Running out of time but still want your child to look great for Halloween? Try these easy, no-sew costumes made of stuff you probably already have at home or that you can snap up inexpensively at a Dollar Tree store. Of course, you don’t want to leave out the little ones. Babies can “dress up” with a character hat and coordinating bodysuit. Use a hat with ears, for example, with a coordinating body suit for a bear costume.
Take plenty of Halloween costume pictures so you won’t forget how terrific they look. Pose your trick or treat pictures on the porch, like a traditional family photo, or get creative with posing. Shoot some photos from inside with the door framing the photos, and from outside behind them, like they’re knocking on your door. Playful poses, such as hunkering gleefully around a pile of candy or interacting with each other ramps up the fun, too.
If you plan far enough in advance, consider professional Halloween costume photos to create keepsake trick or treat pictures you’ll treasure always. Or book a professional family portrait in Halloween costumes–Mom and Dad included. You can carry out a consistent theme or go diverse.
Do it Yourself Ninja Costume
- child-sized sweat pants
- adult, long-sleeved black t-shirt
- white chalk or puffy fabric paint
- two empty paper towel tubes
- black marker or black construction paper
- 12″ cord
- stapler
- cardboard 24″ x 3″
- aluminum foil
Cut the front center of the tee vertically. Trim the sleeves to size and trim off four inches from the tee’s bottom hem. Cut the trimming in half lengthwise. On one side of the chest and on the back, write Chinese characters or a yin/yang symbol with white chalk or craft paint. Allow to dry. To wear, overlap the front sections snug against the body and tie off the newly formed tunic with the belt made from the material from the bottom of the shirt. The other half of the trimmings forms a headband.
To make nun-chucks, color two paper towel tubes black or cover with black construction paper. Staple on the ends of the cord. Cut out a sword from the construction paper and cover the business end with foil. Color the handle black.
Simple and Easy Ewok Costume
- Brown Blanket or Swaddle
- Knit Cap & matching Bib
- Small Felt/Knit Ears
Swaddle your baby in the brown blanket. Then a-fix the ears to the cap via hot glue or safety pins. Put the bib on your baby, then the hat. Before you know it he will be one of the tribe and singing Yub-Nub all night long.
Ribbons & Glitter Fairy Costume
- swimsuit, or snug-fitting t-shirt in pastel color; bike shorts or skirt in pastel color
- 24″ of string or elastic
- fabric scraps in coordinating pastel colors (sheer fabrics are preferable)
- shimmery eye shadow
- eye pencils in assorted colors
- hair chalk
- craft glitter
- bamboo skewer
- ribbons 10-24″ long
- glue
Child wears the swimsuit or other clothing as the base. Make the fairy skirt by fitting the string or elastic to the child’s waist. Tear the fabric into long, narrow strips. Loop varying lengths of torn fabric around the waistband string and pull the loose ends through the loop until snug. Cover the entire waistband.
Apply exaggerated eye makeup and fanciful designs with blue and green eye pencils. Search online for “fairy makeup” for flowery, shimmery and sparkly ideas.
Apply streaks of pastel hair chalk. Or, braid in ribbons and use flower barrettes. Sprinkle on glitter afterwards.
Make a fairy wand by gluing lengths of ribbon to the pointy end of the skewer. You can cover the area where they’re glued on by affixing a silk flower or flower barrette to the end.
Classy TV News Reporter Costume
- dressy, mature looking outfit
- toy microphone
- small cardboard box less than half the length of the toy microphone handle
- white paper
- glue
- marker
After the child dons the grown-up looking clothes, arrange the child’s hair in an adult-appropriate style. For boys, draw on a mustache with an eye pencil. A string of pearls and lipstick adds maturity to girls.
Glue white paper onto cardboard box. Allow to dry. Cut two holes to fit the handle of the toy microphone through the top and bottom of the box so the child can hold the microphone below the box. Write “CNN” or the letters of your favorite news source on each side of the box or, print the logo from their website to glue on.
Food Fun Zombie Costume
- old clothes
- black eye pencil
- white school glue
- oatmeal
- hair gel
- corn syrup
- red food coloring
Tear the old clothes. Once the child is dressed, rub black eye pencil 1″ around each eye so they appear sunken. Randomly apply white school glue sprinkled with oatmeal to the skin. Muss hair with hair gel. Make fake blood to dapple the clothing and skin by mixing corn syrup with a few drops of red food coloring.
Basic French Artist Costume
- black shirt and pants
- beret
- black eye pencil
- 8″ by 8″ piece of cardboard
- various colors of construction paper
- small paint brush
Pencil on a thin mustache with the ends curled. For the palette, cut the cardboard in a kidney bean shape. Cut a small thumb hole near the edge. Glue the paint brush and circles of paper in various colors all over the palette.
