Ugh, your kids came at a bad time. They're beggin' and cryin' for the season's costume du jour: One of the characters from Netflix's runaway hit KPop Demon Hunters. And with just a few days until Oct. 31 it's hard to see how your Halloween is gonna be, gonna be golden.
Don't despair. It's not a takedown. Things are looking up, up, up because it's your moment to create a do-it-yourself look. And we've tapped lifestyle expert Veena Crownholm—who regularly shares her DIY prowess online and on air—to show you how it's done, done, done.
"DIY costumes are so much fun because there's nothing better than being one of one Halloween night as you're trick or treating," the QVC brand ambassador explained in an exclusive interview with E! News. "So, if your kid comes to you and says, 'I want to be one of the hit characters from KPop Demon Hunters,' you can still do it. That's what I love about DIY."
She pulled her classic Rumi look by adding patches, felt, puffy paint and electrical tape to a pair of black leather shorts (found at a thrift store) and yellow jacket.
"The Rumi look is actually simpler than we're thinking," insisted Crownholm. "So you need some shorts, black shorts, denim shorts. Again, you can still run to the craft store and get your electrical tape. I have on fishnet tights with a little bit of rhinestone just to give it a little bit of shine."
She also added silver and pink electrical tape onto her existing black boots and then, with the jacket, "Have fun decorating with whatever it is that you can find."
And whether your kid is drawn more toward HUNTR/X lead Rumi and her standout purple braid, rap specialist Zoey and her space buns or pink-haired Mira, a smart strategy is to start close to home.
"Go shop in your closet first, see what pieces you have," suggested Crownholm. "Then go to the thrift store, see what else you can find, and then maybe The Dollar Store. And I think somewhere in there, you can decide whether you want to do more of the 'Golden' look, or maybe you want to do more of her other look."
And if she's sharing nothing but the truth now, you can even do a blend.
"It's not going to be the exact look," she acknowledged, "but it's going to be your kids' perfect look for Halloween."
The one must for any wannabe Rumi is her signature purple braid.
"For those of you that are thinking, maybe the Rumi braid looks more difficult than it is, there is no braiding involved," she explained. "It's actually tiny rubber bands that you're going to fold behind itself so a lot easier than you think. You can add in some gold ribbon or trinkets to give it that extra little golden shine, but then you're just going to pin it into your own hair. And that's it."
And if you truly want to be shinin' like you're born to be, you can add a Derpy-themed candy container.
Starting with a $2 plastic pumpkin pail, "I did blue metallic paint, and then I had fun with some paint pens," said Crownholm. "And then I added rhinestones, just because I wanted to have a lot of fun, and I added whiskers with those light up toys that you get, a little bit of clay, a little bit of felt on the ears."
Bottom line, she added, "Go have fun finding materials, source what you have at home, and then just create."
Locked and loaded, you were born for this. There ain't no point in avoiding it. But if you're looking for more inspiration, check out the killer costumes stars have served up so far this spooky season.
Paris Hilton
As Tinker Bell, the "Stars Are Blind" singer brought some magic to Vas Morgan, Michael Braun and Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves' Halloween bash.
Mindy Kaling
The TV star did her best impression of Timothée Chalamet cheering on the New York Knicks.
Kourtney Kardashian & Travis Barker
The Poosh founder and Blink-182 drummer wanted to live like Jack and Sally.
Kris Jenner
The Kardashians star donned a sexy ringmaster look for the big day.
Justin Trudeau & Hadrien Trudeau
The former Canadian Prime Minister and his son had a fintastic partner costume.
Sherri Shepherd
The Sherri host channeled her inner Morticia Addams in this Wednesday-inspired look.
Sheinelle Jones
It's been umpteen Halloweens on The Today Show and Sheinelle has done it again in a Beyoncé-inspired look.
Craig Melvin
Nothing compared 2 the Today co-anchor's homage to Prince.
Lindsay Lohan, Bader Shammas, Luai
The Mean Girls star and her family are ready to save Gotham City with the trio dressing up as Batman.
Gigi Hadid
The model and her daughter Khai—who she shares with ex Zayn Malik—were a monster-fighting duo dressed as characters from Disney's Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires.
Mariah Carey, Morocco & Monroe
The family celebrated Halloween in Japan.
Kelly Clarkson
The Kelly Clarkson Show host underwent a film-noir makeover.
Today Show
The entire Today crew embraced the spooky spirit.
Savannah Guthrie & Jenna Bush Hager
Being Miranda Priestly and her real-life counterpart Anna Wintour at the same time? Groundbreaking.
Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos
The Live hosts kicked off their Halloween episode with Hamilton-inspired looks.
Al Roker & Carson Daly
The Today Show hosts costumes Rocky III costumes were a total knockout.
Demi Lovato
She's been freed. The "Heart Attack" singer paid homage to her internet meme alter ego, Poot Lovato, for her Halloween costume. As she wrote on Instagram, "been so locked in this era thought i’d let pootvato out."
Leah Kateb
Bow down to the Love Island USA season six finalist's ravishing red ensemble inspired by Princess Jasmine in Aladdin.
Trisha Paytas
Refreshing! The podcaster joined husband Moses Hacmon and influencer Oscar Gracey for a group costume as the Saja Boys from KPop Demon Hunters.
Kourtney Kardashian
The Kardashians star let fans in on her Bride of Frankenstein look.
Tana Mongeau
The LA-based influencer swapped coasts for the night, curling her blonde locks to channel Sex and the City icon Carrie Bradshaw.
James Charles
Complete with smudged red lipstick and costume jewelry, the YouTuber looked terrifying as Gladys from the recent horror hit Weapons.
Andy Cohen & Bette Midler
Iconic as ever, Bette recreated her self-titled 1973 album cover while on the red carpet for her New York Restoration Project Annual Hulaween fundraiser. Andy was also in attendance, donning Andy Warhol's signature black turtleneck and silver locks.
Val Chmerkovskiy & Jenna Johnson
The Dancing With the Stars pros brought their son Rome to trick or treat at the Disney+ Halloween Fest, hosted at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif.
Sophia Umansky and Alexia Umansky
RHOBH star Kyle Richards' daughters enjoy Tequila Don Julio signature cocktails at their private Halloween party in Los Angeles.
Ben Platt & Noah Galvin
The couple went all out for Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project Annual Hulaween fundraiser. Ben dressed as Hugh Hefner while Noah transformed himself into a stunning Playboy Bunny.
Chloe Bailey
“IMA WHOLE LOTTA WOMAN,” the singer-songwriter captioned her all-gold ensemble, emulating Foxy Cleopatra from Austin Powers.
Paris Hilton
Paris paid tribute to a fellow 2000s icon, recreating Britney Spears' latex red body suit from the "Oops!... I Did It Again" music video.
Natalia Bryant
The model flashes a big smile at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights on Oct. 25.
Kim Kardashian, North West & Kris Jenner
The trio proved their internet knowledge, with Kim dressing up as TikTok star Jay Guapo and North dressing as Jay's younger brother, known as Pink Cardigan. Kris also joined in on the fun, dressing as Jay's mom, Chrissy G.