DIY Kids' Halloween Costumes

[sparkles2307]

OK, when I was younger, we never would have dreamed of BUYING a costume. Which was fine, because our mom is a mater seamstress and whipping up a few costumes was not only easy, but she loved doing it. I am NOT a seamstress... I can sew buttons, I can crochet, and I can quilt. THat is it. I dont WANT to spend 40 buck on costumes... but I seem to have become creatively disabled lately and need some ideas for home made costumes... 5 and 4 yo boys.

 

[SarahFair]

I bought a wolf mask once much like this one:

My mom found matching "fur" and made me a costume. it looked really good!

 

[Fuzzy_Hat_Farm]

I tried to get SO's son to go out last year as the roaming gnome from the expedia adds. Pair of rubber boots, big blue shirt with black belt, beard and hair with fiberfill stuffing, and a santa hat without the ball on top. carry a suitcase for all those goodies!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

What are their favourite books, cartoon characters, etc.?

Start with a sweat shirt and pants in appropriate colours, then sew or glue on appropriate trim, or iron on patches. Kinkos can make an iron on patch from a picture you provide.

I loved making my kids' costumes, some were pretty easy, some more difficult.

A long rectangle with a hole for the head cut out in the center can be a knight's tunic (paint or iron on a shield or emblem), put a belt on top and add a toy sword and stick horse.

Turn the tunic into Robin Hood by adding a triangular cap with a feather and a bow and arrow, or into Peter Pan by adding a flickering LED votive light under the edge of his shoulder and sprinkling him with glitter.

Get a dress shirt several sizes too large and put it on so that the collar is on top of his head (use a swim noodle or football shoulder pads to fill in the shoulders of the shirt) and the front buttons are around his face, which you paint to match the shirt. Add a cape on top and give him a plastic pumpkin and a stick horse and you have the Headless Horseman

You can add fur and hoods to make them into Maxx and a Wild Thing. (of just fur and tails and hats/hoods and face paint to turn them into various animals).

Large and colourful shirts and pants can be turned into a pirate outfit.

 

[wegotchickens]

DD will be a panda. Black sweatsuit & sneakers. Then add a 'tube' of white fur pinned around the middle, a white hood with black ears sewn on, and black gloves. Paint the face white with large black rings around the eyes, black nose & lips. Ta-da!

We did a sheep in her younger years much the same way, but used fleece fake fur rather than furry fake fur. The fleece was made into a pillowcase shape with holes for her arms & head and her legs out the open bottom of the 'case'. The hood had longer floppy fleece ears. It was cute.

 

[ams3651]

i had the idea for a turtle for my son but he wants to be a pirate, again. Green sweat suit and a piece of poster board cut into an oval and painted like a turtle shell. Another piece cut out and painted like to go over his chest with thick yarn connecting the two over his shoulders.

 

[ams3651]

Oh and his pirate is easy too. a red bandana over his head. cut out a large rectangle of black fabric, large enough to wrap around him a bit, measure on him and mark where 2 arm holes will be cut out. cross over in front like a vest and tie at the waist with a red and white striped shash. the corners will flap over like a double breasted jacket. Took an old pair of jeans and cut the bottom jagged, we wear long johns under around here. and an old pair of dirty boots. it was great.

This is what he decided he wanted to be the day before after i spent a month making a shark costume.