Zombie and vampire costume ideas

Zombie costumes and vampire costumes are the two classic spooky looks, and both can be made at home with old clothes, a little makeup and a cape. This page gives fifteen ideas that stay family-friendly, shows non-gory makeup approaches, and covers the safety points around fangs and contact lenses that costume sites often skip.

Two looks, two moods

A vampire is neat. The clothes are formal, the face is pale, and the cape does the talking. A zombie is untidy: torn clothes, uneven hair and a stumbling walk. The vampire look comes from literature and film. Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula was published in 1897, and the 1931 film Dracula starring Bela Lugosi fixed the picture of the caped, formally dressed vampire for later audiences. The modern zombie is mostly a film figure, and the creatures in George A. Romero’s 1968 film Night of the Living Dead are the best-known starting point for the stumbling, gray-skinned screen version. For more history of both, see the guide to classic movie monsters.

Vampire looks

1. The classic count. Black trousers, a white shirt, a waistcoat and a cape with a tall stiff collar and a red lining. The collar is the signature: stiffen it with a strip of craft foam sewn or glued inside.

2. The vampire in evening wear. A dark suit or a long dress, gloves and a brooch. A pale foundation base and dark red lips suffice.

3. The gothic vampire. All black lace and velvet, dark eye makeup and a long coat. Old clothes in thrift-bin black work well, and a lace scarf adds period detail.

4. The friendly vampire. A short cape, a bright bat on a headband and a smile. No fangs, no blood, just a drawn widow’s peak. Perfect for little ones.

5. The vampire hunter. A long coat, a wooden-stake prop of painted foam and a satchel with garlic cloves made of felt. A funny reverse of the classic.

6. The vampire family. Parents and children in matching capes and complementary dark colors. A small bat prop on a string can go with each.

Zombie looks

7. The classic zombie. Torn shirt and trousers, gray face paint, shadowed eyes and messy hair. The fastest way to the look is to rip clothes, rub with dry brown paint and mess up the hair with a little water and hands.

8. The zombie office worker. A shirt, a loosened tie, a name badge and a coffee cup, with a gray face. The prop makes it a joke instead of a scare.

9. The zombie bride or groom. A wedding outfit torn at the hem with a drooping flower. Dip the hem in tea for a faded tone.

10. The zombie sports fan. A worn jersey with a blank number, face paint in two colors and a foam finger. Good for school events.

11. The zombie chef. A stained apron, a chef hat bent at an angle and a cardboard spoon. Use paint, not food, for the stains.

Other undead and creepy looks

12. The ghost. A white sheet with large eye holes cut high enough to see out of, worn over a dark outfit. Hem it above the ankle for walking.

13. The skeleton. Black clothes with bones painted or taped on in white. Reflective tape makes a good glowing bone for night safety.

14. The mummy. Strips of white fabric or gauze wrapped loosely over a plain outfit and fixed with safety pins. Leave the face and joints loose so the wearer can move.

15. The shadow ghoul. Dark gray hooded robe, gray face paint and a lantern with a battery tea light. Keep the hood wide so the child can see sideways.

Non-gory makeup approaches

For zombies, use pale gray-green paint over the whole face, add a darker tone under the cheekbones and around the eyes with a sponge, and dab a few bruise shapes in purple and yellow. For vampires, use a pale base, a touch of gray under the cheekbones and dark red lips. Keep wounds, scars and blood out of the picture for young children: a bruise is as expressive as a gash, and far less upsetting at the front door.

Rules for all makeup: use products made for skin, patch test on the inside of the arm a day before, keep paint away from the eyes unless the product is made for that, and wash it off with a recommended cleanser before bed. The costume makeup guide covers techniques in more detail.

Teeth and contact lens warning

Fangs. Use only fangs made for the mouth, ideally soft and secure. Do not give them to toddlers or children who tend to chew, eat or run with things in their mouths. Face-painted fangs avoid the risk completely.

Contact lenses. Do not use novelty or decorative contact lenses unless you have a prescription from an eye doctor. In the United States, decorative lenses are regulated as medical devices, including those with no vision correction. An ill-fitting or shared lens can scratch the cornea or lead to a serious eye infection. If you want a creepy eye, use makeup around the eye, never on a lens.

How to choose

If you want something quick, pick a vampire cape or a zombie office worker. If you need to move all night, avoid a long cape or stiff mummy wraps. Families with small children can choose the friendly vampire, the ghost or the skeleton, which look spooky without being scary. For a group, pick different zombie backstories. Fans of larger horror characters can browse the horror movie villain guide, and more age-based builds appear in the kids costumes section.

Comfort and safety notes

• Hem capes and sheets above the ankle, and fasten capes with hook-and-loop that releases.
• Keep eye holes, hoods and masks wide enough to see sideways. Skip full-face masks for small children.
• Use fake blood sparingly or not at all, and check that it is skin-safe. It can stain clothing.
• Do not use real candles, lanterns with flames or dry fabric near fire. Battery lights are safer.
• Reflective tape on the back of a dark costume helps drivers see trick-or-treaters.
• Do not use novelty contact lenses without a prescription from an eye doctor.

More on makeup, masks and fabrics is in the costume safety guide, and the costume ideas guide has other themes.