Homemade Halloween costume ideas for kids incorporate materials you already have with a wonderful opportunity for parent and child interaction. In addition, a homemade kid’s Halloween costume is easy on the family finances. Did I mention they are no-sew?
The Ballerina with the Homemade No-Sew Tutu (excellent for toddler girls)
Materials: Five yards of tulle, one-inch wide elastic band, scissors, stapler, tape measure, duct tape
The centerpiece of this homemade Halloween costume is the tutu. Invest in multi-colored tulle and cut strips measuring three, five and seven inches in width. Measure the child’s waist and cut the elastic band to fit snug but not tight; add an inch and cut. Staple the band together.
Place a piece of duct tape over the staple to avoid any injury. Take a tulle strip and tie it to the elastic band; the knot faces the front, as do both portions of the tied tulle. Play around with the lengths of the strips, if you like. Continue on until all the strips are tied around the band.
Putting it together: Dress the child in onesie and thin pajama pants. Add the tutu. Use an extra piece for her hair. Do not forget some comfortable shoes for trick-or-treating!
Racecar Driver (works well for toddlers and elementary school kids)
Materials: Stapler, clear packing tape, scissors, parenting magazine, duct tape
Dress the child in an old jumpsuit, coverall or snug-fitting sweater and sweatpants. If at all possible, keep the colors blue or red, although white is another good choice. Cut out company names and symbols from ads in the parenting magazine. Laminate them by placing clear packing tape over the paper.
Staple the laminated ads to the outfit. Remember to put a piece of duct tape on the inside of the garment to cover the staples! Complete the outfit with an optional baseball cap.
Homemade Kid’s Halloween Costume on the Fly: Black-eyed P (great for preteens)
Materials: Duct tape, scissors, makeup
My child suggested making a homemade Halloween costume that would be known as a black-eyed P. Dress the child in green (or yellow) clothes and affix the duct tape to the front of the sweater so that it forms a big letter P. Apply a big ring of black eye makeup around one eye. All done!
Hit the Highway (good for boys ready to let go of their Matchbox cars)
Materials: Hot glue gun, yellow and white reflective tape, toy cars
Among the homemade Halloween costume ideas for kids, this one can get to be the most creative. Once again, it is a no-sew homemade Halloween costume. The canvas is a grey outfit, preferably a sweatshirt with matching sweat pants. Make road markings on the front of the legs and on the torso.
The reflective tape serves as center divider for the roads, material for arrows, and also to spell out stops along the highway. Hot-glue the toy cars to the simulated road; make sure to go easy on the knees so that bending and sitting won’t dislodge anything.
Optional: Get creative and print out a famous highway marker, such as Route 66, laminate it with clear packing tape and staple it to a baseball cap’s back. Remember to cover the staple on the inside of the hat with a piece of duct tape.
Lego Block (any age)
Materials: Spray paint, big but narrow box, box cutter, hot glue gun, six plastic cups
The Lego motif makes a great kid’s Halloween costume, but it is somewhat labor-intensive and requires planning. This is not something to whip up on the fly!
Start out by determining the size of the needed holes. The box must be narrow, so that the child can maintain normal arm positions. Cut a hole for the head, two holes for the arms, and a hole in the bottom through which the body fits. Determine the color to use by finding an outfit consisting of a sweater and pair of pants that are of the same color. If all else fails, choose two distinct colors.
Hot-glue the six plastic cups (opening down) onto the front of the box. Spray-paint the box in your chosen color to match the outfit. Let everything dry and apply a clear coat. Once the box is uniformly colored and dry, suit up and go out for candy!
