Whether you were born in the 1980s and grew up playing the old school Nintendo video games like Mario Kart or you just saw the awesome Super Mario Bros. Movie starring Chris Pratt as the ionic plumber, there's no denying the Mario universe holds fond memories for almost everyone. These instantly recognizable characters make for an excellent costume idea for your family or a group costume theme with your friends.
In this guide, we'll walk you through creating some DIY costumes featuring the characters from the Mario games, plus dropping some tips and accessory recommendations to give your looks an extra special touch. Let's-a-go!
DIY Mario Halloween Costume
To become the titular Mario of "Super Mario Brothers," you'll first need the base of your outfit: a set of denim coveralls and a red long-sleeve t-shirt. These two items go a long way in selling your look as the hero of Mushroom Kingdom. Next, grab a plain red baseball cap. You can emblazon Mario’s “M” onto this cap in a number of ways: use fabric paint or an iron-on patch from the craft store or print out a stencil at home and stick it onto your hat with hot glue. Now slip on some brown leather shoes or boots, and you'll be well on your way to collecting stars and coins on Halloween night!
For our facial hair-challenged men and friends, we've got you covered with our Mustache Accessory Kit, so you don't have to miss out on the fun of sporting that luscious Italian mustache our plumber friend is known for. If you've got other friends and family members dressing up in Super Mario Costumes, share the mustache love by having everyone pick their favorite 'stache from the pack.
DIY Luigi Halloween Costume
Creating a Luigi costume is just as easy as creating the Mario costume — only your signature color will be green instead of red. Pull a plain green long-sleeve t-shirt out of your closet to wear under your denim overalls, add your "L" initial to a solid green baseball or newsie cap, and slide on some sensible footwear. Just like that, our favorite green-clad plumber has come to life before our very eyes.
If you don't have overalls, or you want to show off your hard-earned plumber's physique, you can also opt for regular denim jeans and some snazzy suspenders to create the look of these beloved video game characters. And while you don't have to go as far as our friend in the picture did by adding a raccoon tail and ears, opting for specific details from specific moments in the games can be a subtle (or not-so-subtle) way of showing how much of a hardcore Super Mario Bros. fan you really are.
DIY Princess Peach Halloween Costume
Where would Mario be without his lovely Princess Peach? Probably living a safe — but boring — life somewhere in Mushroom Kingdom. And, we don't know about you, but boring just isn't our style. So if you want to create the constantly-kidnapped-but-still-pretty-in-pink princess from the video games, here's what to do.
The first and most important part of a Princess Peach costume is her pink princess dress. If a lush ball gown isn't accessible or your style, there are plenty of ways to make this costume your own. Pair a pink bodice or top with a matching skirt, opt for a more "modern" look by choosing any pink dress that's already in your closet, or ditch the skirt altogether and give Princess Peach a power suit moment. The possibilities are truly endless.
Once you've got that sorted out, you'll need to top off the look with a crown or tiara. You can buy a ready-made option that suits whatever aesthetic you're giving your princess, or make one yourself with some glittery construction paper and glue-on gemstones. Lastly, grab a pair of white gloves to finish the look.
DIY Princess Daisy Halloween Costume
If Mario needs his Peach, then Luigi definitely needs his Daisy! Creating a DIY Princess Daisy costume might be a little more challenging as yellow-and-orange is not the most common color combination — especially if you want to go for a screen-accurate ball gown look. However, if you're willing to get a little creative, we can help.
To assemble your unique Princess Daisy look, look for a yellow dress that you can pair with orange accessories and layers. If your dress is sleeveless (or you're handy with a sewing needle), find an orange t-shirt to layer under your dress to create Princess Daisy's iconic color combination.
If you can't find a yellow dress, the next best thing is a yellow t-shirt paired with an orange skirt to create a sassier look. Daisy is more adventurous and outgoing than her pink-clad pal, so honestly, this might even be more on-brand for her. Pop on your tiara, slide on some short white gloves, and bring along some sports equipment to really sell the look. Your Luigi won't be able to keep his eyes off you!
DIY Yoshi Halloween Costume
Yoshi is the green dinosaur-like companion of Mario and his friends, making him the perfect character choice for anyone in your group, regardless of age or gender. Not to mention, there are so many ways to create his adorable look that it can be suited to fit anyone's preferences.
One way to create your DIY Yoshi Halloween Costume is to find a matching set of clothes in Yoshi's iconic green coloring. These can be a shirt and pants, a hoodie and leggings, a dress, or any combination thereof. Next, grab some red, white, and black felt from the craft store. Cut the red and white felt into two large circles, with the red slightly smaller than the white. Attach these to the back of your top, and you've got Yoshi's little shell. Then, use the remaining white and black felt to create those adorable eyes. Attach those to your hood or a matching green hat, and you're good to go!
