A great way to build a DIY zombie costume is in five parts: aged clothes, a pale face, tangled hair, shoes, and a little grime. The clothes and the grime come from a thrift store and the pantry. For the fiddly two, our Long Black Rocker Wig handles the hair (100% polyester, one size fits most adults) and our Colonial Buckle Boot Covers slip on over your own shoes, each cover 3.5 inches tall.
You choose the look: an old-fashioned jacket or an everyday one, hollow eyes or stitches, buckled shoes or plain dark ones, a long wig or your own hair. Each part below has a DIY method and, where it helps, a ready-made option. If you would rather start from a ready-made costume, our zombie costumes page lists them, and our zombie costume ideas guide covers the wider field. For the full range of frights, start at our scary Halloween costumes guide.
What parts make up a DIY zombie costume?
Five parts carry the look: clothes, face, hair, shoes, and grime. The clothes come from a thrift store, the grime from the pantry, and the face takes a pencil made for skin. Hair and shoes are the fiddly two, and our range covers both. The table sets the DIY method next to the ready-made option for each part.
| Part | The DIY method | Ready-made from our range |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes | Thrift a dark jacket and a pale shirt, then tear, stain, and dirty them | Nothing to buy; the thrift store has this one |
| Face | Pale base, shaded hollows under the eyes, and stitches on a cheek, a brow, or closed lips if you like | Prefer a ready-made look? Browse our zombie costumes |
| Hair | Tease a wig or your own hair into tangles; any length or color works | Long Black Rocker Wig, one size fits most adults |
| Shoes | Plain dark shoes, or covers with buckles for an old-fashioned finish | Colonial Buckle Boot Covers, one pair, slip on over your shoes |
| Grime | Rub dirt, ash, or cocoa powder into seams and knees | Nothing to buy; the pantry has this one |
How do you age clothes for a zombie costume?
You age fabric with three things from the kitchen and the toolbox: strong tea, sandpaper, and scissors. Soak a pale shirt in cooled strong tea for 30 to 60 minutes until it turns the color of old paper, then dry it flat. Sand the cuffs, elbows, and collar edge of a dark jacket until the nap lifts, and snip a few small tears you can pull wider with your fingers.
An older-style jacket gives an old-fashioned look, and an everyday jacket gives a modern one, so pick whichever suits the zombie you have in mind. Leave one sleeve hem frayed and rub cocoa powder into the knees and elbows, and the clothes stop looking like clothes you bought.
How do you do zombie makeup with a patch test first?
Test the makeup on your arm at least 24 to 48 hours ahead, then build the face: a pale base, shaded hollows under the eyes, and stitches if you want them. The FDA advises that you test makeup at least 24 to 48 hours in advance, with a small amount on the arm of whoever will wear it, and that you should not use colors that are not approved for their intended use, which matters most around the eyes.
For stitches, draw a row of six to eight short parallel lines with a black pencil or face paint made for skin, on a cheek, along a brow, or across closed lips, and let each line run a little past an imagined seam so it reads as thread.
Liquid latex gives the stitches a raised look, and it is optional. Apply it only to skin, never on the lips, inside the mouth, or near the eyes, and lay cotton thread on top of a thin coat so that nothing passes through your skin. Never thread a needle through skin. Skip latex entirely if you have a known latex allergy. Otherwise, patch-test it at least 72 hours ahead, because Cedars-Sinai notes that one type of latex allergy causes a delayed skin rash 1 to 3 days after exposure.
When the night is over, take the makeup off the way the product label directs, and never sleep in it, which is the FDA's advice too. Peel latex off gently from the edges, following the label, before you wash.
How do you get tangled zombie hair?
Tease a wig or your own hair against the grain with a fine-tooth comb until it clumps, then pull a few strands across the face. Our Long Black Rocker Wig is a long mullet shape, with the hair falling at the back and sides, so tease those sections hardest and leave the top flatter.
Long, black, and ready to tease into tangles
The Long Black Rocker Wig is 100% polyester, a long mullet-style cut, and one size fits most adults. Secure it firmly before you head out, because longer wigs can shift during active wear. It is hand wash only: reshape it after washing, let it dry completely, and keep it clear of heat sources and open flame.
What can you put on your feet?
Plain dark shoes work, and buckled covers add an old-fashioned finish without buying new shoes. A pair of covers slips on over your own shoes.
Gold-tone buckles that slip on over your own shoes
Our Colonial Buckle Boot Covers are black vinyl with gold-tone metal buckle detail, sold as one pair, and each cover measures 3.5 inches tall and 3.38 inches wide, with buckles 2.5 inches long and 2.75 inches tall. They are one size fits most adults and designed for ages 14 and up. To clean them, spot clean or wipe with a damp cloth, then let them air dry fully before you store them flat.
How do you make a DIY zombie costume for a kid?
Keep the face to a face-paint pencil, skip the latex, and let the clothes do the rest. Kids are a big part of our zombie orders: between April 22 and October 11, 2026, more than three in five orders on our US website that included a zombie-named item included a kids' item.
The National Retail Federation's 2026 Halloween survey expects children's costume spending to reach $1.5 billion. For ready-made kids' zombie costumes, see our kids zombie costumes page and our guide to zombie and undead costumes for kids.
A ready-made kids zombie, jagged hems and all
If you would rather skip the thrift run, our Boys Zombie Prisoner Costume comes with a black-and-white striped top and pants with jagged hems and blood splatter details, a prisoner hat, and a plastic wrist cuff chain with Velcro fastening. Every costume goes through over 30 measurement checks. It is 100% polyester with an elastic waistband, and sizing runs by age and height, so use the size guide on the page to choose and go up a size if your child sits between two.
How do you look after the pieces afterward?
None of the three ready-made pieces goes in the washing machine. Hand wash the Long Black Rocker Wig, reshape it afterward, and keep it on a wig stand or flat between wears so it holds its shape. Wipe the buckle covers with a damp cloth and store them flat. The prisoner costume takes a cold hand wash, then dries flat in the open air, away from direct heat.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need for a DIY zombie costume?
You need a dark jacket and a pale shirt to age, makeup made for skin, a wig or your own hair to tease, and something for the feet. Our Long Black Rocker Wig and Colonial Buckle Boot Covers are each one size fits most, and the jacket and shirt come from a thrift store.
How do you make zombie makeup look realistic?
Uneven edges tend to look more realistic than clean ones. Start with a pale base, shade under the eyes and along the cheekbones in gray and brown, and finish with a little dirt at the hairline and jaw.
How do you draw zombie stitches?
Draw a row of six to eight short parallel lines with a black pencil made for skin, on a cheek, along a brow, or across closed lips, letting each line run a little past an imagined seam. Test the product on your arm at least 24 to 48 hours ahead.
Can kids wear a DIY zombie costume?
Yes. Use a face-paint pencil, skip latex, and add a ready-made piece if the thrift store run is too much; our Boys Zombie Prisoner Costume is sized by age and height.
How do you wash the Long Black Rocker Wig?
Hand wash only; do not machine wash it. Reshape it afterward, let it dry completely before the next wear, and keep it clear of heat sources and open flame.
