Step into the pages of your favorite books this Halloween. Use a literary hero costume crafted from items already lurking in your home! Literary characters offer the perfect combination of recognition, meaningful storytelling, and creative flexibility for Halloween transformations.
Unlike movie characters that require exact replicas, book heroes offer room for personal interpretation. They are still instantly identifiable through a few iconic elements. This guide will help you raid your closets, drawers, and craft supplies. You can become everything from a pipe-smoking detective to a dystopian archer. Transform into a magical wizard or a swashbuckling Greek hero.
It is possible to do all this without breaking the bank or requiring advanced crafting skills. With a little imagination and our character-specific suggestions, you’ll create a costume as memorable as the stories that inspired them.
Classic Literary Heroes
Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
He’s the brilliant detective who uses logic and observation to solve seemingly impossible mysteries.
- Base: Tweed jacket or any dark coat with a dress shirt underneath
- Signature deerstalker hat: Create from two pieces of fabric sewn together, or modify a baseball cap with fabric ear flaps attached with safety pins
- Magnifying glass: Use an actual one or craft from a wire hanger bent into a circle with clear plastic wrap stretched across
- Pipe: Roll brown construction paper into a tube, attach a curved piece for the bowl
- Accessories: Pocket watch (or draw one on cardboard), notepad, pencil
- Finishing touches: Draw on a mustache with eyeliner, add a bow tie or ascot made from an old tie or scarf
Robin Hood (English folklore)
He’s the noble outlaw who stole from the rich. He gave to the poor and fought against injustice and tyranny.
- Base: Green t-shirt, sweatshirt, or button-up with brown pants or leggings
- Hood: Cut from an old green t-shirt and safety pin to your collar of your shirt
- Belt: Brown belt with small pouches attached (use mini ziplock bags covered in brown paper)
- Bow: Flexible tree branch or PVC pipe curved and tied with a string; arrows from dowels or straight sticks with paper feathers
- Hat: Green baseball cap with a red feather (or paper cutout) stuck in the side
- Accessories: Create a money pouch from an old sock tied with a string, and add forest elements like fake leaves pinned to your shoulders
Modern Literary Heroes
Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)
She’s the resourceful and brave tribute. She volunteers to save her sister, and she becomes the symbol of rebellion.
- Base: Cargo pants or black jeans with a dark, fitted t-shirt or tank top
- Jacket: Black windbreaker or rain jacket, or dye an old jacket with black fabric dye
- Mockingjay pin: Create from aluminum foil, a bottle cap hammered flat, or yellow cardboard covered with gold paint/marker
- Braid: Side braid with small pieces of ribbon or leather cord woven through
- Bow: Curved PVC pipe or flexible wooden dowel with string; arrows from straight sticks with paper feathers
- Makeup: Smudged eyeliner and dirt smudges (eyeshadow) for the arena-worn look
- Accessories: Small backpack filled with “survival items” like a water bottle, rope, and fake berries
Harry Potter (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)
He’s the Boy Who Lived, who repeatedly faced the darkest wizard of all time to protect the wizarding world.
- Base: White button-up shirt with any dark pants
- Robe: Use a black bathrobe, graduation gown, or dye a sheet black and cut a hole for your head
- Gryffindor tie: Red and gold striped tie, or color a plain tie with markers/fabric paint
- Glasses: Round wire frames or make from pipe cleaners, thin wire, or black cardboard
- Lightning scar: Draw on forehead with red lipstick or eyeliner
- Wand: Chopstick, wooden spoon handle, or stick painted brown with hot glue details
- Accessories: Stuff a white sock with cotton balls for Hedwig, carry old hardcover books with handmade “spellbook” covers
Classic Literature Heroines
Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
She’s the intelligent, witty protagonist. She stays true to her principles. She refuses to marry for anything but love.
- Base: Long skirt or dress (the longer the better)
- Empire waist: Use a ribbon tied high on the waist of any dress
- Shawl: Lightweight scarf or cut fabric draped over shoulders
- Hair: Pull hair back in a simple bun with loose tendrils or curls around face
- Bonnet: Fashion from a paper plate curved and tied under chin with ribbons
- Book: Carry a classic novel wrapped in brown paper with “Pride and Prejudice” written on the cover
- Accessories: White gloves (or cut fingertips off old white socks), handwritten letter on tea-stained paper
Scout Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)
She’s the young girl who learns about injustice in the segregated South. She stands up for what’s right.
