Our 4th Annual D.I.Y. Halloween Costume Guide
We asked you to choose six classic Halloween characters on our Facebook page — then we came up with these easy-to-make designs for each. Bonus: We provide book suggestions to get your little trick-or-treater into character.
Li'l Pumpkin
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STEP 1: Start with a pair of striped pajamas, an oversized orange T-shirt, and a tie-on cap. Get some felt (orange, black, yellow, and green) and fabric glue.
STEP 2: You’ll leave the set of pajamas as is. Take the T-shirt and cut the ends of the sleeves so that they’re zigzagged. Then cut a pumpkin shape and pumpkin face shapes out of the felt and glue them onto the front of the T-shirt. Allow to dry. (If you choose, glue a length of gold rickrack along the T-shirt collar and allow to dry as well.) Cut leaf shapes out of the green felt and glue them to the cap. Allow to dry.
STEP 3: To get your little one into costume, simply put the pajamas on first, the oversized pumpkin T-shirt on top of the pajamas, and the leafy cap onto his head.
Treats to Read
Pumpkin Soup
by Helen Cooper
Ages 4 to 8
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?
by Margaret McNamara
Ages 4 to 8
Batty Witch
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STEP 1: Most of this costume is probably right in your closet! Start with a black shirt, a black or black and white patterned skirt, some colorful tights, a dainty black scarf, and a belt. Our witch is wearing her own special pair of “ruby slippers” — red sneakers!
STEP 2: Add black gloves and some costume jewelry. Pin a piece of sheer black fabric around her shoulders like a cape.
STEP 3: Decorate a plain black witch hat by gluing on ribbon, feathers, and black bat shapes cut out of cardboard or felt using fabric glue or a glue gun. Allow to dry.
Treats to Read
The Cold Water Witch
by Yannick D. Murphy
Ages 4 to 8
Strega Nona
by Tomie DePaola
Ages 4 to 8
Menacing Monster
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STEP 1: The base of the costume is a long-sleeved shirt, spotted leggings, and boots.
STEP 2: For the body, cut a length of fake fur fabric that is about twice as long as you want it to be on your child. Fold it in half lengthwise, sew up each side almost to the top (leave room for armholes), cut a hole in the top fold for your child’s head, and cut the bottom edge so that it’s zigzagged. It should fit like a baggy sleeveless tunic.
STEP 3: For paws, cut out two pairs of fur pieces shaped like mittens (trace your own hands, leaving an inch or two of extra space) and sew them together. Then cut a slit and thumb hole in the bottom of each for your child’s fingers.
STEP 4: Cut out two rectangles of fur fabric, each long and tall enough to wrap around a boot. Secure them in place with glue and allow to dry.
STEP 5: Make the cap using a simple pattern available at a craft store or buy a knit hat and glue on horns, eyes, etc. made of felt.
Treats to Read
Mostly Monsterly
by Tammi Sauer
Ages 3 to 7
The Monster Princess
by D.J. MacHale
Ages 4 to 8
Proud Pirate
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STEP 1: Dress your little pirate in a puffy white peasant blouse, a colorful vest, striped leggings, and black or brown shoes.
STEP 2: Tie a striped scarf or piece of fabric around her waist like a sash and a sheer black piece of fabric around her shoulders like a cape.
STEP 3: Get a pair of boot covers and a pirate hat from a party store. Embellish the hat by gluing on red, striped, or gold ribbon. For accessories, try a toy sword, a treasure pouch, a stuffed animal parrot, or an eye patch.
Treats to Read
Charlotte Jane Battles Bedtime
by Myra Wolfe
Ages 3 to 7
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC
by June Sobel
Ages 2 to 6
Wise Wizard
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STEP 1: Take an oversized long-sleeved purple or blue shirt and cut the ends of the sleeves on a diagonal so they come to a point. Then cut the bottom of the shirt so it’s zigzagged and glue geometric shapes of black felt on with fabric glue.
STEP 2: For the bottom of the costume, dress your young wizard in black pants. Take a long purple or blue skirt, zigzag the bottom, and put it on top of the pants. Add a gold tie around your wizard’s waist.
STEP 3: Add a pointed hat (decorate it with star and moon stickers), a scarf (dark or glittery is best), a colorful wig, a cane, boot covers, and glasses.
Treats to Read
The Harry Potter series
by J.K. Rowling
Ages 9 and up
Wizardology
by Master Merlin
Ages 9 and up
Cool Cowgirl
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STEP 1: Start with the basics: a cowboy hat (pick one up on the cheap at a party store), jeans, a checkered button-down shirt, work gloves, a plain or cow print vest, cowboy boots, a rope (as a lasso), and a bandana (tie it loosely around your cowgirl’s neck).
STEP 2: Take an old belt, wrap it around the hat, glue it in place, and allow it to dry. You can also glue on a feather or two if you like.
STEP 3: Add a sheriff’s badge (you can also pick one of these up at a party store) to the vest, and glue some felt fringe on using fabric glue. Allow to dry.
