- DIY Halloween is gaining momentum, with searches for “DIY costumes” up 653% year over year as customers look for more personalized ways to celebrate the season.
- Michaels’ online projects make DIY more approachable, with step-by-step Halloween costume inspiration, project instructions and supply lists that customers can add directly to their cart.
- Michaels’ expanded Knit & Sew Shop offers 1,600 new products, including fabric, yarn, sewing and needlecraft supplies for everything from simple costume details to fully handmade looks.
Michaels is fueling the joy of creativity and celebration this Halloween by helping shoppers put their own creative spin on the tradition of dressing up. Halloween has always been an opportunity to become someone, or something else, for a night, but this year, more consumers are turning to DIY projects, specific aesthetics and personalized details to create costumes that feel less like something they bought and more like something they made.
According to Exploding Topics, searches for “DIY costumes” have surged 653% over the last year, while Brandwatch data shows social conversation around “DIY Halloween” has grown 52%. The shift reflects a broader desire to make Halloween more personal, whether that means recreating a favorite pop culture moment, putting a handmade twist on a classic character or transforming something already sitting in your closet.
“A Halloween costume is such a fun way to show your creativity,” said Stacey Shively, Chief Merchandising Officer at Michaels. “You can sew something from scratch, transform what is already in your closet or add a few unexpected handmade details. At Michaels, we want to make it easy for everyone to take inspiration and turn it into something that feels completely their own.”
From inspiration to made-by-you
The internet may provide the inspiration, but increasingly, consumers are taking those ideas offline and making them their own. Pop culture and nostalgia are fueling this year’s DIY Halloween looks, with creators drawing inspiration from Labubu, cardboard UFOs, 90s pop culture and other throwback aesthetics to create handmade costumes.
Michaels’ online projects help turn those ideas into action, offering step-by-step instructions for costumes inspired by popular movies, fan-favorite films and shows, and more, along with dozens of other Halloween projects. Customers can explore a project, see exactly what supplies they need and add those supplies directly to their cart.
For creators looking for simpler options, there are other projects like a skeleton crochet top and Spider-Man-inspired jacket offering ways to add a handmade element without creating an entire costume from scratch. And because they‘re designed to be more than a one-night costume, these pieces can live beyond October 31.
Michaels also offers ready-made costumes online, giving shoppers options to find a look they love or use a ready-to-wear costume as the starting point for their own creative touches.
Making the costume is part of the fun
The growing interest in costume-making is also fueling demand for the materials behind the looks. Searches for “Halloween fabric” are up 19% year over year with customers experimenting with everything from sherpa and satin to thrifted textiles, fabric paint and specialty fabrics to create custom costumes, ghost décor, wreaths, treat bags and more
For creators ready to take their costume DIY further, Michaels’ expanded Knit & Sew Shop features 1,600 new products across fabric, yarn, sewing and needlecraft, giving makers more ways to sew, embellish, alter and customize their Halloween looks. Whether it’s a simple alteration or a costume built from the ground up, the assortment gives creators the materials to bring an idea from inspiration to finished look.
And the desire to make Halloween extends beyond costumes. Michaels recently unveiled “Hobbyween” to celebrate the growing interest in hands-on Halloween traditions, from crafting and decorating to creating personalized pieces for the home. In fact, 70% of Michaels shoppers say they DIY their own Halloween décor, showing that for many consumers, creating Halloween has become part of the celebration itself.
Visit Michaels.com and Michaels.ca to find everything needed for DIY costumes, décor and more. For costume inspiration and step-by-step tutorials, visit Michaels.com/projects.