- Base: Denim overalls or jean shorts with suspenders
- Shirt: Plain white t-shirt or button-up, slightly oversized
- Hair: Messy short style or tucked under a baseball cap
- Props: Old hardcover book, toy telescope for “spying”
- Accessories: Dirt smudges (use eyeshadow) on face and clothes, carry a small paper bag labeled “treasures” with trinkets inside
- Finishing touches: Roll up pant legs unevenly, untie one shoe
Epic & Mythological Heroes
Odysseus/Ulysses (Homer’s Odyssey)
He is the cunning Greek hero. He survived the Trojan War. Afterward, he embarked on a ten-year perilous journey to return home.
- Base: White sheet draped over one shoulder and belted at waist (toga style)
- Armor: Create chest armor from a cardboard box painted silver/bronze
- Helmet: Fashion from a plastic bowl painted gold/bronze with a brush (broom bristles or paper strips) attached to top
- Sword: Cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil or painted silver
- Beard: Cotton balls or unraveled cotton balls glued to your face or attached to elastic
- Accessories: Laurel wreath crown made from green paper leaves or real laurel branches
Don Quixote (by Miguel de Cervantes)
He’s an idealistic “knight.” He sets out to revive chivalry in a world that no longer values it.
- Base: White button-up shirt and dark pants
- Armor: Silver-painted cardboard chest plate, aluminum foil shoulder pads
- Helmet: Silver-painted plastic bowl or colander with a visor made from cardboard
- Lance: Broomstick with cardboard tip
- Horse: Broom with horse head drawn on a paper bag and attached to the handle
- Beard: White cotton balls or unraveled cotton glued to elastic or attached with spirit gum
- Accessories: Old pot lid as a shield, belt with kitchen utensils hanging as “weapons”
Modern Epic Heroes
Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien)
He’s the unlikely hero who discovers his courage on an adventure far from his comfortable home.
- Base: Knee-length pants or rolled-up regular pants, button-up shirt with a vest
- Jacket: Any oversized jacket in earth tones
- Feet: Go barefoot or wear slippers with fake fur glued to the tops to resemble hairy hobbit feet
- Hair: Tousle hair or use temporary spray color for reddish-brown curls
- Ring: Simple gold band on a chain around your neck
- Props: Walking stick, handkerchief tucked in pocket, small bag labeled “treasures”
- Accessories: Small toy sword (or make from cardboard), map drawn on tea-stained paper
Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)
He’s the moral compass of Maycomb. He stands for justice and equality when no one else would.
- Base: White button-up shirt with suit pants or any dark pants
- Suit jacket: Any dark jacket, the more vintage-looking the better
- Tie: Simple dark tie, slightly loosened
- Glasses: Wire-rimmed reading glasses or frames without lenses
- Hair: Neatly combed with a side part
- Props: Old hardcover book, legal pad with notes
- Accessories: Pocket watch, vintage briefcase or manila folder with “Defense Case” written on it
Creating Authentic Period Details
For Victorian Literature Characters (Sherlock Holmes, Jekyll & Hyde):
- Men: Vest from an old suit or thrift store find, pocket watch from dollar store
- Women: High-necked blouse, long skirt, cameo pin made from a button glued to ribbon
- Period accessories: White handkerchief in pocket, walking stick from a dowel rod with a doorknob
- Atmosphere: Tea set, magnifying glass, small notebook with “observations”
For Medieval/Fantasy Characters (Robin Hood, King Arthur):
- Tunic: Oversized t-shirt with belt cinched at waist
- Cloak: Bed sheet cut and hemmed or safety-pinned at your shoulder
- Sword belt: Old belt with a cardboard scabbard attached
- Boots: Cover shoes with brown fabric, felt, or even duct tape for a leather look
- Accessories: Pouch made from scrap fabric to hold “gold coins” (painted rocks)
For 1920s-1940s Characters (Gatsby, Sam Spade):
- Men: White shirt, suspenders (or ribbons), slicked-back hair
- Women: Simple dress with drop waist (tie ribbon around hips), headband with feather
- Accessories: Newspaper with relevant headline, vintage-style glass for drinks
- Atmosphere: Fedora hat, fake cigarette holder from a paper straw painted black
Remember, the best literary hero costumes combine iconic visual elements with props that tell the character’s story. Even simple items can create a recognizable costume when you add details that reference key moments from the book!
