Thrift for Halloween: DIY Costumes & Store Finder

Good(Will) Witches: Your Ultimate DIY Costume Guide

Halloween is the ultimate fast-fashion moment—cheap, single-use outfits designed to be worn once and thrown away. But your costume doesn’t have to contribute to waste!

Palmetto Goodwill is here to show you how to create stylish, unique, and sustainable outfits by thrift shopping. Join the Thrifted Halloween Costumes SC movement this year!

1. Why Thrift for Halloween?

Thrifting is the key to creating unique costumes that nobody else will have. Plus, it supports our mission to fund job training and education programs right here in South Carolina.

Halloween promotion graphic showing a hand reaching from a tombstone with the text 'Dig Up Your Perfect Costume,' encouraging thrifting for Halloween at Goodwill.

Three Reasons to Thrift:

Sustainability: Halloween costumes are notorious for generating textile waste. Instead, buying secondhand keeps usable items out of landfills. This promotes eco-conscious practices.
Unique Style: Skip the generic store kits. Thrift stores let you find vintage pieces and one-of-a-kind accessories. This helps you create truly creative, individualized looks.
Budget-Friendly: You save money while shopping. This means you can have more budget-friendly options without sacrificing quality or style.

2. Inspired Looks: Easy DIY

You don’t need a professional sewing kit to win Halloween. Instead, you need creativity and a good eye for pieces you can use after the holiday is over.

Good(Will) Witches: Classic and Creative

This year, channel your inner good or bad magic by creating a simple witch or sorceress look:

The Witch: Start with a base of black clothing—a dress, sweater, or leggings—which you can easily wear again. Then, just add a pointy hat, a thrifted choker, or chunky combat boots.
Glinda the Good Witch: Find a flowing, pink or white dress or gown. Add a wand (a thrifted stick or craft supply) and a simple crown to complete the look.

Two women dressed as a Good Witch and a traditional Black Witch, demonstrating thrifted Halloween costumes made using Palmetto Goodwill clothes.

Witches and Sorceresses: Find unique costume foundations, like flowing dresses and boots, that you can incorporate back into your everyday wardrobe after Halloween night.

3. Pop Culture and Group Costumes (90s & 00s)

Group and couples costumes are always a high-readability hit! The best trends for thrifting use recognizable streetwear that you can find easily in our stores.

Retro, Fun, and Easy Costumes:

90s Grunge: Think flannel shirts, oversized graphic tees, and combat boots—all staples easily found in our used clothing sections.
The Scooby-Doo Gang: This is simple to recreate. For example, look for an orange sweater and pleated skirt for Velma, or a purple dress for Daphne. Finally, just add simple accessories like glasses or a scarf.
‘Ohana Forever’ Looks: Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, and bright, colorful clothing are key. Plus, you can thrift simple red or green tops and hula skirts for a family-friendly theme.

Two children dressed in Pop Culture costumes (Lilo and Stitch theme), illustrating easy and affordable thrifted group costume ideas.

Ohana Forever: Thrift simple, colorful pieces and accessories to create fun, family-friendly costumes without generating textile waste.

4. Your Role: Shop Local, Fund Training

Your thrift purchases are directly tied to our mission: providing Digital Access Job Training and essential employment services.

Find Your Next Costume and Fund a Career:

Shop Secondhand/Start Thrifting: When you shop at Palmetto Goodwill, over 91¢ of every purchase funds job training, education, and employment programs in our community.
Maximize Your Mission: Find the perfect Thrifted Halloween Costumes SC needs by visiting your local store.
Find Your Local Store Now: Ready to start your thrift hunt? Use our Store Finder to locate your nearest Palmetto Goodwill retail store and donation center.