Halloween is creeping up, and let’s be honest—finding a budget-friendly Halloween costume for your kid that doesn’t look like every other store-bought option can be a challenge. But here’s the good news: DIY Halloween costumes don’t have to be complicated, expensive, or time-consuming. In fact, they can be fun to make, super affordable, and even more creative than anything you’d find at the store.
If you’re looking for easy DIY Halloween costume ideas for kids that won’t break the bank and will make your little one stand out, you’re in the right place. From adorable classics to clever, last-minute options, these ideas will make your child the star of the night without causing your wallet to scream in terror.
Here are 20 unique DIY Halloween costumes for kids, complete with detailed materials and step-by-step instructions!
1. Bubble Bath Kid
Materials: White balloons, clear safety pins, shower cap, loofah, bathrobe.
• Instructions: Blow up a bunch of white balloons (small and medium sizes) to act as “bubbles.” Safety pin them to the front of a plain white or nude-colored outfit. Dress your child in a bathrobe, and have them wear a shower cap with a loofah pinned on the side. For extra cuteness, hand them a rubber ducky or attach one to the bathrobe!
2. Toy Soldier
Materials: Green clothing, green face paint, cardboard, green spray paint.
• Instructions: Dress your child in green pants, a green shirt, and shoes. Use green face paint to cover any exposed skin. Cut out a “stand” from cardboard and spray paint it green. Secure it to your child’s shoes with elastic straps or tape to make them look like a classic plastic toy soldier.
3. Campfire Kid
Materials: Brown pants, red/orange/yellow felt, glue gun, sticks, headband.
• Instructions: Cut the felt into flame shapes and layer them to look like fire. Hot glue the flames to the waistband of brown pants. Collect small sticks or use faux ones and attach them around the felt flames to create a log look. Add a headband with a felt flame for an extra touch. Your kid can carry marshmallow props on a stick for added fun!
4. Wind-Up Doll
Materials: Cardboard, silver spray paint, headband, hot glue.
• Instructions: Cut out a large “key” shape from cardboard, spray paint it silver, and glue it to a headband. Dress your child in a cute, vintage-style dress or doll-like outfit. The wind-up key attached to the headband will make it look like your child is a mechanical doll ready to be wound up!
5. Static Cling
Materials: Pajamas, small pieces of clothing (socks, t-shirts), safety pins, dryer sheets.
• Instructions: Dress your child in mismatched pajamas. Pin small clothing items (like socks, t-shirts, underwear) all over the pajamas, as if they’re stuck to your child via static cling. Attach a few dryer sheets for added effect, and tousle your child’s hair to give it that static look.
6. Rain Cloud
Materials: Grey hoodie, cotton balls, string, paper, clear tape, umbrella (optional).
• Instructions: Glue cotton balls all over the grey hoodie to create a cloud effect. Cut raindrop shapes from blue paper and attach them to string. Tape the strings to the inside of the hoodie’s hem so the raindrops dangle below. Add an umbrella for an extra fun touch, especially if you want to incorporate a “rainy day” theme.
7. Mad Scientist
Materials: Lab coat, white wig, safety goggles, small bottles, colored water.
• Instructions: Dress your child in a white lab coat (you can make one from a large white t-shirt). Create wild hair using a white wig or by teasing their hair with hairspray. Have them wear safety goggles and carry small bottles filled with water dyed using food coloring for “mad scientist potions.”
8. Cactus
Materials: Green sweatshirt, green pants, white pipe cleaners, flower headband, hot glue.
• Instructions: Dress your child in a green sweatshirt and pants. Bend white pipe cleaners into “U” shapes and hot glue them onto the sweatshirt to resemble cactus spikes. Add a flower headband to make it look like a flowering cactus.
9. Bag of Jelly Beans
Materials: Large clear trash bag, colored balloons, ribbon, safety pins.
