Halloween is just around the corner, which means it’s time
to start thinking about costumes. Kids’ costumes can cost a lot of money,
especially if you buy a specialty or character costume. For something that will
be worn once or twice — and probably smeared with chocolate — that’s too much!
With a little planning, your kids can dress well with little cost. Here are a
few ideas:
Buy used
If you want to buy, try consignment, thrift shops or online
sites first. You can find used or even new
costumes for much less.
READ MORE: Give your home a spooky makeover!
Use what you have
Look around the house. Try a sport’s theme with an old
karate or baseball uniform. Or last year’s dance recital costume can be
recycled for Halloween. A gypsy costume can be put together out of scarves plus
lots of mom’s make-up and jewelry.
Does Grandma still have her poodle skirt? What about
Grandpa’s old bowler hat? Teens can raid a parent’s or even a grandparent’s
attic for old clothes and dress as a teen from decades past.
Get creative
Create a costume from dollar and thrift store finds. Crown
your daughter as a fairy princess with a fancy dress from the thrift store plus
a tiara and scepter from a dollar store. Or your son could be the Incredible
Hulk by wearing torn-up thrift store clothes, green face make up, and spray-on
hair color. Dollar stores are also a great source for accessories. Start with a
pirate’s sword or great hat and use that as a jumping off point to creating a
unique costume.
READ MORE: Halloween safety tips
To sew or not to sew
You can sew beautiful costumes from patterns, but with the
cost of material, it isn’t the most frugal option.
Felt by the yard can become the base of many costumes. Plus,
it’s inexpensive and requires no hemming! Buy a length; fold in half and cut a
half circle for a neck hole in the center. Trim or fold the sides in to fit the
child. Put over the head like a tunic and cut a jagged edge at the bottom.
Try green for Robin Hood or black for a pirate costume. Tie
another piece of felt around the waist for a belt, preferably in a contrasting
color. Then slide your dollar store dagger or sword underneath the belt in the
front. Or try a longer length of felt in red or purple and use a glue gun to embellish
with glittery trim to make a king or queen. Put a sweat suit underneath and
they’ll be warm, too.
Felt isn’t your only “no-sew” option. Check out the fabric
store for other ideas. Armed with a glue gun and iron-on seam tape, there is no
limit to what you can do with fabric and trim.
Go online
Search the Internet for homemade costume ideas. Good Housekeeping has 75 costume ideas that range from easy to difficult. A
Google search will yield more web sites and articles for ideas.
Involve your kids
Last but not least, don’t forget that the most important
ingredient for a great Halloween costume is imagination. Get older kids
involved in the process; they will be more pleased with their costume if they
helped to create it. If you have little ones, remember for whom the costume is
intended. Is it for other parents to admire or for the kids?
Don’t get caught up in the madness and think you need to
spend a lot of money or kill yourself sewing the perfect costume for your kids
to have fun on Halloween night.
Tiffany Doerr Guerzon is a freelance writer and mother of
three.