70 DIY Halloween Costumes to Send Your Kids Trick-or-Treating in Style
The 11-year-old will love these homemade fits just as much as the toddler.
Whether it's Halloween night and you are struggling to whip together a last-minute costume for the kids, or a DIY Halloween outfit was always part of the trick-or-treating plan, there are plenty of easy and quick costumes you can assemble with materials you already have at home. And the best part about DIY Halloween costumes for kids is that you can get the toddlers and teens involved in the planning and designing for their trick-or-treating costume. If you need an idea ASAP or you are reading this articles months prior to October, these DIY Halloween costumes for kids are perfect for every age and style.
Some of these costume ideas are too cute to handle, while other costumes are so punny you and the kids will be laughing as you help them get dressed on October 31. You can also gather a group of neighborhood friends to dress up as a DIY group costume for hours of crafting (and future trick-or-treating). Even your tweens will be excited to show off their DIY creations, while the younger kids will be counting down the days until they can sport their outfit at school. From the best costumes for girls and boys to gender-neutral costume ideas, these 70 best DIY Halloween costumes for kids are guaranteed showstoppers (without too much time or money spent on your part!).
Knight
All you need to turn your kid into a knight in shining armor is a gray sweatsuit, a bike helmet, some cardboard, and lots of tin foil.
Goldfish
This DIY goldfish costume for toddlers looks impressive but is actually so easy — cover an orange sweatshirt with dyed orange coffee filters for "scales" and attach eyes to the hoodie.
Cotton Candy Salesperson
You'd be hard-pressed to find a sweeter costume than this DIY creation.
Bride of Frankenstein
All you need are some white pants, a white long-sleeved top, and a white curtain panel to help your kid become Frankenstein's bride.
Frankenstein's Monster
Use a milk carton and green spray paint to turn your kid into Dr. Frankenstein's terrifying creation.
Candy Corn Princess
If she loves candy corn, crown her the queen of the candy with this easy DIY costume.
Get the Candy Corn Princess Costume tutorial.
Mini Monkey
There's no monkeying around with this cute primate: Hang out in brown fleece onesie pajamas with a tummy covered in darker brown felt to channel the sweet animal.
Get the Mini Monkey Costume tutorial.
Rainbow and Pot of Gold
Add some rainbow felt stripes to the sleeves of a blue sweatsuit, spray paint an old pot gold, and voilà! Easiest costume ever.
Salt and Pepper
Fill clear plastic garbage bags with packing popcorn and black pom poms, and label them "S" and "P" — your kids will be the cutest seasonings around!
Mad Scientist
You can use items found in your house, including one of Dad's white button downs and a measuring cup, to create a mad scientist costume!
Get the Mad Scientist Costume tutorial.
Sushi
Wrap black garbage bags around white batting and top with "roe" (a.k.a. orange balloons), and you've got a costume that looks good enough to eat!
Robin Hood and Maid Marian
Rummage through your closets and you can probably find everything you need to recreate these Robin Hood-inspired costumes.
Get the Robin Hood Costume tutorial.
Ladybug
Even the least crafty parents can manage to put together this precious ladybug costume.
Get the Ladybug Costume tutorial.
Frog
Your kid's friends will be green with envy when they see this creative amphibian costume.
Get the Frog Costume tutorial.
Crunchy Taco
There's nothing cheesy about this adorable cardboard taco costume.
Get the Crunchy Taco Costume tutorial.
Firefighter
A red raincoat trimmed with yellow and black tape easily becomes a firefighter's coat with this clever costume.
Get the Firefighter Costume tutorial.
Bear
This DIY bear costume is sweet as honey (and it will barely take any effort to make).
Get the Bear Costume tutorial.
Gumball Machine
To make this adorable gumball machine costume, simply glue multi-colored pom-poms onto a white tank top and a black headband. Make sure to add a DIY 25¢ sign to a red skirt so everyone gets the picture.
Spider
Pool noodles become spider legs when you put together this creepy, crawly costume.
Get the Spider Costume tutorial.
White Rabbit
This clever White Rabbit outfit takes the traditional bunny costume to the next level.
Get the White Rabbit Costume tutorial.
Corinne Sullivan is an Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers a variety of beats, including lifestyle, entertainment, relationships, shopping, and more. She can tell you everything you need to know about the love lives of A-listers, the coziest bedsheets, and the sex toys actually worth your $$$. She is also the author of the 2018 novel Indecent. Follow her on Instagram for cute pics of her pup and bébé.
Elizabeth Berry (she/her) is the Updates Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she optimizes lifestyle content across verticals. Prior to this role, she was an Editorial Assistant for Woman’s Day where she covered everything from gift guides to recipes. She also has experience fact checking commerce articles and holds a B.A. in English and Italian Studies from Connecticut College.
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