Not everyone wants to or has the means to spend a bunch of money on a Halloween costume that your kid will wear for a few hours. I got a Pottery Barn Kids catalog in the mail last week, and while their stuff is adorable, I won’t be ordering a $60 costume for my two-year-old.
DIYing a costume is a great way to bond with your little one while creating something they can be proud of! If you play your cards right, it can be cheaper than buying a costume.
Here are three costumes that we DIYed - I can’t wait to show you! We’ll be sure to share the cost breakdown, as well as the DIY experience. What’s great about these costumes is that there is some flexibility to each of them so you can make them your own (and use what you already have).
Superhero Costume
What child doesn’t want to be a superhero? It’s so fun to pretend that you have magical powers and can save the world (who knows, maybe they will)! My daughter is not quite two, and she’s already saying, “Super _____!” thanks to a Daniel Tiger episode she saw. My favorite, naturally, is when she says “Superrrrrr Mamaaa!” because I 100% agree with her if I do say so myself.
Anyway, what’s great about this costume is that you likely already have some basics at home, like a plain t-shirt or brightly colored pants. Your child can choose what colors they want for their costume, and it’s simple for them to cut out wristbands, a headband, a mask, and a letter for their shirt. Just make sure you trace something on the felt and fabrics so that your little one has something to follow!
If you want to get fancy, you can always hot glue some velcro pads onto the accessories to reuse for dress-up or pretending. Otherwise, you can use some duct tape and make things simple and more temporary.
Lauren’s daughter, Jackie, loved this costume and wanted to wear it all day - I don’t blame her!
Total Cost: $11.88, including the t-shirt (she had leggings already)
Jellybean Costume
How adorable is this costume? Kids love balloons, so this will be fun for them to wear! It didn’t take much time to blow up the balloons since we needed them to be small. To have an easier time blowing them up, choose balloons that are thin. The balloons are going to be so cute bouncing around as your kiddo runs from house to house.
Clear trash bags can be hard to find, so give yourself some time to find them! We couldn't find one, so we improvised and made a jellybean skirt. What’s great is that you can wear any colored shirt and pants, since they’ll all go with the balloons...I mean, jellybeans.
Total cost: $10.69 (excluding shirt and pants, which she already had)
Jellyfish Costume
This costume is my favorite out of the three, I have to admit. I’ve seen a couple of jellyfish costumes in real life, but they didn’t have the LED lights. The lights, in my opinion, totally make the costume, especially since trick or treating will be done at nighttime.
The eyes are easy to cut out, and the rest of the costume involved mostly tape and a tiny bit of glue. Something worth mentioning is that nearly half of the cost of the costume was the ribbon alone!
Jackie loved the costume and also wanted to use it as a fort! I love her imagination. I also appreciate how this costume can be suited for kids or adults - just keep in mind the length of the tentacles.
Total cost: $45.90
Admittedly, the jellyfish costume is on the pricey side. However, with all of these costumes, it is possible to price out items and look for coupons to lower the cost. Joann Crafts and Michaels always have coupons, and some supplies may be cheaper online as well. Happy shopping!