Julie Finn
Why bother with a homemade Halloween costume for a kid?
Because homemade costumes always get more candy!
If you’re looking for inspiration, check out my favorite DIY kids’ Halloween costumes, below. Your kiddo will be the cutest little pumpkin/zombie/glow cloud/zombie clown out trick-or-treating this year!
1. Bat
This homemade bat costume is a lot cuter–and a lot warmer–than the store-bought bat costumes that you’ll see.
2. Bowser
This DIY Bowser shell is probably my favorite thing on the planet right now.
3. Cotton Candy
I’d be wary of putting this costume on an under-three who’s still mouthing everything, including stuffing that’s attached to her body, but this would be a super cute–and frankly pretty warm–costume for a preschooler.
4. Cow
The udder on this costume is EVERYTHING.
5. Dragon
Use this tutorial to turn a hoodie into most of a dragon costume, and then your favorite leggings pattern to sew the bottoms. If you need something quicker and easier, these DIY dragon wings require NO sewing!
6. Ice Cream Cone
I love that this costume is created almost entirely with fabric paint! And the outfit is so cute that your kiddo can wear it as everyday clothes until she grows out of it and can hand it down to another little ice cream cone.
7. Mummy
I think that this costume could work for a kid of any age, just remember that the bigger the kid, the more bandages you’ll need.
8. Peter Pan
If you can find green leggings, then this homemade Halloween costume gets even easier!
9. Pineapple
This baby costume is super easy to make–just make sure that if you’re embellishing with felt, you attach it super securely to the onesie, because it’s a choking hazard.
10. Scarecrow
If your little kid has overalls, then you have practically everything that you need for this scarecrow costume!
11. Snail
I LOVE this costume idea for a little kid, especially one who is not loving the idea of bulky clothes, wigs, or a mask. The brown paper bag snail shell is light and out of the kid’s way, and they can wear whatever they find comfy along with it.
12. Stick Figure
This is a great costume for an older kid who both still feels little enough to want to trick-or-treat and awkward about wearing an elaborate costume. This stick figure costume is quick and simple, and winky without being too cringe.
13. Superhero
If your kid doesn’t get too fussed about details, then a basic superhero costume is easy to make. You simply need play clothes in the correct color, felt, and a cape.
14. Duct Tape Skeleton
The skeleton is the opposite of the stick figure and is good for a littler kid who wants to wear a costume, but also doesn’t want to wear anything that’s not comfy. Put them in their favorite sweats or leggings and shirt and tape them up!
15. Garbage Handler
Dress your little one up as their hero!
16. Pokemon Trainer
Here’s a great tutorial for turning a plain blue shirt into Ash Ketchum’s shirt.
17. Poop Emoji
Cardboard to the rescue once again!
18. Rain Cloud
If you don’t have a hat with a wide brim, you can widen it yourself with a circle of cardboard. The stuff to make this rain cloud can come from stash or from old pillows or stuffed animals. Ripping apart old stuffed animals to wear their guts is the ultimate Halloween activity!
19. Werewolf
I know that I’m always telling you to gut your old stuffed animals, but here’s another use for a gutted stuffed animal: a werewolf costume! If you want to reuse the pants after Halloween, use safety pins or a basting stitch instead of the fabric glue that the tutorial calls for.
20. Toy Soldier
I’d dig around for the very, very, VERY grungiest and stained clothes for this DIY since you’ll never be able to salvage them for another use. I’d think that you’d be able to get all of the soldier accessories that you could stand just by asking other parents, and face paint will take care of making your kid’s face and hands toy soldier green.
21. Tractor
This Halloween costume couldn’t be easier to DIY, because it’s all cardboard and spray paint! It’s a prime example of how homemade beats store-bought because I’ve NEVER seen an actual tractor costume for sale in the Halloween aisle at Target.
22. Train
Does your kid prefer trains to tractors? Then turn them into a train!
23. Unicorn
It’s easiest to start with a hoodie and sweats that your child already owns, but hoodies and sweatpants aren’t hard to sew, either, so feel free to start completely from scratch.
24. Wind-Up Doll
Here is the perfect costume for a toddler that doesn’t want to wear a hot, itchy costume. They’ll never even know they’re wearing it!
Do you have a favorite tutorial for a homemade Halloween costume for a kid? Tell me ALL about it in the comments below!
