As The Maker celebrates Halloween this month with our ‘Ghostly Stories’ theme, we’ve decided to put together a couple Halloween costume ideas from our favourite spooky novels to inspire you. Hopefully this will remind you to look towards literature to find your next Halloweeny outfit. 

Dracula from ‘Dracula’ 

For those who are more of a classical literature fan, why not dress up as the titular character from Bram Stoker’s novel, ‘Dracula.’ By taking a literary take on a classic costume you are sure to turn heads at any Halloween party this October. 

What you will need: 

White Face Paint  

Getting a tan is difficult when you’re allergic to the sun, so slap on some white paint to make yourself a bit more pasty 

Pointy White Teeth 

Perfect for sucking your victim’s blood, they’re sure to terrify the party guests around you 

Fake Blood 

To make your costume that just bit more horrifying. 

Suit and Cape 

Perfect for making a dramatic entrance at any party you choose to attend. 

Hair Gel  

To emulate Draculas’ slick and suave look. 

 

Grand High Witch from ‘The Witches’ 

Though the witch is an age-old costume, by gathering a couple friends and adopting Roald Dahl’s creepy take on a witch, every other witch on Halloween night will be put to shame.  

What you will need: 

A Bald Cap. 

Dahl describes his witches as demon like with bald heads. While most of the time they wear wigs to conceal their identity, this costume will be made all the spookier with a bald head. 

Long Gloves 

The witches are said to conceal their claws with long silky gloves. 

Blue Face Paint. 

Paint a small dribble down your chin to make the blue spit that Dahl describes the witches as having. 

A Glamorous Dress 

Despite being witches, they have impeccable dress sense. Make sure you dress to impress with a long evening dress. 

A Toy Mouse 

The witches are known for turning children into mice so bring your ‘victim’ along to the Halloween party. 

 

Alex from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ 

As one of my favourite sci-fi novels by Anthony Burgess, the absurdity of Alex’s outfit throughout the novel is sure to make an intriguing Halloween costume for this October. 

What you will need: 

A Bowler Hat  

Preferably in black, this is an essential element to Alex’s outfit as he wears it throughout the novel  

A White Shirt and Trousers 

Alex and his droogs are described as wearing all white outfits as they commit crimes across their town.  

Braces and a Cockpiece 

Perhaps the wackiest element of the costume, you can probably find a cricket cockpiece from a sports store. 

A Cane  

Used by Alex to attack his victims, make sure you don’t forget this element to your costume. 

A Glass of Milk 

Constantly slurped by the droogs, ensure you’re sipping on a nice cold glass of milk all Halloween night long. 

 

IT from ‘IT’ 

A Stephen King classic, a creepy clown outfit is sure to terrify all those around you on Halloween eve. 

What you will need: 

Face Paint 

Pick up some white and red face to recreate IT’s terrifying makeup look 

Clown Getup 

To recreate IT’s outfit I’d recommend getting some oversized white clothing and DIYing it with some red pom poms and a big old ruff collar. 

Red Balloon 

In the novel, IT lures Georgie by using a red balloon. Recreate this creepy moment by carrying a red balloon with you all night 

 

Dorian Gray from ‘Dorian Gray’ 

Another classic novel by the iconic Oscar Wilde, with some creative makeup, you’ll have the most original at any Halloween event. 

Suit  

Coming from a well-off family, Dorian is described throughout the novel as being well-dressed and attractive. Recreate this by wearing your finest suit. 

Cravat 

To give off the air of the Victorian aristocracy, finish off your look by adding a cravat to your outfit. 

Half-and-Half Makeup 

To capture to duality of Dorian’s personality, perhaps adopt some half and half makeup. Paint half your faced as horrifyingly aged and evil by adding a darkened eye bags, wrinkles, and devilish features. 

A Picture Frame 

Dorian’s true intentions and personality are represented through his self-portrait. To reference this through your costume, carry a lightweight gold frame to finish off your look. 

 

Hopefully these ideas have given you ample inspiration to go forward and take on a literary theme for your next Halloween costume. From all of us at The Maker, we wish you a very happy Halloween! 

Written by Anna Craig, The Maker’s digital intern