36 Halloweens Costumes for Kids — These DIY Halloween costume ideas are cute, quick, and easy to recreate just in time for your next Halloween party!
Maybe the little boy in his Harry Potter costume at the grocery store in mid-June was an exhausted parent’s lost battle, or maybe it was a display of his budding self-expression. Either way, these DIY Halloween costumes for kids should bring you some dress-up inspiration!
It’s always heart-warming seeing kids dressed up, and there’s no better time than Halloween! So, we are sharing some adorably creative DIY Halloween costumes for kids that are super easy to make at home!
Store-bought costumes aren’t really our thing, we prefer homemade Halloween costumes around here. We are a DIY blog at heart, after all!
That said, it’s time to make a quick trip to the store for some pipe cleaners, fabric glue, styrofoam balls, a needle and thread, a hot glue gun, and spray paint to make these kiddos some costumes they’ll never forget.
If you’re not crafty, it’s okay. Do you remember the part in the movie “Big Daddy” when the little boy made up his own Halloween costume? Here’s an amazing still shot for reference.
We think this is an awesome way to use what you have and let your kid design their own, unique costume that is authentically them for your next Halloween party.
I mean, you might not win the Captain America or Star Wars battle, but hey!
On the plus side, you can also easily repurpose some of these ideas for couples costumes, family costumes, or baby costume, too…
Halloween Costume Ideas | 36 DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids
photo and project by Sugar & Cloth
1 – DIY Hungry Hippo Costume
We have to give the top spot to baby Gwen, the cutest Hungry Hippo we’ve ever seen! See the full version of the Hungry Hippos for Sugar & Cloth’s 2018 DIY Family Costume!
photo and project by The House That Lars Built
2 – Crayons from the book “The Day The Crayons Quit”
The children’s book series written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers is a great group costume idea for siblings and friends!
Plus, the DIY by The House That Lars Built uses solid color, long sleeve and pant pajama sets as the primary base. Maximum comfort and a little warmth for those brisk Halloween nights.
photo by Tony Lanz / project by Today’s Parent
3 – Carmen Miranda
Otherwise affectionately known as Chiquita Banana! We love the idea of fruit balloons as opposed to plastic fruit. This costume could be a great option if you’re looking to match with your child. For that, we suggest this 3-tier fruit hanging basket which could be hacked to be used for child, mom, and dad, ha!
photo and project by Oh Happy Day
4 – Birthday Candle Costume
A birthday candle doesn’t exactly scream “Halloween”, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great costume! This customizable, super affordable kids costume from Oh Happy Day is as simple as a poster board, tape, spray paint, and cellophane. It’s also an amazing way to celebrate your little one if their birthday happens to fall on or near the spooky holiday. Optional addition: glitter. Not an optional addition: cake!
photo by Erik Putz / project by Today’s Parent
5 – Lego Costume
Another great single-child or group Halloween costume idea that won’t break the bank. This super simple DIY Lego costume uses cardboard a couple of egg cartons and paint. Voila!
photo by by Liz Stanley / project by Say Yes
6 – Madeline Costume
Je ne sais pas how to say, “trick or treat” in French but I’m sure it sounds chic! This adorable Madeline costume from Say Yes, based off the children’s book Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans, is an absolute classic.
photo and project by Wayfarer Family
7 – Toddler Taco
Get your Halloween fiesta started with a toddler taco costume and an actual margarita for madre! No-sew costume designed by the Waferer family, using felt for soft texture on baby’s skin.
photo and project by Oh Happy Day
8 – Moonrise Kingdom Character Costumes
One of Oh Happy Day’s hipster Halloween costume ideas is this super cute boy and girl costume combo based off the characters from Wes Anderson’s film “Moonrise Kingdom”. Is it cute or is it cute? I can’t decide..
photo by Erik Putz / project by Today’s Parent
9 – Rain Cloud Costume
A rain cloud costume is a humorous solution for those cold, rainy Halloween nights. Plus, rain boots and a rain jacket are probably already in your kid’s closet. If rain is predicted in your area during prime trick-or-treating time, we recommend using poly-fil, a lighter, water-proof, less expensive alternative to cotton batting.
photo and project by Delia Creates
10 – Pineapple Cape Costume
Delia Creates made this awesome DIY pineapple costume using felt, a marker, a little stuffing, and just a few stitches of the needle. This easy and fun costume would work great on smaller kids, and babies, too!
photo by Tony Lanz / project by Today’s Parent
11 – Bubble Bath Costume
Rubba dub dub, everything but the tub! This bubble bath costume is cuteness overload. Add-on idea: use a bathtub friendly toy basket, add a couple of bathtub accessories like a few toys and a loofah, and use it as the candy basket when trick-or-treating.
photo by by Liz Stanley / project by Say Yes
12 – Care Bears Costumes for Kids
The Care Bears are such an iconic and nostalgic part of childhood and we love this idea for a group of siblings or friends. Thanks, Say Yes, for the awesome Care Bear costume DIY!
photo by Erik Putz / project by Today’s Parent
13 – Campfire Costume
The campfire costume from Today’s Parent uses a clever object for the logs – can you guess it before clicking the link? Hint: it’s primarily used during summer months.
photo and project by Oh Happy Day / crafting by Erika Kjos
14 – Smiley Face Costume
No frowns here! This is the happiest costume on the list. Get the smiley face costume how-to from Oh Happy Day! This costume could easily be converted into an emoji for a modern twist.
photo by Erik Putz / project by Today’s Parent
15 – Road Racer Costume
This is a fun one for toddlers and kids who love cars. Check out the road racer costume from Today’s Parent. If you don’t have a checkered flag already, this tutorial will show you how to make one with black and white felt.