• Instructions: Cut holes in the trash bag for arms and legs. Fill the bag with inflated balloons in various colors to mimic jelly beans. Tie the top loosely around your child’s neck using a ribbon, and voilà—a bag of jelly beans! You can add a “nutrition label” on the front for added fun.
10. Superhero Cape from a T-Shirt
Materials: Old t-shirt, felt, scissors, safety pins.
• Instructions: Cut off the sleeves and collar of an old t-shirt to create a cape. Add a superhero logo made from felt and attach it to the back of the cape. Pair with leggings and a matching top, and your child is ready to save the day!
11. Scarecrow
Materials: Plaid shirt, jeans, straw, brown makeup, safety pins.
• Instructions: Dress your child in a plaid shirt and jeans. Use safety pins to stuff straw into the shirt cuffs and pant legs to create the scarecrow look. Paint on a triangle nose and stitch lines across the face with brown makeup to finish the look.
12. S’more
Materials: White t-shirt, brown pants, cardboard, brown and white felt.
• Instructions: Dress your child in a white t-shirt and brown pants. Use cardboard to create two graham cracker “panels” and attach brown felt in the middle to mimic a chocolate bar. Attach white felt to represent marshmallow fluff between the graham crackers.
13. Popcorn Box
Materials: Red and white striped shirt, cardboard, yellow felt, glue gun.
• Instructions: Dress your child in a red and white striped shirt. Create a popcorn box shape from cardboard and attach it to your child’s torso. Use yellow felt to make “butter popcorn” and glue it onto the top of a white hat or headband.
14. Crayon
Materials: Colored t-shirt and pants, poster board, felt.
• Instructions: Dress your child in a solid-colored outfit. Make a cone-shaped hat using poster board, and paint it the same color. Create a “Crayola” label using black felt and attach it to the shirt. Now your child is their favorite color crayon!
15. Robot
Materials: Cardboard boxes, silver spray paint, duct tape, LED lights (optional).
• Instructions: Spray paint two cardboard boxes (one for the body, one for the head) silver. Cut out holes for arms and legs. Attach small LED lights or buttons to the front of the box to give your child a robotic look. Use duct tape to add details like control panels or circuits.
16. Farmer with Pet Pig
Materials: Overalls, straw hat, pink felt, headband, glue gun.
• Instructions: Dress your child in overalls and a plaid shirt. Use pink felt to make pig ears and a snout and attach them to a headband. Now your kiddo is a farmer with a cute piglet sidekick!
17. Magician
Materials: Black pants, white shirt, black cape, top hat, wand.
• Instructions: Dress your child in black pants and a white shirt. Make a simple cape using a black sheet or fabric. Create a magician’s wand by painting a dowel black and adding white tips. Finish with a top hat made from black felt.
18. Lego Block
Materials: Cardboard box, solo cups, hot glue, spray paint.
• Instructions: Cut armholes and a head hole in a cardboard box. Glue solo cups to the front of the box in rows to create the “bumps” on a Lego block. Spray paint everything the same color. Your child is now a walking Lego brick!
19. Spider
Materials: Black long-sleeved shirt, black pants, black tights, stuffing.
• Instructions: Dress your child in black. Stuff black tights with newspaper or cotton, then attach them to the sides of the shirt with safety pins to make spider legs. Use a fishing line to connect the tights to your child’s arms so that the legs move when they do.
20. Box of Donuts
Materials: Cardboard box, construction paper, paint, colored foam.
• Instructions: Create a “donut box” from cardboard and paint it to resemble a bakery box. Cut out large circles from colored foam and paint sprinkles on them to create donuts. Attach the donuts around the box and to your child’s outfit.
Final Thoughts:
These budget-friendly DIY Halloween costumes for kids will save you time, money, and the stress of last-minute costume shopping. Plus, they’re fun to make and give your child a unique, creative look that’ll turn heads on Halloween night. Whether you’re a DIY pro or a beginner, these ideas are simple enough to pull off without any special skills. Happy crafting!
