the last thing you’re planning. For a super simple and comfy costume, get a onesie with animal print, for example a black and white cow print, and add some ears. Instantly, you are a cow. [Katie Matthews]