DIY Halloween costumes

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5 DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids

By Ariane Signer

Halloween is one of the most exciting times for young kids, and for good reason! Getting dressed up and doing the rounds of the neighbourhood to collect candy: what could be better?

As parents, though, we will inevitably face the yearly demands to fork out an exorbitant amount of money for the purchase of a new, cool costume. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with buying your child a new Halloween costume, many of them are cheaply made (usually with synthetic materials), and not worn more than once. We all know that for every ‘reused and recycled’ costume, there are probably 3 or 4 others that are banished to a closet or basement, never to be worn again.

“We all know that for every ‘reused and recycled’ costume, there are probably 3 or 4 others that are banished to a closet or basement, never to be worn again.”

Anecdote time: When I was growing up (it was the 90’s) there were several budget-friendly and sustainable ways to procure a cool Halloween costume. One option was to rent (yes, I DO remember the year my older sister rented an obnoxiously large Garfield costume), or to have a crafty parent create something out of household items. When I was eight years old, my dad cleverly created my ‘blue Princess’ costume. With a little imagination, a garage sale dress, some blue face paint and a baton from the Dollar Store that we already had at home, he managed to spend exactly zero dollars on my costume (and there were definitely no other kids dressed like me that year).

Before opting for a new store-bought costume, you might want to consider some of these great DIY costumes for kids.


Black Cat Costume

Dressing a child up as a black cat is very, very easy. This is a really good choice for young toddlers who still think simple things are cool. All you need is a pair of black pants and a long-sleeve black shirt, and a pair of headband ears (you can get these virtually anywhere during Halloween season)! The rest is all in the makeup. Depending on your makeup application skills, you can either keep it simple with some whiskers and a pink nose, or go all out and do a full-face.

5 Minutes for Mom shows us how to take the
black cat costume up a notch >

Witch Costume

Another Halloween classic, every child should be a witch at least one time (in my case, it was 5 times). Re-purpose an old black blouse or t-shirt dress by cutting out a zigzag pattern around the sleeves and bottom hem. Pair this with a witch hat (also very easy to find around Halloween at a reasonable price), and voila! You can also add long witchy nails, spooky makeup and wild hair.

Country Living gives plenty of tips to create witch
costumes for the entire family >

Scarecrow Costume

I tried a DIY scarecrow costume (as an adult) a few years ago, and it was really fun to do, and required no additional materials than what I already had at home. The outfit consists of a plaid blouse and jeans (even better if they are slightly worn or frayed), a bandana to be worn around the neck, and some leaves. Follow a YouTube tutorial for the makeup. As with all DIY costumes, these tutorials will range from super easy to more difficult. Choose what works for you based on your skills and time allowance. For kids with longer hair, you can put their hair in pigtails and tease the bottoms a bit and then attach some dry leaves to their hair with bobby pins.

5 Filly Flair has a great, easy
makeup tutorial >

P B & J Costume

This is the cutest cardboard costume idea ever. What kid doesn’t like a P B & J sandwich? This clever costume literally requires nothing more than cardboard and paint. It will definitely be a costume that will get people giggling. Perfect for a school Halloween party, and fully recyclable once Halloween is over!

Playtivities shows us how to turn your child
into a P B & J sandwich >

Mummy Costume

A spooky staple, the mummy is one of the most iconic Halloween figures. The most basic costume can be created with toilet paper, but we have an idea that’s one step above in sophistication. The only thing required for the costume are some old white t-shirts, a pair of jogging pants (per child), some white cotton fabric, and black tea for dyeing the fabric. If you want to make the costume fancier, it can be sewed with additional lace and tulle, otherwise, you can just wrap your child up and given them some mummy makeup to complete the look.

Polkadot Chair has a great step-by-step guide
to make your mummy come alive >

About the author: Our copywriter, Ariane Signer has been writing journal rants and random lists since she was a little girl. A self-published author, she has found a way to turn her passion into her life's work. When not running after her two young sons, Theo and Jake, she enjoys hiking, music, and reading.

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