DIY costumes: How Glasgow students are beating the cost-of-living crisis with creativity

Halloween at uni is basically the Met Gala, but instead of couture, it’s charity shop finds, makeup hacks, last-minute Amazon buys, and an old bed sheet you’ve somehow transformed into a ghost, toga, or “last-minute angel.” With the cost of living still squeezing student wallets tighter than the Hive queue on a Thursday night, Glasgow students are proving that a good costume doesn’t have to cost a fortune – just a bit of imagination (and maybe some duct tape).

Forget overpriced Party City fits or £40 Amazon disasters – this year, it’s all about the DIY look. A pair of wings made out of cardboard and tin foil? Iconic. Fake blood made from food colouring and syrup? Resourceful. That oversized leather jacket you wear every day? Suddenly, you’re a vampire.

“I just raided my flatmate’s wardrobe,” says one student at a West End pres, proudly sporting an all-black outfit and a red scarf. “Now I’m a devil, I think? Or maybe a vampire. It’s interpretive.”

It’s not just laziness — it’s economics. Between rent, bills, and Tesco meal deals climbing in price, students are getting creative out of necessity. A quick scroll through Glasgow’s student TikTok scene reveals a goldmine of hacks: Turning an old white shirt into a pirate blouse, cutting up tights for a “grunge fairy” vibe, or just reusing your graduation gown for literally anything gothic.

And there’s something kind of charming about it. The DIY look has that chaotic, “I made this in the last 15 minutes before pres” energy that somehow works. It’s more authentic, more fun — and, crucially, more sustainable. Fast-fashion Halloween hauls are out; upcycled, slightly questionable outfits are in.

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One student summed it up best outside Garage: “Why spend £30 on Shein when you can spend nothing and still look unhinged?”

So this Halloween, expect to see Glasgow’s finest in duct-taped masterpieces, eyeliner-heavy monsters, and costumes that only make sense after explanation (“I’m an ‘existential crisis,’ obviously”). Whether it’s genius or chaos — or both — the DIY spirit is alive and well.

If your costume survived the night (or didn’t), we want to see it. DM @thetab_glasgow on Instagram with your funniest, most creative, or most cursed DIY looks — the best ones might just make it into our Halloween roundup.