Looking for an alternative to buying a ready-made Halloween costume this year? Here are 10 easy (enough) kids Halloween costumes you can make yourself and still keep your sanity.
1. Raining Cats & Dogs
This costume is easy enough, especially if your child already has a cute rain coat and galoshes. Add a clear umbrella with pictures of cats and dogs taped to it, and a few more hanging by strings, and you're done. (Shown in photo, from Parenting.com.)
2. Sushi
Perfect for a crawling baby, a red pillow (for tuna), orange (for salmon), or yellow (for tomago) is attached with a wide black or dark green sash to a "rice" baby dressed in white. Add a light green hat for wasabi, pink for sliced ginger, or a green spiky crown to resemble the plastic grass decoration.
3. Chef
All you need is a chef's hat, oven mitts, and an apron—and voila, one chef ready to go!
4. Train Engineer
Perfect for the train-obsessed child, an engineer can be simply created with striped overalls and a cap—add a red bandanna around the neck and a train whistle and your little one is ready to ride the rails.
5. Zebra or Tiger
Use black duct tape on white clothes to make a zebra, or black duct tape on orange clothes for a tiger. (Shown in photo, from Disney FamilyFun.)
6. Zoo Keeper
Dress your child in a khaki shirt or vest and cargo shorts or pants, and let him carry his choice of stuffed animal to be a zoo keeper. Add a large ring with keys to complete the look. If you're feeling ambitious, you can even make a vest from a paper bag.
7. Wood Nymph or Pixie
Wear brown clothing and attach branches, flowers, and leaves. For a pixie, just add a halo of ribbons or flowers and a little sparkly eyeshadow. If you have an old shirt or pants, cut them in a zig-zag pattern for another great addition to this costume.
8. Biggest Fan
If you have gear from a favorite sports team, dress your child in that and add face paint or hair spray in the team colors. If your child has a favorite movie or rock star, wear their tee shirt and add hair gel or color for a funky hair style. For an added touch, have your child bring an autograph book!
9. Christmas Tree
Working with a green base, decorate with Christmas ornaments and tinsel. Top off your creation with a bow, star, or a green party hat as the tree's top.
10. Karate, Ballet Dancer, or Soccer Player
Don't re-invent the Halloween costume! If your child participates in an activity she loves, let her enjoy wearing the uniform for Halloween. My daughter loves going as a ballerina, with her hair in a bun and a little sparkly eyeshadow.
Happy Halloween! Do you have more easy homemade Halloween costume ideas?
