Teens and tweens love an excuse to get dressed up, no matter what the occasion may be. But nothing brings out their silly personalities and creative spirits quite like Halloween does. Here we’ve rounded up dozens of teen Halloween costumes (and tween Halloween costumes, too) they’ll have the best time pulling together and wearing.
From the best pop culture Halloween costumes—including DIY Halloween costumes inspired by television shows and movies like the Barbie movie (like these best Barbie Halloween costume ideas) and Stranger Things—to social media references like sweet heart-eye emojis, even the fussiest teenagers will find something to get excited about. And no sweat if the teens in your life aren’t crafty and wait until the last minute—we’ve included a few ready-made getups you can order from Amazon that deliver fast and are seriously funny. (Can we talk about that inflatable toilet? Hilarious, right?!)
While kids around this age may think they are too old to go trick-or-treating (or maybe not, actually!), our gut tells us that they aren’t through with Halloween. We bet they still love to put on teen boy and teen girl Halloween costumes and hang out with friends at a Halloween party—even if it's just to eat the best Halloween treats and watch a Halloween movie or two. So as you’re on the hunt for Halloween costumes for 16 year old girls or Halloween costumes for 15 year old boys, take a peek here first for some truly bussin’, fire, scary, cute costumes they’ll love.
1
Sad Swiftie Teen Halloween Costume
If you've ever tried to buy Taylor Swift concert tickets, you feel us, right? Dress up in your concert best (the more sparkles, the better), and wear a lightweight foam core print-out that mimics a computer screen with the sad news that "the queue has been temporarily paused." Why does Ticketmaster have to be so mean?
As the Barbie movie takes the world by storm, we predict troops of cowgirl Barbies (and other Barbie Halloween costumes) this year! Youth sizes available, too.
3
Souvenir Snow Globe Teen Halloween Costume
This souvenir snow globe costume is for the pro crafter. Make it personal based on where you live, or perhaps a favorite place to travel.
There's just something about potty humor that teen boys can't get enough of. This hilarious inflatable loo will keep the jokes coming all night long.
5
Farmhouse Barbie Teen Halloween Costume
This one is for the girls who dream of chicken coops, farmhouse living, and wide open spaces. Dress in denim overalls, a solid tee, and a pink bandana tied headband style. Props like a stuffed chicken and a basket of faux eggs brings home the promise of "more hen, less Ken."
Everybody loves field day, making this a fun costume that's comfortable and pretty easy to throw together. For a group Halloween costume, pick a color palette (here, primary colors rule), then pile on the sweatpants, athletic shirts, and sweatbands for a fetching field day look. Props like racquets and trophies bring the nostalgic theme to life. And you can even let your pet in on the fun with a referee costume!
To make, trace the outline of a dress or shirt and skirt on cardboard. (This could easily be done with shorts for boys.) Cut out the “outfit” base. Use hot glue or a spray adhesive to apply fabric to the cut pieces of cardboard. After it's dry, cut the fabric as close to the cardboard edges as possible. Add buttons, zippers, or other fun accessories to your outfits using a hot glue gun.
Glue ribbon in a U-shape around the shoulder to hang around the neck. If working with two separate pieces of an outfit, glue ribbon around the top edges of the bottom half, too. You can hide them or leave them out to look like a belt (we did both). These will tie around the back. Hot glue the doll tabs on a diagonal on the edge of your outfit pieces. Wear a form-fitting dress in a color close to your skin and tie the pieces on!
If you want to paint the town pink this Halloween, do it up in true Barbie style. Dress in jeans or denim overalls, a striped tee, and a pink bandana worn kerchief style. Pick up pink paint chips and a paint can at the hardware store (you can even use the paint can as a candy bucket!).
This sweet cotton candy costume comes together quickly, starting with a show-stopping dress (we love the puffy sleeves!). For the head piece, attach pink fiber fill to a headband, and then top with a cone made of striped paper.
If you've waited until the last minute to pull together a Halloween costume, you'll likely have just about everything you need in your closet for this adorable painter costume. Throw on any shirt (we love these stripes), denim overalls, and white sneakers. Tie a bandana as a headband or go kerchief style. A paint pail prop doubles as a clever candy carrier.
Your teen will want to roll with this ultra-cute and clever costume whether or not she's still got her favorite Barbies tucked away somewhere. The project even comes with a Roller Disco Barbie box print-out to make the costume easy to assemble.
Eddie Munson from 'Stranger Things' Teen Halloween Costume
Courtesy of Netflix
Teen underdog Eddie Munson was the unexpected hero of Stranger Things season 4. Replicate his look with 1980s-inspired clothes, big hair, a skull ring, and a metal trash can lid.
Keep everyone guessing where you real arms and legs are with this hilarious alien abduction inflatable Halloween costume.
20
#2 Pencil Bundle Teen Halloween Costume
Emily Steffen
This costume will have you lookin’ sharp! To make it, round up some pool noodles. Coat the summer staple with yellow spray paint (try Rust-Oleum American Accents in Marigold); add brown paper-cone tips. Wrap ends with pink and gray craft paper to make erasers. Secure the bundle around your body with ribbon. Extra credit for a corresponding pointy party hat.
Jill Gleeson is a travel journalist and memoirist based in the Appalachian Mountains of western Pennsylvania who has written for websites and publications including Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Country Living, Washingtonian, Gothamist, Canadian Traveller, and EDGE Media Network. Jill is the travel editor for Enchanted Living. Learn more about her journey at gleesonreboots.com.