Somehow, it’s Halloween this weekend, we’re not sure how that has come around so fast. We know that finding the time to source and plan Halloween costumes for your children is an added task that sometimes you just simply don’t need. So we’ve put together a collection of 6 quick and easy DIY Halloween costume ideas, that are cost-effective too!
Morphing into one of the spookiest members of the Addams Family requires little effort on the costume front. All you need to achieve this look is a black dress with a white collared shirt underneath. For the hair and makeup, a simple plait and dark lipstick will create the desired effect. If you’ve got some black patent shoes to finish the look, then even better. And that’s it, easy peasy.
Two staples of a last-minute Halloween costume – a black top and a black pair of trousers. But really, the opportunities for fancy dress with just these two simple items are endless. To create an easy spooky bat costume for your child, all you need is an old black umbrella that you don’t mind parting with. Cut the umbrella in half and sew the edges onto a black top – or attach to a pair of hair ties around each wrist. If you have any black fabric lying around you can cut two ear shapes to attach to a headband, and there you go.
Perhaps one of the easiest DIY Halloween costumes of all, and also a fan-favourite amongst children. All you need for this one is a spare single bedsheet. Rip the bedsheet into frayed strips and for an added ‘ancient’ effect, stain the strips in tea to make them discoloured and befitting of a 6,000 year old Mummy. Once your strips are appropriately ‘mummified’, tie them together, wrapping them around your child’s body and head. If you’ve got a bit of white face paint, apply this to your child’s face to complete the costume.
This is another great costume idea that can be easily created with household items. All you need is a men’s large white shirt to make your lab coat, to make the costume stand out we recommend glueing some plastic creepy crawlies to the pockets. Top tip, glue a chord to the plastic bugs so they can ‘dangle’ out of the pockets. Finish the costume with any props you like such as science beakers, safety goggles, yellow kitchen gloves and a crazy colourful wig. This costume is sure to be a hit with your children.
Skeletons are another child favourite for Halloween. Rather than paying for an expensive costume that they will probably grow out of for next year, we’ve got a better solution. All you need is a plain white shirt and those ever-faithful black trousers and a black t-shirt. Lay your t-shirt flat, and use some tape to mark out the middle. Mark out 12 equally spaced dots for the ribcage. Carefully start cutting holes either side of your tape, starting small and gradually getting bigger finishing with two small cuts again. Once you’ve finished use your fingers to separate the holes and then pop the t-shirt on top of black clothing. This may take a little bit of patience and time, but the finishing effect will be just as spooky! For a full rundown of instructions, click here.
To start this look the two main components you need are a check flannel shirt and denim. Ideally, dungarees if your child has any or you can source some from a local charity shop. If you have the time, gluing felt/random patterned fabric onto the dungarees to create patches will make this costume look even better. Pop on a straw hat and add some straw to the pockets to complete your scarecrow look.
We hope that these ideas give you some inspiration and we wish you and your family a wickedly spooktacular Halloween. If you are still looking for childcare this Half Term, it’s not too late to book, just click here to find your nearest venue.