DIY Halloween costume ideas for kids
Halloween is on the horizon, which means it's time to get crafty and brainstorm cute, creepy, and one-of-a-kind costumes for your little ones so you can trick-or-treat in style! Whether you have yet to settle on a daring disguise for your kids, or procrastinating on taking that stressful trip to those Halloween stores, have no fear because we are here to provide you with budget-friendly looks you can assemble at home.
Dedicated to making parenting simple for modern families everywhere, we at Doona have rounded up an ultimate list of last-minute DIY Halloween costumes for your kids that provide minimal prep time, are equally precious, and are more affordable.
Pretty piñata
The first DIY Halloween costume on our list is busting with cuteness (not candy) and colorful! Everyone loves the sight of a bright and vibrant piñata, so why not make your own at home? All you need is (a lot) of construction paper in multiple colors, some scissors, and some glue! Start by cutting strips of construction paper, about 2 inches by 4 inches, and make sure to get bright colors such as light pink, lime green, and sky blue. Grab an old pair of pajamas and start gluing! Decking your little one head-to-toe in an array of colors is the perfect way to kick off your evening of trick-or-treating.
Retro robot
A go-to of DIY Halloween costumes — the robot! For the base, collect all those cardboard boxes lying around and grab a bunch of different shapes. Cut out holes large enough to fit your child’s midsection, arms, and legs. Once you’ve measured everything out, it’s time to get painting! Acrylic paints are a quick, easy and affordable way to decorate your little robot-to-be. You can even get your kids to help you with the decoration. Once you’ve painted and designed your costume, put it together on your kids with easy-to-use duct tape, and the look is complete!
Mom's little mummy
The mummy costume is a classic. The quick, easy, and no-sew costume requires one material. Grab a ton of gauze, two or three-inch variety should do the trick. Then, get to wrapping! Kids get into the spirit of things being wrapped up head to toe like their favorite mummies. And, if you have some loose ends and frayed tips on your little mummy costume, that’ll make it look even more professional!
Freaky Frida Kahlo
Everyone loves the celebrated artist Frida Kahlo, and now you can dress your kid up as this iconic heroine! For a picture-perfect Frida costume, start with a brightly colored floral dress and a light shawl you can wrap around them. Next, create your flower crown with store-bought plastic flowers or wildflowers you pick in a garden. Tape or glue these flowers on a sturdy headband, and last but not least, draw a cute little unibrow — and everyone will know who they are!
Me cookie monster
If your kids are big fans of the munching monster, they will love this cozy DIY Halloween costume! To create this cookie creation, get your hands on blue hoodie and sweatpants, a couple of spools of thick blue yarn, and a hot glue gun. Next, glue 2–3-inch pieces of yarn across the hoodie and sweatpants, and don’t worry if it looks a little messy— the real cookie monster looks like that too! Then, grab two 4-inch styrofoam balls, color a black dot in the center, and stick those on top of the hoodie for his crazy googly eyes! A couple of cardboard cut-out cookies, and they’ll be ready to chomp across town!
Bat to the bone
This one you can wing, literally. A bat costume is super simple. Grab a black long-sleeved shirt and pants, a black headband, some cardboard, and a couple of square feet of black cotton material. Cut out a semicircle from the black cotton, then cut little half circles around the curved section. These will be their little wings. After, glue the top of the semicircle to the collar and the rest of the material along the sleeves. Then, cut two sharp pointy ears out of cardboard, paint them black with a magic marker, and stick them on the top of the headband. The little ones will be ready to fly from house to house collecting candy!
We hope our list of DIY Halloween costumes are the perfect solution for the spookiest night of the year. When the big night of trick-or-treating comes, you’ll want the best transportation to accompany you on your journey. Check out the Doona Car Seat & Stroller, the lightweight stroller that transforms into a car seat with the click of a button; plus our Liki Trike, the most compact folding trike on the market, with five modes of use to pair with your toddler’s growing needs. Have a happy Halloween!