Don’t Be Afraid: Best DIY Halloween Costumes for Girls and Boys
It is easy and inexpensive to make your own Halloween costumes. Find out what your child or children would like to be and go from there. Have some suggestions ready in case they need a starting place. Once the costume is decided, it’s time to make a list of all the items you will need. Some items you will already have in your house. Finding the items for the costume can become a fun scavenger or treasure hunt for your child or children.
For items which you do not already have, make a list of items you need to create a Halloween costume. Some tin foil and cardboard will work for an angel’s wings. You could also make a sword for a pirate for knight, or for a spaceman. Pipecleaners can serve as antennas or a way to attach construction paper or felt ears for any number of animals your child might choose to be: a cat, a mouse, a dog, a monkey or a lion.
The idea in making Halloween costumes is to get creative. After all, it’s a time of imagination, dress up and pretend. All those tissue and cereal boxes sitting in the recycle bin? They can be covered with aluminum foil and taped onto existing clothes to create a robot!
You can accessorize the costumes with store-bought items if necessary, especially ones which will not be outgrown like hats, wigs or special Halloween makeup.
One of the top costumes for this Halloween will be a Pirate. What you need: a bandana, a sword made out of cardboard and tin foil tucked into a large belt, a patch made out of construction paper and string, a striped shirt, baggy pants and black boots (optional). Also add fake beard stubble with hypoallergenic black make up pencil. Variations: A white shirt or a torn t-shirt with a vest instead of the striped shirt. Make a pirate hat out of construction paper. A clip-on gold hoop earring or other costume jewelry works too. This costume can be made for a girl or a boy. A girl could also wear a plaid skirt.
Wizards, Witches and Fairies, Oh My Wizards and Witches will continue to be popular costume choices for children this Halloween, For a wizard, a cape or long shirt that is royal blue, purple, black or red, any color will do, really. Sew or attach construction paper stars to the shirt or cape. You can make a hat and a wand out of construction paper. For a witch, your girl can dress in all black, make a hat with a black scarf attached, and find or use a small broom. For other magical creatures, like fairies, wings made of cardboard can be decorated with pastel colors and glitter. Your fairy can wear any pretty outfit she has, such as a costume from a dance recital or a festive dress, which all transform well into a Halloween costume.
Superman and Superheroes Always a popular costume for kids, even when its not Halloween, is the superhero. If the weather permits, warm superhero pajamas can pass as a costume. You can make a mask with construction paper and glitter and string, although most children won’t wear it for long. A simple red t-shirt with a big “S” on it and a piece of material for a cape will also fly…ahem….pass. Your boy or girl does not have to be an existing superhero, they can make up their own. They will need to pick a color for a cape and a letter for their superheo name this Halloween.
Animals For Halloween animal costumes, have your child dress in an appropriate color: white, brown, black, etc. You can make any thing you need with cardboard, construction paper, masking tape and pipe cleaners, including ears, tails, stripes, spots or wings. For the animal-loving child consider a butterfly, ladybug or a bird, a cat or a dog, or something more exotic like a lion or a zebra.
Many More Other options for Halloween child costumes include occupations, scary creatures, royalty, and basically anything you and your child can imagine. If your child wants to be something completely imaginary or different, help them to envision and create their character and their costume. Consider it a fun challenge to create something unique with your extraordinary child.
