Bad Halloween costume ideas

Is it a good costume idea? The Department of Doubt has reviewed 21 of them, and the answer is I DON'T THINK SO. These are the punny, the last-minute and the gloriously impractical. Some of them might still win the party. Tap any costume to stamp it yourself.

Puns only you will understand

1. A cereal box and a plastic knife: cereal killer.
2. A sheet with a pillowcase on top: a "sheet" ghost.
3. Cotton wool on a jumper: a rain cloud, but sunny.
4. Holding a jar of jam: traffic jam.
5. A sticker that says "Nacho": nacho average costume.
6. A brown paper bag with "smart cookie" on it.

Last-minute disasters

1. "Error 404: costume not found" on a T-shirt.
2. A name tag that says "Hello, I am a costume".
3. Pyjamas, as "someone who just woke up".
4. One cat ear, because the other one broke.
5. A cardboard box with "box" written on it.

Bold but impractical

1. A full suit of armour for a house party with stairs.
2. A giant inflatable dinosaur for a small flat.
3. A costume with wings wider than the door.
4. A sandwich board costume, on a windy night.
5. Stilts, for a party with low ceilings.
6. A full-face mask that blocks the snacks.

Group costumes that fall apart

1. Seven friends as the days of the week, and two cannot come.
2. A two-person horse costume with no plan for the back half.
3. The planets of the solar system, minus the one who left early.
4. A matching group outfit nobody told the last person about.

The Department's costume test

1. Can you explain it in five words? If not, bring a sign.
2. Can you sit down in it? The party lasts longer than you think.
3. Can you eat in it? Snacks are the main event.
4. Is the joke on the costume, not on someone else? Then it is the good kind of bad.

Related

More things the Department rejected: funny bad ideas, terrible gift ideas, terrible product ideas and the worst party themes. Have a costume of your own to rule on? Use Stamp Anything. All guides are on the guides page.

Questions about bad costumes

What is a funny bad Halloween costume?

A costume that needs a long explanation at the door: a pun only you understand, something made from one piece of cardboard, or an idea that sounded brilliant at midnight. Harmless, cheap and good for a laugh.

What are some easy last-minute bad costumes?

Anything made from what is already in the house: a sheet with "Error 404: costume not found" on it, a name tag that says "Hello, I am a costume", or a cereal box with a plastic knife (cereal killer). The worse the effort looks, the better the joke.

What costumes should you avoid?

Costumes that make fun of a real culture, a real group of people or a real person's misfortune are not funny bad, just bad. Keep the joke on the costume, not on anyone else.

Part of Bad ideas, officially reviewed.

The Department of Doubt is satire. No real people or groups are the subject of any costume on this page. See the satire notice.