It’s not like you meant to be the office party pooper. You’re busy, and also the month got away from you a bit, and also the thought of venturing into a party store at this time of year fills you with terror more appropriate to the actual zombie apocalypse. Never fear: just because you don’t have a Halloween costume at this very moment doesn’t mean that you can’t get one together by the time the cupcakes are served.
These Halloween costumes use only what you have lying around the office – no party store mission required:
1. The “one person’s trash is another’s Halloween costume” costume.
Most offices have a place to store old boxes. If you get there before maintenance does, you can walk away with enough raw material to turn yourself into Recycling Voltron. Depending on your skill level, you might need a bit more time for this one – but it’ll be worth it when your last-minute costume smokes the store-bought competition at the costume contest.
(Note to the super observant: yes, this one was included in last year’s roundup. But look at it! Just look at it.)
2. The office supply costume.
If you have access to the office supply closet – or a hoard all your own – you have a Halloween costume.
“My son, last year, used masking tape on black sweats,” says Evelyn P. “He was a stick figure.”
3. The pop cultural reference.
Even if everyone at your office loves their job (and what are the odds?) they probably like snarking on workaday life. This means that somewhere in your office, right now, there’s either a red stapler or a World’s Best Boss mug. Bone up on your Office Space and/or The Office quotes, grab your prop, and behave accordingly. (Worst-case scenario: put on a tie, start drawling about TPS reports, and you’re Bill Lumbergh.)
4. The thinker.
Be really enthusiastic and do random cartwheels: you’re the office cheerleader. Carry a bunch of candy: you’re the beloved personage who comes to fill the vending machines. Carry a stack of invoices, and start billing for your time: you’re a consultant. (Note: maybe don’t do this last one, unless you want to become a consultant in real life.)
5. The lazybones.
Does your company let people work at home? If you plan a little ahead of time – or your company’s business casual is super casual – you can go as WAH (work at home).
Just get ready for some strange looks.
“I felt so weird that day! Like people thought I had lost my mind,” says Joy V., who spent one comfy Halloween wearing a giant bathrobe, carrying a mug with a cranky saying, and wearing socks – only socks.
“I think that was key,” she says. “No shoes or slippers.”
(Photo Credits: Matt Raoul/Instagram, The Daily English Show/Flickr, Kumar Appaiah/Flickr, DAXKO/Flickr, tripleigrek/Flickr)
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What’s the best last-minute Halloween costume you’ve ever seen? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
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