Yesterday, one week before Halloween, my oldest son tells me as I pick him up from school, “Mommy I might not want to be a pirate anymore for Halloween.” As I looked at him with understanding because this is an annual occurrence, I calmly asked what he would like to be…His answer was that he’s not sure yet and he will let me know.
- Do you have an indecisive child who changes his (or her) mind 10 times about what he wants to be for Halloween?
- Do you have a child who simply refuses to select a costume until the very last minute?
- Do you have a child who wants to make her own costume?
- Do you have a child who is picky about the materials he or she will wear?
- Or do you have a child who, like mine, when choosing the pirate costume in the first place did not want the store-bought version of a pirate but rather found a photo of Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean (you know the major motion picture that probably spent millions on costumes alone) and wanted that?
If so, here are a few last minute, DIY costume options that may fit your budget, fulfill your child’s creative desires, and set the stage for a Spooktacular Halloween!
Thrift Shop Finds
Bargain shopping and Thrift Store hopping can be tedious and time-consuming seeing as you will never know what you might find on any given day, but when it comes to homemade Halloween Costumes, the prices cannot be beat. Creating a costume out of the treasure trove of cast-off items found in a multitude of your local thrift shops can result in incredible options that will fit any budget.
Additionally, you may find some neat items from days of old that give you inspiration and ideas for both child and adult costumes alike. There are plenty of shops with flapper dresses, 1980’s prom castoffs and poodle skirts to set you up for Halloween, costume parties or even some upcoming Holiday theme parties. The ability to mix and match wardrobe pieces from a usually large and mismatched selection of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, shoes and accessories allows your creativity to soar and with the super-low price tags you can alter – cut, sew, glue or velcro – pieces as need be with little to no concern.
Closet Compositions
Another quick and easy solution for DIY Halloween wear are items found in your own closet. Again, with the right mix and match, you can come up with selections made up of your children’s own clothing, ensuring not only that the outfit fits properly, but also that your child won’t complain about itchy material or uncomfortable tags.
As the parent who wears my own socks inside out because of the toe-seams and has ruined plenty of tops by cutting out tags in my day, I fully commiserate with children who cannot stand certain fabrics, seams, velcro closures, or the like. That said, a fun way to come up with a costume is to encourage your child to play dress-up in their own clothing, not to mention the cost-effectiveness of this solution.
Your child’s ballet or gymnastics attire is an ideal Halloween outfit. Soccer uniforms or the overalls and cowboy boots worn for work on the farm are simple and spirited selections. Pair a black dress or leotard with some ears and a tail and you have the perfect black cat costume.
There is no reason to break the bank on Halloween for a costume that will be worn once. Truthfully, many of the store bought costumes are hot, itchy, and if including a mask, worn improperly as the generic plastic masks make it hard for children to see or breathe, so they are usually kept up on the child’s head or removed completely.
DIY Dress-Up
All children, boys and girls alike, love to craft and create, so for many kids the idea of a simple DIY costume is a fun way to prepare for Halloween. Many of our children come home from school daily with paper crowns, beaded necklaces, and other artistic accoutrements they have so proudly made themselves.
Rather than you, the parent, taking all the credit (and stress) this Halloween trying to sew the perfect DIY costume, include the kids. Giving your child the opportunity to participate in making his or her own costume is a perfect way to get them excited about the holiday, keep costumes reasonably priced, and allow your child to happily and proudly display his or her own creation this year.
Here to help make that task fun, exciting and easy are the Seedling DIY Craft Kits for Kids. Chose from a wide selection of non-scary, Halloween-friendly options that allow your child to design his or her own accessories, which paired with a simple outfit make the perfect costume! Whether your child wants to be a bird, a bat or a butterfly, Seedling has the perfect set of wings ready to help your child soar this Halloween season.
Superheroes, princesses, mermaids and pirates also abound this year as your child can choose from a wide selection of kits made for boys and girls alike. Moms aren’t the only ones who love a good DIY project and these child-sized sets are a great way to get your kids involved and invested in selecting and creating their own ideal costume.
Unique in design, made specifically for children and simple to construct your child will love the costume options available and the ease with which he or she can craft alone. Unlike many craft kits for kids whereby Mom or Dad really has to do the majority of the work, Seedling has made sure to include all the necessary pieces and made them the perfect size for little hands. For additional costume ideas and inspiration check out Seedling on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Twitter this Halloween.
Halloween does not have to be scary, expensive, or stressful. It is really a simple holiday where the fun to be had is in the dressing up and imaginative play, all of which are huge developmental factors for our young children. Let them play, let them enjoy, let them pretend to be a bat, a pirate or a zombie, and let them have fun this All Hallows Eve!
Photo Credits: Kristin dePaula, Ashley Sisk, Megan Block-Brewer
