If you want to make a simple costume for yourself or your kids, I’ve got some ideas for you. Some of these are ideas that I have used myself. Some of these are taken from the magazine “Parents” Oct. 2019.
An important part of the costume, which can be used as a base for other elements, can be made with simple clothing items. Pajamas, sweats, t-shirts, and leggings are all pieces of clothing that can become the foundation of a costume. Most of these items can be found in many different colours. Or if not, they could possibly be dyed. Add a few store-bought supplies to help make the costume. Felt, faux fur, Halloween decorations and face paint can all help to make a costume. Items like a hot glue gun and sticks, self-adhesive Velcro for fabric, zip ties, hemming tape, and duct tape are all ways to fasten items together without having to sew.
Consider using face paint instead of a mask if possible. It is safer than a mask because it doesn’t obscure sight or breathing and makes it easier for your child to move around and play.
Some Costume Examples
Batman could be made with long grey or black underwear, both top and bottom. Or use a hoodie for the top. Otherwise you will have to create a hood for the hat. The ears of the hood can be made with duct tape and taped to the hood. Wear a black eye mask to complete the head. Put some dark coloured underwear or shorts on for the briefs. A wide belt will serve as his belt, or just use felt to make one to wrap around the waist. Make a cape with some black material, cut in a cone shape. Cut the bottom like Batman’s cape. A quick way to fix the edges is to use iron-on hemming tape. Use more material, ribbons, laces, etc. to tie the cape on or pin the cape to the neckline of the top with safety pins. Use felt to make the batman logo on his chest and use a hot glue gun, hemming tape, or Velcro to fasten the logo to the top.
A baby Shark can be made with grey pants, and hooded top. Add some pink felt gums around the edge of the hood, with white felt teeth on the gums. Add some felt eyes to the hood and some white felt to make the belly and you’re done. For an infant, or younger child that will need to be moved around in a stroller you would leave the back clean. If you want, for an older child, make a fin from felt (2 layers at least) or cardboard to attach to the back of the outfit.
Maybe you or your kids would like to be a donut. Cut some large rings of cardboard (big enough to cover their whole torso). Cover with felt, stuff a little batting underneath to give it some shape. Use more felt or craft foam items to make icing and toppings like sprinkles. Wear this over pj’s or simple t-shirt and pants. Fasten a strap made from ribbon or seam binding to the top to drape around the neck, or to top and side to create a loop around shoulder. Or maybe even make a front and back to wear like a “sandwich” board with straps for the shoulders and possibly a strap at the sides to keep them together.
How about a dinosaur or dragon. Find a top and bottom of the same colour – whatever colour you would like the dinosaur to be. Use felt to cut out the spikes and tail – could be the same colour or different. Fasten spikes/tail to the top on the back with tape, glue gun, Velcro etc. Use facepaint to make the face fancy or scary. If you want you can make jaws similar to how they are described for the Shark costume if you use a hooded top. You can even make some “flames” attached to a stick for a dragon to hold up to look like its blowing flames from its mouth.
Simple outfits can be made with Halloween decorations. Necklaces of snakes or spiders fastened together with tape or zip ties can be made. Snakes, spiders, rats, etc. can be fastened to headbands or old hats or toques. Monster type hands can be made with fake nails either stuck on or hot glued on to gloves. Use fake cobwebs to drape around the body or head.
Think about favourite book characters as well as movie characters that you or your child might like to dress up as and use your imagination to create the costume!
Have fun!
