Baby Bruce
Why we love it: Top all other Halloween costumes by dressing him up as the Boss himself. He might not understand how awesome this is now, but on a #TBT sometime 20 years from now, you’ll get the credit you deserve.
What you'll need: White crew neck T-shirt, wrist sweat band, red bandanna, blue jeans
How to make it: Cut a white tee to create a distressed V-neck. Roll up sleeves for an extra macho look, add a wrist sweat band and top with Bruce’s signature tied-back red bandanna.
Scuba Divers
Why we love it: Perfect for your underwater lovers.
What you'll need: Two empty soda bottles, spray paint, black tape
How to make it: Spray paint the bottles, decorate with tape and use rope or ribbon to attach. A black shirt and pants works as the perfect DIY wetsuit. Top the look off with goggles and flippers!
Great idea from: delineateyourdwelling.com
‘80s Baby
Why we love it: Super comfy and retro cool—we can’t think of a better combo for your exerciser-in-training.
What you'll need: Leggings, onesie, leg warmers, knit headband
How to make it: Layer a onesie over leggings, preferably in a cool ‘80s color combo. Top leggings with leg warmers (cut another pair of leggings to fit if you can’t find leg warmers) and finish with a headband. Boombox optional!
Rock-Paper-Scissors
Why we love it: Put a fun spin on the holiday with this funny group costume.
What you'll need: Cardboard box, white paint, clear round plastic tray, glue gun, blue tissue paper, tape, aluminum foil, empty detergent bottle and caps
How to make it: Make scissors by cutting out construction paper and wrapping the points with tin foil.
Great Idea From: asmallsnippet.com
Phone Home
Why we love it: Dress your E.T.-obsessed kid up as his favorite character.
What you'll need: Bike, E.T. Stuffed animal, basket, red jacket, towel
How to make it: Put the stuffed E.T. in the basket with a towel, attach it to the bike with zip ties… flying powers not included.
Great Idea From: rookiemoms.com
Wishy Washers
Why we love it: We’re sure you’ll agree—It’s never too soon to get them excited about doing laundry. And it’s a load of fun to make!
What you'll need: Cardboard box, white paint, clear round plastic tray, glue gun, blue tissue paper, tape, aluminum foil, empty detergent bottle and caps
How to make it: Paint a cardboard box white to use as the washer. Cut out a circle in the center of the box and insert a round plastic tray for the window. Fill tray with blue tissue paper to create water and line edges of the circle with aluminum foil (attach with glue). Open the bottom of the box to make room for legs and cut two holes on each side for arms. Cut another hole on top for the head and top with an empty detergent bottle. To make the dial area, cut a strip of cardboard using scraps from the bottom of the box (about 6-inches-tall and the length of the box), and attach to top/back of the washer with tape. For dials, use laundry detergent caps covered in tin foil.
Mousetrap
Why we love it: Perfect for first time trick or treaters, this mousetrap costume will catch everyone's attention!
What you'll need: Wagon, pvc pipes, spray paint, wood plank
How to make it: All you need is PVC pipes for the trap and a wooden plank to place on top of the wagon. Finish it off with some red masking tape and a sponge cut to look like cheese.
Great Idea From: coolest-homemade-costumes.com
Cotton Candy
Why we love it: If your kid has a serious sweet tooth, show it with this adorable cotton candy outfit.
What you'll need: Cotton batting, pink spray paint, poster board
How to make it: Just hot glue craft cotton batting to a basic t-shirt then spray paint it pink! Top this look off by twisting a piece of posterboard into a cone.
Great Idea From: costumeworks.com
Bee Real
Why we love it: She’ll be buzzing with happiness about this very wearable, graphic (good for nighttime trick-or-treating!) bee
costume. Customize it any way she likes it—a zillion stripes, fairy wings—she calls the shots!
What you'll need: Black pants, yellow T-shirt, black felt, fabric glue, yellow paint, Styrofoam balls, black and yellow pipe cleaners, glue gun, black headband, wings
How to make it: Cut strips of black felt and attach to yellow shirt using fabric glue (sewing optional). For the antennae, twist black and yellow pipe cleaners together and push ends into yellow painted Styrofoam balls, then secure with hot glue. Wrap the ends around the headband to attach.
Salute to Sarge
Why we love it: This Toy Story-inspired costume brings his favorite army dude to life with one can of green spray paint.
What you'll need: Old baggy pants, old shoes, an old jacket, a helmet, toy binoculars and any other army accessories, spray primer and green spray paint, green nylon face mask (optional)
How to make it: Spray every item with at least two coats of primer, then three coats of paint. Let dry overnight. Green nylon face mask optional.
Sail the Seas
Why we love it: He’ll be the coolest Viking warrior on the block, and you’ll be patting yourself on the back for a truly inspired use of everyday materials.
What you'll need: Long-sleeved white shirt, brown pants, two brown fluffy toilet seat covers, leather string, brown leather belt, boots, plastic Viking helmet
How to make it: Trim the elastic off of one toilet seat cover and cut out a small circle for the neck. To turn it into a cape, cut a small hole on each end, thread string through and tie shut. Then add more string around the arms. For the boots, trim
the elastic off the other toilet seat and cut it in half. Wrap the pieces of the toilet seat cover around each boot and tie with leather string.
What’s the Weather?
Why we love it: Recent Halloweens have taught us that when it comes to New Jersey weather—anything goes! Plus, with this costume your kid gets to wear their dress up clothes another time before outgrowing them.
What you'll need: Dress shirt, dress pants, dress shoes, tie, leather belt, hair gel, umbrella, newspapers, tape, paper towel roll, black paint, Styrofoam ball, cardstock, hot glue
How to make it: Dress your little reporter in his fancy clothes (keep shirt half-tucked, attach tie and pin it over his shoulder like it’s being blown by the wind). Use gel to slick his hair in a windswept style. Bend umbrella inside out and attach newspapers to his shirt and pants using tape. For the microphone, paint a paper towel roll black. Fold a strip of cardstock into fourths, tape the two ends together to make a square and decorate with a news channel logo to make the microphone flag. Paint a Styrofoam ball black and attach flag to the paper towel roll and the ball to the top of the flag with hot glue.
Jaw(s) Dropper
Why we love it: Any costume DIY that starts with a gray sweatshirt we already own is a winner in our book.
What you'll need: Gray sweatshirt, white, black and gray stiffened felt, fabric glue
How to make it: Attach felt to the chest using fabric glue or by sewing in place. Cut out a strip of jagged triangular teeth and glue or sew around the hood, and attach black felt for eyes. Don’t forget the dorsal fin on the back!
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