Families choose to make homemade Halloween costumes for kids for a number of reasons. For some, it might be sentimental to craft a homemade costume because their parents made their costumes. For others, homemade costumes is an exercise in creativity, kind of like the unconventional materials challenge on Project Runway. And then, there’s always those who want to stand out in a crowd and simply can’t find the costume they want to wear in a store, so they make it instead.
Regardless of the motivation, homemade costumes can totally be your thing! Here are 10 household materials that can be glue-gunned, velcroed, taped, painted, and twisted into super fun homemade Halloween costumes for kids.
10 Creative Homemade Halloween Costumes for Kids
Cardboard Boxes
Recycle that cardboard box packaging into homemade costumes and feel good about your carbon footprint. Cardboard boxes can be used in one piece or cut into smaller ones to make costumes like this friendly lobster. A cardboard box can also be used to make robots, giant Lego pieces, a Rubik’s Cube, or a Barbie Box with a real life Barbie (your kid!) inside.
Plastic Plumbing Pipe
Once you get used to the idea that just about any material can be used to make homemade Halloween costumes for kids, you’ll find inspiration everywhere. Expanding and contracting plumbing pipe is great for adding volume and interesting shapes to costumes. Plastic tubing can be spray painted, stretched and shaped to create homemade costumes like this cool elephant one.
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LED Battery Light Packs
LED battery light packs are a dual purpose household item that is great for homemade Halloween Costumes for kids. On the one hand, LED light packs add excitement and fun to homemade costumes. On the other hand, they increase visibility for safety once the trick or treating begins. Consider different ways to incorporate LED lights into your child’s Halloween costume so you can feel good about their Halloween night safety.
Yarn
If grandma passed on her crochet or knitting skills, why not pick a piece of a costume and knit just that one piece to add a touch of handmade to your child’s costume. If your skill set doesn’t include the click and clack of knitting needles, yarn is just as easily shaped with rubber bands or headbands to make funny wigs and give the appearance of stringy things. A knitted crown here sits atop the head of the character Max from the children’s classic “Where the Wild Things Are.”
Bubble Wrap
Who knew bubble wrap, when combined with iridescent cellophane, could look so ephemeral? This cool Jellyfish costume is just one way to incorporate bubble wrap into homemade costumes. Moreover, this ocean creature will move about in ultimate comfort all day long.
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2 Liter Soda Bottles
Before you throw those empty 2 liter soda bottles into the recycle bin, why not rinse and paint them instead? Another good for the environment material to incorporate into homemade Halloween costumes for kids, 2 liter soda bottles can be used to make rocket packs, astronaut and scuba diver costumes.
Feathers
So maybe feathers aren’t quite a common household item, but they are easily obtained at the neighborhood craft store. Homemade costumes always look extra special with the addition of feathers. Any sort of bird costume, whether a fancy peacock or a cute baby chicken, can be assembled using store-bought craft feathers.
Tulle
Another common craft store material, tulle is easy to manipulate and is great for adding major volume to homemade Halloween costumes for kids. Tulle generally comes in lots of colors and can be shaped with rubber bands and elastic to give it form. Whether you’re making a fairy princess or a tornado costume, tulle-based homemade costumes make for great photos!
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Balloons
If you have leftover balloons from a party, blow those puppies up! Some ideas for homemade Halloween costumes for kids using balloons include things like sea anemones, gumball machines, a bunch of grapes, and more. Balloons add instant whimsy and volume to a costume, just be careful not to stand next to a sharp point.
Felt
Felt is a universal crafting fabric that handles the heat of a glue gun like a champ. On account of its resistance to high temperatures, it is a #1 choice for homemade Halloween costumes for kids. Felt-based Halloween costume possibilities are endless.
Homemade costumes needn’t be a huge time investment. It’s easy to get creative when you can turn to Pinterest or Google to get ideas and inspiration. As you begin to plan your costume, give yourself time to be creative. Make it a family affair and involve the kids in the process. Making homemade Halloween costumes for kids is a great way to make new family memories and share quality family time together.
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