Trick or Treating on a Budget

Published October 1, 2017

5 Inexpensive DIY Costumes Your Kids Will Love

Halloween is right around the corner, and with Halloween comes trick-or-treating! It’s always so fun to see all the kids out in their scary/pretty/funny costumes…but if you’re like most parents, you probably don’t want to shell out a lot of money for an outfit your child will only wear once. With that in mind, we’ve come up with a list of DIY costumes that will make your little one (and your wallet) happy. So bust out the hot glue and scissors and get ready to make a costume your kids will love.

Ghost

You can’t get any more classic than a ghost costume, and this version beats the plain old white sheet any day. Simply head over to your local fabric store and grab white fleece, black felt, and fabric glue. Click here for a step by step tutorial to make the cutest darn ghost you’ve ever seen.

Harry Potter

What screams Halloween more than the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? This is a ridiculously simple costume, and it only requires a few outside materials. For a classic Harry Potter outfit, pair khaki or black pants with a black or gray sweater vest on top of a white button down. Then grab a Gryffindor scarf (or make one, if you’re particularly handy with a knitting needle) and Harry’s signature glasses. These items can be purchased on Amazon or your local Party City. To complete the look, don’t forget to paint on the lighting bolt!

Fairy

Turn your little one into a woodland fairy for Halloween! Every fairy has to have a poofy skirt, wings, and a flowery headband. Luckily, this is all easy to make and quite cheap. Click here for a tutorial on a no-sew fairy skirt and here if you want to make homemade fairy wings. If the fairy wings are a little too crafty for you, a pair of ready made wings are fairly inexpensive and can be found at almost any store that carries costumes. Last but not least, head to the dollar store for a cheap headband and a few fake flowers. All you have to do is glue these flowers to the top of the headband, and voila!

Superhero

What child doesn’t want to be a superhero? But before you head to the store to spend a bunch of money on Superman and Batman costumes, hit the Internet, first—it’s actually quite easy to make your own! For a tutorial of 8 DIY capes you can make click here. Just pair the cape with matching leggings or tights, and your tot is ready to take on the fiercest villains!

Lion

This costume is sweet, simple, and perfect for Halloween. All you need is a yellow shirt, yarn, scissors, and brown eyeliner for the whiskers and nose. For a full tutorial on this easy DIY costume, click here.

We hope these costume ideas make Halloween prep a little easier. Do you have any other clever ideas? Show us pics of your little ghosts and ghouls on Twitter or Facebook! Here’s wishing you a safe, fun, fang-tastic Halloween!


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