photo by by Liz Stanley / project by Say Yes
16 – Strawberry Baby
Are baby costumes a must? We don’t think so, but they’re definitely cute! Just look at this baby strawberry. This costume uses a red onesie, some white felt for the seeds, and green felt for the topper, which is a great way to keep baby’s head warm.
photo by Sarah Kate Price / crafting by Justine Pon / project by Oh Happy Day
17 – Happy Rainbow Costume
Fun and bright rainbow costume for kids from Oh Happy Day. We love the use of white balloons as the clouds at each end!
photo by Tony Lanz / project by Today’s Parent
18 – Grape Vine
A grape vine makes an awesome costume for kids (or adults) and can of course be done in green or purple. Side note: any costume that has balloons or fruit involved has our seal of approval!
photo by Ruth Eileen photo / styling by Jess Blazejewski / project by Style Me Pretty
19 – Circus Lion
We love this circus lion costume idea for two reasons, one of on them is a wagon. Not only can your wild animal (we’re keeping them in character here) be “caged” (for safety reasons, of course), but also, they can be wheeled around the neighborhood if they start to get sleepy while trick or treating. The other reason is because the circus is a great theme for a group or a family!
photo and project by Oh Happy Day
20 – Frida Kahlo Costume
Frida Kahlo is a common halloween costume for women, but we’re digging this adorable look as a girls costume. Bright colors, big flowers, and of course, a few extra facial hairs brings the Frida Kahlo costume for kids together perfectly.
photos by Paul Ferney / styling by Colleen Casper / project by Oh Happy Day
21 – Bon Bon Candy Costume
Putting the treat in “trick-or-treat!” This bon bon candy costume DIY is a little more advanced since it uses paper maché, but we have full confidence in your abilities, ha!
photo and project by Brit + Co
22 – Superhero Kids Costume
Calling all super heroes! Boys, girls, parents and pets! Wear your super power loud and proud with this DIY superhero costume from Brit + Co.
photo and project by The Kitchn
23 – Side Salad Costume
A.k.a. baby greens. Jokes not aside, this salad costume for kids is hilariously cute. Check out the full tutorial from The Kitchn.
photo and project by ImaginaryTail
24 – Soft and Sweet Bunny Costume
Get the instant download for this cute, sweet, DIY Bunny costume. The seller notes that it works for children 1-5 years old and the whole costume is made of felt, making your sweet little one the perfect cuddle bunny!
photo and project by Oh Happy Day
25 – Mondrian Painting
Talk about a work of art! This costume was made out of a paper bag and paint! Simple, modern design, folks. This Mondrian Painting kids costume idea brought to you by Oh Happy Day, who also shares a fire truck costume using the same paper bag base.
photo by Tony Lanz / project by Today’s Parent
26 – Rosie The Riveter Girls Costume
Another costume that defies age! This kids version of a Rosie the Riveter costume comes to us from Today’s Parent.
photo and project by Oh Happy Day
27 – Starfish Baby Costume
We love how adorable and functional this costume is! Catch the DIY for this gender-neutral baby starfish costume by Oh Happy Day.
photo and project by Better Homes & Gardens
28 – Lucky Ladybug Costume
According to Better Homes & Gardens, this DIY ladybug costume is super simple and is made mostly out of cardboard. Personally, we’d probably skip the glitter and opt for a matte red version.
photo and project by Hair to Dream
29 – Woody from Pixar’s “Toy Story”
Hair to Dream shows us how to turn a plain white t-shirt into Woody’s iconic cow print vest. The rest of the Toy Story costume also pulls from the famous animated character – denim, a bandana, and of course, a cowboy hat.
photo and project by Oh Happy Day
30 – Jar of Sprinkles Costume
Using long, skinny balloons as sprinkles is such a great idea for this fun and colorful halloween costume! Thanks, Oh Happy Day! How do they always come up with so many great DIY halloween costumes for kids??
photo and project by La Maison De Loulou
31 – Ice Cream Vendor
La Maison De Loulou shares this adorable ice cream vendor costume for kids using downloadable ice cream templates to decorate to your taste. Yum!
photo by Erik Putz / project by Today’s Parent
32 – Corn Costume
Horror films are not our thing, so we’re skipping right over any similarly-themed Halloween movies and going straight to the corn costume how-to from Today’s Parent!
photo and project by MerMag
33 – DIY Swan Princess
We love this DIY swan princess costume from MerMag, it’s a wonderful tutorial for a beautiful princess and her swan.
photo and styling by Bonnie Van Geel / project by Babekins
34 – Whimsical Harlequin Clown
Nothing scary about this harlequin inspired clown! All that’s needed for this look is face paint, a toile skirt, a hat, and red lipstick to create the non-spooky clown costume for kids.
photo and project by Shwin and Shwin
35 – Rainbow Unicorn
Rainbow unicorns for the win! Shwin and Shwin shares exactly how to make this magical rainbow unicorn costume at home.
photo by Erik Putz / project by Today’s Parent
36 – Jellyfish Costume
Another great costume for trick-or-treating, rain or shine! Despite being monochromatic and one of the easiest on our list to make at home, this jellyfish costume for boys and girls makes quite a statement!
We hope these 36 DIY Halloween costumes for kids (and babies) gave you some great ideas for your little one’s costumes this year.
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Alex Maranto
Post-college she was Licensed Real Estate Agent and an assistant photo stylist in New York before moving back to her hometown of Houston for pursuing her creative endeavors.