Some alternatives for creating this Halloween costume are to wear a green skinsuit instead of matching clothes or to take a shortcut and opt for a green dinosaur costume, bypassing all the cutting and gluing and trips to the craft store. Whatever route you choose to create your costume, a simple bonus addition to your look is Yoshi's egg, which you can make out of a large styrofoam ball with green spots added to it or even a green and white soccer ball.
DIY Wario Halloween Costume
Someone's gotta be the baddie, and if crashing a Halloween party sounds like your idea of fun, a DIY Wario costume is probably the perfect choice for you. While Mario and Luigi wear classic blue overalls, Wario's jumpsuit is purple. If you can't find purple overalls, you can opt for either purple jeans with suspenders or dyeing whatever overalls you can get your hands on. If you go with the dye option, we recommend finding the lightest-colored jumpsuit in your size so you don't have to go through the added process of bleach or dye removal.
Once you have your purple overalls ready to go, putting this Wario costume together is very similar to the Mario and Luigi costumes, with yellow as the signature color. Grab a solid yellow t-shirt and a matching yellow baseball cap to put your "W" initial on, slip into your best Goomba-crushing boots, and doodle on Wario's classic zig-zag mustache with some black face paint. Now you’re ready to cause some chaos in Mushroom Kingdom.
DIY Waluigi Halloween Costume
You probably know the drill by now, so we'll keep this one brief. To create this DIY Waluigi costume and become Wario’s partner in crime (and tennis), find some black denim overalls, a plain purple t-shirt, and a matching purple hat. Apply your upside-down "L" initial to the hat any which way you choose, and paint or stick on your mustache of choice. Chin prosthetics and purple nose paint are optional, but if you're chaotic neutral enough to opt for this costume in the first place, you're probably going to go all out. And we support that.
DIY Bowser Halloween Costume
Bowser might seem like one of the most complicated Mario characters to DIY, but if you're not afraid to get a little creative, it isn't too difficult. To create the body of King Koopa himself, you can opt for a yellow one-piece pajama suit or a yellow skinsuit, to which you can paint, glue, or iron on details like his reptilian belly and muscly arms and legs. Punk-inspired jewelry like studded bracelets can serve as Bowser's cruel accessories, and if you want to go the extra mile, pick up some silver nail polish to mimic his claws.
To create his spiky shell, buy a green backpack and hot glue cone-shaped pieces of styrofoam to the pack. Paint reddish-orange rings around the base of the styrofoam cones or wrap red fabric or felt around the bottoms for those extra details. Bowser's head and face are probably the hardest parts of this costume to DIY, so if you choose to go the store-bought route for this piece, we don't blame you. One way to DIY it, though, is to use a baseball cap and felt, fabric, and/or paint to create his large, menacing eyes and fiery eyebrows and hair.
DIY Toad & Toadette Halloween Costume
Lastly, it’s everyone's favorite protector and supporting character: Toad. This member of the Mario franchise with a penchant for tracking treasure protects Princess Peach from Bowser and his Koopa Troopas while working as her palace servant.
To make a DIY Toad Halloween costume, you'll need some white pants and a blue silk vest (or a blouse that you don't mind cutting the sleeves off of). Toad doesn't appear to wear a shirt. So, if that's your style, feel free to rock a screen-accurate, shirtless Toad for your Halloween costume. If you'd rather cover up, we recommend a white tank top or muscle shirt to throw under your vest. To create Toad's red-spotted mushroom head, you'll just need to decorate a white shower cap with red circles made from construction paper or fabric or drawn on with a marker.
Double the fun(gus) with Toad’s rosy friend Toadette! She wears a pink dress under her red silk vest, has a pink mushroom head with white spots, and wears some matching pink and white spotted mushroom accessories. Are they earrings? Are they her hair? Do Toad characters even have hair? These existential thoughts are questions for another day, but if you want to go for a Toad and Toadette couples costume this year, this is a pretty easy way to DIY it.
Let's-a-Go, Mario! (and Luigi, and Peach, and Daisy, and...)
The classic Nintendo video game characters from the Super Mario Bros. franchise are not only the source of fun-filled memories for kids and adults alike, but they also make for great DIY Halloween costumes for families and groups. With a few products from your favorite costume shop and some additional materials from the craft store, we hope you have fun bringing out your inner child with these super easy Super Mario Bros. Halloween Costume ideas.
