Short on time? Quick creative costumes

Halloween is just days away! Whether you plan to trick-or-treat or “monster mash” all night, the clock is ticking. If you are still in need of a creative costume, look no further. TODAY style editor and Bobbie.com’s Bobbie Thomas has put on her magic hat and concocted a brew of last-minute DIY costume ideas that will have you ready for the big day.

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We’ve all been there — waited until the 11th hour only to realize that you still need a costume but don’t want to fight the crowds scrambling for the last prepackaged French maid. Here are a few affordable and easy options that only require one trip to your local Jo-Ann Fabrics (Joann.com) or Michael's craft stores (Michaels.com).

Go as a group
Gather the girls or guys and hit the town together as these throwbacks:

Troll dolls: Try as you might, there is no forgetting the famous Troll doll craze of the ’90s. And those lovable plastic toys with crazy hair and silly faces are easy to emulate. All you need is a nude leotard and tights ($12.50-$25; Welovecolors.com), a tutu ($70; Americanapparel.net), a can of temporary hair color ($4.99; Sallybeauty.com) and an empty water bottle. Place the empty bottle at the center top of your head and flip over. While upside down, gather all of your hair around the bottle and secure with a sturdy rubber band for an easy troll updo. Look to your own closet for any kind of fun, festive outfit — because remember, Troll dolls wore clothes too!

Pac-Man and ghosts: A clever idea for the guys that takes us back to the glory days of arcades is the iconic Pac-Man and the ghosts. For the man himself, get creative with a cardboard box, yellow paint and black duct tape. And for the entourage of ghosts, we used inexpensive fleece from the fabric store, however, you could turn to almost anything — colored sheets or old tablecloths or curtains. Add paper or felt eyes to complete the look.

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Theme couples
If you and your sweetie are looking for adorable duo-ideas:

Care Bears:Nothing beats comfort when you have a night of walking ahead of you, and you can create "his and her" Care Bear costumes without even leaving home. All you need is a matching hoodie and sweatpants, and a computer printer. Go online to find your favorite Care Bear belly graphic, print it out, and pin to the front of your top.

Sweepstakes: Make your wildest dream come true this year and go as the unsuspecting winner of the mega-sweepstakes and the check presenter. Wrap up in a old bathrobe and add a few curlers to your hair to achieve the famous “caught by surprise” look. Create a jumbo check out of cardboard and all he needs is an old suit jacket and tie to make you the luckiest woman on earth.

Fun ideas for him or her
These costumes will work for anyone still in need of a stand-out suggestion:

Kissing booth: Be the life of the party as the proprietor of a kissing booth. Cut a hole in a cardboard box and use black marker or alphabet stickers to advertise your services. Affix any thick fabric (we used inexpensive velvet from the fabric store) to the sides for curtains, and watch the ladies (or gentleman) line up.

Whack-A-Mole:Who could resist smacking that mole when you went to the arcade as a kid? Conjure up old memories of pizza and tokens by dressing as this long-lost friend. Using a cardboard box as the base, all you need is an animal mask with whiskers and a wiffle bat.

Tickled pink:A great occasion to get literal, this clever costume requires the bare minimum of prep. Search your closet for anything you may own in pink and pair with a feather duster to provide loads of laughs with your play on words

Cute kid costumes
It’s hard to say who has more fun picking out kid costumes — the children or the parents. Regardless, these suggestions will make yours the cutest kids on the block:

Cupcake:Nothing is as sweet as your little one, but this costume comes close. Use a laundry basket covered in foil for the tin cup and stuff with batting from your local craft store as frosting. We used pink spray paint and small pom-poms for an extra touch but you can get creative with any number of toppings.

Hot air balloon:Feel free to get carried away with this idea. All you need is a basket and four wooden dowels from any craft store. Cut a hole in the bottom of the basket, then use cardboard to create a top and attach balloons. We filled lunch bags with crumpled newspaper as faux weights and added suspenders to make it ready-to-wear.

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Mini-me
For the diaper set still too young for candy, here are a few “awww”-worthy ideas:

Pillsbury baby and baker: Create a Pillsbury “doughbaby” using a plain white onesie and child’s chef hat. Print the Pillsbury logo using a color printer and adhere to the hat. For mom, grab an old apron and rolling pin from the kitchen. For a little extra: Sprinkle flour over your clothes to give it an authentic touch.

Lobster and cook:Nothing’s cuter than a little lobster. All you need is a child’s red puffer jacket and an old cooking pot. Add pingpong balls for eyes and red piping for the antennule. For mom, just don a chef coat and hat.

Sugar Daddy and Tootsie:There are a ton of ways to turn your little one into a Tootsie Roll. Simply wrap them up in a blanket or a standard-size pillow case and either use your computer to print out the logo, or try your hand with markers. We used felt to copy the style of the candy wrapper. For dad, dress in all black and affix candy wrappers or printed images of candy logos with safety pins.

Spider mom and baby: The whole family can get in on this idea inspired by a little “wicked webbing.” Dress your baby in a black onesie and create spider legs out of men’s tube socks and batting from the craft store. Mom wears all white and attaches the baby with a black harness to create the spider and web look. All dad needs to tag along is to wear a net (also available at most craft stores) over his clothes to be an instant “catch.”