DIY Haunted Portraits Costume: Easy 25-Min Build

DIY haunted portraits costume built from old-fashioned dark clothes per person and gray and white face paint, non-toxic

AI-generated concept photo

Pictured: four haunted ancestors in a gilt frame.

Time25 minEffortEasy

⏱️ We timed it, but results may vary.

Plan this costume →No signup · 2 minutes.

Gray makeup, old-timey clothes, and a gilt frame you hold. You're the painting. About twenty-five minutes, easy: old-fashioned dark clothes, gray and white face paint, and a large picture frame. Hold the frame at chest height and go still when people look.

1 of 4 things covered, counting basics we assume you have.

Tap a supply to tick what you own.

Still need:

old-fashioned dark clothes per personGray face paint +1Hair spray

Update my pantry

Tip: dust the hair with gray powder and add white highlights on the cheekbones.

Materials

1 set old-fashioned dark clothes per person, e.g. a vest, long skirt, or button-up (make: use your closet)
Gray and white face paint, non-toxic, 1 set (buy: drugstore)
1 large picture frame or cardboard frame per person (buy: thrift store for the frame, or make from cardboard)
Hair spray or powder for a grayed look, 1 (buy: drugstore)

Steps

Paint each face pale gray.
Add white highlights on the cheekbones and nose.
Gray the hair with the hair powder.
Dress in old-fashioned dark clothes from the closet.
Hold the frame up around the face like a living portrait.
Pose together in a row of frames for photos.
Keep the face paint light around the eyes.
Optional pro finish: dust the hair with gray powder and add white highlights on the cheekbones.

Start this costume in the planner

Common questions

How do you hold the frame up all night?

You do not: use it for photos only, and set it down between shots. Holding a frame for hours is exhausting; the portrait pose is a photo bit.

How do you gray the face without looking dirty?

Paint the face pale gray, not dark, and add white highlights on the cheekbones and nose. Dark gray reads as dirt; pale gray with highlights reads as a painting.