In the midst of the midterms haze, it’s easy to forget that Halloween is just around the corner. Whether you’re going to a party or just staying in to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters, you’ve got to have a stand-out costume for the holiday. Seeing as most people don’t want to invest in a one time costume, here are a few quick and cheap DIY costumes to set yourself apart at any gathering.

“Formal” Apology

What you’ll need:

• A formal dress or suit
• A white piece of paper
• A black marker
• Tape

What to do:

This costume takes a common phrase and turns it into a play on words, and fashion. To make this costume, all you will need is to wear your formal outfit, write “I’m sorry” on the piece of paper and tape it to your chest.

Big Kid

What you’ll need:

• Your favorite colorful pajamas
• A stuffed animal

What to do:

This costume lets you release your inner child, plus you’ll be comfortable all night, and people won’t judge you for wearing pajamas outside the house and carrying your favorite stuffed animal. If you want to get even further into character, those with long hair can tie them up in pig tails, or carry around a sippy cup or pacifier to add to the look.

Bulletin board

What you’ll need:

• A brown shirt
• Post-it notes
• A pen

What to do:

This costume is for the person who always has a lot going on, and who may be constantly leaving notes for themselves all around their house or workplace. All you have to do to get this look is put on the brown shirt, to resemble a cork board, and white simple “to-do” tasks on Post-it notes, then stick them to yourself. If you are planning on attending a party in this costume, for added fun, bring Post-it notes along with you, and let your friends write notes on you all night.

Emoji

What you’ll need:

• A purple shirt (women) OR a blue shirt (men)

What to do:

This costume takes inspiration from everyone’s favorite form of modern-day hieroglyphs: smart phone emojis. For this one, women will wear a plain purple shirt (preferably long-sleeved), and men will wear a plain blue shirt (preferably long-sleeved). Then all you have to do is pick your favorite pose, whether it be “waving”, “arms-crossed”, “one-hand up” or “hands above head.”

Sims character

What you’ll need:

• Your normal clothes
• A green paper Sim diamond
• Headband
• Wire or pipe-cleaner

What to do:

This costume would work well for the person who loves video games, especially the life simulation video game “The Sims.” All you need to do is wear your normal, everyday clothes, print out or draw a green Sim diamond and secure it onto a headband with a wire or pipe-cleaner.

Costumes don’t have to break the bank, so whether you’re party hopping, taking children out trick-or-treating or just dressing up for work, any of these costumes will do the trick.