5 Easy Halloween Costume Ideas Inspired by Posters

Why make a costume from a poster?

Dressing up for Halloween appeals to any age, but the same old witches and vampires turn up every year. A costume built around a famous poster stands out in the spooky crowd, and most of it can come from your wardrobe (or a friend's).

The poster does the heavy lifting. Each idea below tells you which poster to print, so you can design it online or upload your own artwork and have it ready before the party.

Be the one everyone is looking for with a Wanted Poster

An old western Wanted poster gives the classic cowboy costume a new twist. If you have a cowboy outfit left over from last Halloween, reuse it and add the poster. No cowboy costume at home? A cowboy hat is all you need to buy. Not a fan of cowboys? Wear a striped top with all black and become a wanted burglar instead.

A modern twist on a traditional Scream Poster

This costume combines two iconic screams: the horror film Scream and Edvard Munch's The Scream. It is easy to put together: wear all black, add a ghost-face mask and hold the frame in front of you. If you want to get creative, plenty of online tutorials show you how to make your own mask.

We Can Do it Poster

The We Can Do It! poster was created in America during World War Two and has been reimagined many times since. Its look is instantly recognisable, so you will stand out at any Halloween costume party.

The costume is simple. A denim shirt is the main piece, and any standard blue work shirt will do. Add a red headband: buy one cheaply, or for a no-buy, no-sew costume cut a rectangle from any old red material and tie it around your head. You could even put the slogan on a custom printed t-shirt.

A Sirius look for a Harry Potter lover

If you are a Sirius (excuse the pun) Harry Potter fan, this costume is for you. Every Halloween brings plenty of Harry, Ron and Hermione costumes, so a wanted-poster take on Sirius Black adds a new twist to a familiar idea.

Hair is the big feature: Sirius has a very recognisable head of hair and facial hair, so a wig helps. If you are lacking in the beard department, buy some costume facial hair or draw it on with skin-friendly face paint.

“I want you” to look your best for Halloween!

If you know the We Can Do It poster, you will recognise the I Want You for U.S. Army poster too. This patriotic costume only needs a star-spangled hat and a blue and red outfit to sell the Uncle Sam look.

A standard white shirt works well. No red bow tie? Make one from old red material. A blue suit jacket pulls the look together, but a blue cardigan gets the idea across just as easily. If a flag hat is hard to find, make one from a white top hat with red and blue details.