How To: The Guardians of the Galaxy vs. Halloween (DIY Costume Roundup)

The Guardians of the Galaxy have to be the most fun superhero team to have at a Halloween party. They dance, they break the rules, and they definitely have the grooviest music. So the Guardians are a great bunch to pick from for your Halloween costume — or even for a themed group costume. Just imagine the badass vibe when you all walk into a venue together with Star-Lord blasting "Cherry Bomb" from a portable speaker.

Here's a roundup of some of the best Guardians of the Galaxy costume guides out there — read on so that you too can be a bona fide Guardian of the Galaxy ... or the Halloween punch bowl.

1. Mantis

Mantis is a great choice if you want a convincing costume, but also want to look gorgeous at the same time. This tutorial covers not just Mantis' signature antennae, but a knockout makeup routine that'll have you looking your best self ... if your best self had some antennae.

It definitely helps to have solid makeup chops, but otherwise, it only really involves very basic sculpting of moldable plastic and some generous application of silicone molding compound. Getting the antennae to stick just right might take several tries, though, so make sure you budget enough time for that — this isn't a last-minute costume, for sure.

2. Nebula

Nebula's makeup is direct and in your face — just like Nebula herself. There's no extensions, or props, or sculpting. It's nothing but paint and makeup, so your costume is entirely a test of your brushwork. So Nebula might be one to avoid or a chance to strut your stuff, depending on your skill level.

You'll need a bald cap (unless you're already bald, of course), a little liquid latex, and some very confident lines and shading. For more info, check out this tutorial from Vikki Axel Jones that we've broken down into a step-by-step tutorial.

3. Gamora

Her notoriety is intergalactic. She's devastating with blade and blaster alike. She will not dance until she damn well wants to. And, it turns out, her costume won't run you more than $5. The good people at Koalipops have cobbled together a scrappy iteration of the green Guardian from nothing but random black fabric, glossy duct tape, aluminum foil, green body paint, and colored hairspray. Definitely a winner in the "procrastinator" category.

When it comes to low-cost, low-effort, last-minute Halloween ideas? Gamora saves the day.

There are a few other ways to go about your green Gamora makeup, so make sure to check out our roundup of looks as well, to make sure you have the best fit for your Halloween costume.

4. Groot

This next one is gonna be a lot more involved (you are a homo sapien trying to look like a bipedal tree, after all). Professional makeup artist Shapeshiftermua has come up with a costume based on papier-mâché to achieve both the flatness and the bark-like texture of Groot's face.

This costume will require a lot more patience and fortitude than skill. You'll have to apply the papier-mâché evenly and then allow it to dry on your face before painting it to look like you are, well, a tree. We'd say the final result justifies the work involved, but don't take our word for it, check out Shapeshiftermua's work for yourself:

5. Star-Lord

If you're willing to put in the amount of work that the Groot costume demands, but don't quite want to wear a small tree's worth of wet tissue paper on your face, then Star-Lord might be your guy, because Star-Lord's mask can be made entirely out of old materials like cardboard and newspaper! Peter Quill's mask is intricate and has lots of little components, which is precisely what makes it look so impressive on Dali Lomo, the hobbyist who came up with this DIY take on Star-Lord.

It might be a high-effort costume but the best part — beyond how cool it looks on its own, of course — is how well it goes even with regular clothes. Check out Star-Lord in a varsity jacket below, and tell me that isn't a killer look.

Did the Guardians save you from reusing your costume from last year? Or did you decide to come up your own DIY Guardians costume (Yondu, perhaps)? Let us know in the comments below!

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