You ignored the telltale signs of the season: pumpkin-spiced lattes, costume pop-up stores, a bowl of candy corn on the receptionist’s desk at your office. But there’s no denying it any longer. Halloween has arrived, and your child needs a costume ASAP for all of the spooky parties and ghoulish events happening between now and October 31.
Before you run out to the nearest big box store and buy a costume you’ll see on every other kid who shows up at your door begging for goodies, you (yes, even you) can make a homemade Halloween costume with supplies you probably already have. Don’t worry about dusting off that sewing machine (what sewing machine?), — these easy, no-sew Halloween costumes are doable even for moms who are missing the craft gene.
The Bee
Level of craft ability: You can search for and purchase items on Etsy.
Time to make costume: 15 minutes
Materials:
- Black shirt/leotard
- Yellow duct tape
- Black headband
- 2 black pipe cleaners
- 2 yellow pompoms
Directions:
For the antenna:
- Glue a yellow pompom to one end of each pipe cleaner.
- Wrap the opposite end of the pipe cleaner around the headband two to three times.
- Position the pipe cleaners two to three inches from each other, spaced evenly from the middle of the headband.
For the bee body:
- Adhere strips of the yellow duct tape horizontally to the black shirt/leotard.
- Space strips of tape approximately two inches apart.
- Wear black tights or pants to complete the costume.
The Super Hero
Level of craft ability: You need a tutorial to learn how to load your glue gun.
Time to make costume: 30 minutes
Materials:
- T-shirt (T-shirt should be a few sizes too large for your child)
- Toilet paper roll
- Stickers, paint, markers, felt or other items for decorating the cape and wrist cuffs
Directions:
For the cape:
- Lay the T-shirt on a flat surface.
- With scissors, cut along the seams of the T-shirt, removing the sleeves and separating the front of the shirt from the back.
- Cut along the shoulder seams and around the collar, keeping the entire collar intact, but removing the front of the shirt.
For the wrist cuffs:
- Cut through the toilet paper roll length-wise, then cut the roll in half.
Decorate the cape and cuffs:
- Glue felt letters to the back of the cape, add star stickers, and paint or color the wrist cuffs.
- Get the kids involved and let them decorate the costume. This is a perfect Halloween project for a school-aged child!
The Lego
Level of craft ability: You can channel your inner Martha Stewart.
Time: 45 minutes hands-on; 24 hours for the paint to dry
Materials:
- Box
- Six medium-sized paper or plastic cups
- Red paint (or another common Lego color)
Directions:
- Find a rectangular box large enough for your child to wear.
- On the front/longer side of the box, place six cups upside-down in two rows of three.
- Trace around each cup so that you have a guide on the box showing where the cups should be placed.
- With a glue gun, put glue around the lip of each cup.
- Press the cup firmly to the box for 15 seconds to ensure that the cup adheres to the box.
- Paint the box and allow it to dry for 24 hours.
- Cut a hole it the top of the box for the head.
- Cut out the bottom of the box (for the legs) and cut holes on each side for the arms.
- Measurements for these cuts will vary based on the size of your child.
About the Author
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