Tips’ DIY Halloween Costumes

Here are a few of our staff’s favorite DIY costumes–some easier than others.
By Our TipsFromTown Staff

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Channel Your Inner Charlie Brown
Is there anything more traditional than making a ghost costume from a sheet? You can cut out the holes for the eyes and paste on a silly mouth or copy Charlie Brown’s costume and cut holes all over.

R2D2…are you in there?
So your child wants to be R2D2 but the costume doesn’t exist??? This remains one of my favorite all-time DIY costumes: our cute, little R2D2. just buy a white trash can with a flip lid. Then print out and/or draw buttons on it. Create the “legs” from 2 pieces of styrofoam.

tackyliving.com

Tacky Tourist
Have one of those Alvish Hawaiian Shirts 42B Boys Coconut Beach Aloha Party Camp Light Blue M shirts stashed in the back of your closet? If not, it’s a pretty easy thing to find at a Goodwill. Sport that flowered shirt, a fanny pack and a clunky camera around your neck, and you’re a tacky tourist. Don’t forget to wear socks with those sandals!

Bunch of Grapes
This costume is easy and cheap! Buy 2 bags of either green or purple balloons, blow them up and attach them to your child’s clothes with small safety pins. Take it a step further and paint their face the same color. They’ll have tons of fun later popping themselves back to normal.

A Light-Up Exit Sign
My daughter was the safest kid on the streets the year we did this…because she lit up! She wanted to be an exit sign–one that actually lit up. We bought foam at Joann Fabric. Folded a big piece in half and made a hole for the head. Painted red letters on both sides. Then, we used battery-powered lights to make it light up. Poke small holes in the letters and stick lights through. Use duct tape to secure it in the on the under side.

Glowing Up Jellyfish
You know I’m a fan of anything that lights up so I love this version of a jellyfish costume that I’ve seen many times before! Simply outfit a clear bubble umbrellawith battery-powered twinkly lights like the ones I used above. I’ve found them at Tuesday Morning also. Your kid will be the safest kid on the block at night!

hubpages

Mommy’s Mummy
If you have an old sheet laying around, use it. Otherwise, head to a discount store and buy the cheapest white sheet you can find. Rip the sheet into strips and start wrapping and pinning. If you want to go a little further, you can soak the strips in tea to give it a aged look.

Yo Mamma
Order a Yo Mamma Curly wig, some big glasses, a cane from the drugstore and you’ve got, well, maybe not yo mama, but somebody’s mamma.

Image from Elite Daily

Identity Theft
This has to be the easiest cheapest costume ever! Run up to CVS and buy a pack of name tags. You could even use post-it or make “My Name is…” labels yourself.

Zombie in a Pinch
This is the easiest last minute costume you could do. You can use whatever you have at home. Rip up an old shirt and rub it in dirt, toss their hair around with some product, and use makeup to make circles under their eyes. We did it a few years ago and bought fake scar tattoos at CVS…that stayed on for 2 weeks!

My friend does awesome makeup; it makes the costume in this one. She painted styrofoam balls black for the lollipops.

Medusa
My friend, Natalie, is an amazing artist in several genres but one of her finest talents is making unusual, eye-catching costumes for Halloween. For her medusa costume, she hoy glue-gunned 50 or so rubber snakes into a helmut. Don’t forget the tylenol with this one–she had a headache by the end of the night.

Scubadivers
You can feel good about this one because you’re recycling too. Tape together a couple one liters and connect
it to your child’s back with some plastic tubing. Add swim googles and you’re all set. Click for more details.

Always a Clown
A little makeup and bright clothing and you’ve got yourself a clown.
Add a wig and a nose for $5.99 and you really don’t need anything else.

reallyawesomecostumes.com

Where’s Waldo?
Have a red and white shirt laying around? Pair it with glasses and binoculars to become Waldo. We found this shirt on Amazon for kids and grown ups. Or if you need for a tinier Waldo like above, try this one for toddlers.

Wednesday Adams
If you have a little girl with dark hair, put it in braids and dress her in a black sweater and skirt, pt a few dark bags under her eyes and you’ve got yourself a Wednesday Adams. Or get a wig on Amazon Prime.

Switch it up: Sonny & Cher
Dress like your favorite couple–with a twist. Let your guy go in drag.

Be Your Favorite Piece of Art
I loved the kids that did these last year. Pick a favorite painting, find a frame and either paint or print out a painting. Cut out a whole for your head. From PJStar.

confessionsofapropjunkie.com

Charlie Chaplin
If you have a hat and a blazer, you can pull this one off with a little black eye liner for the mustache.
You can also order the bowler hat and mustache on Amazon Prime for $8.99.

A Marionette
Years ago, I dressed my little sister up like a marionette. It was adorable. She wore suspenders, and I painted her face like a puppet. Then, I attached string to her arms and legs and walked around holding the strings above her. Photo above is from pinterest–a similar idea–but this mom used a headband and clear plastic tubing so she could walk around alone.

Kiss
Have a foursome? Go as Kiss. Our editor, Amy Nidds is Gene Simmons on end. Throw on some black clothes and buy a few wigs. The key is someone who knows what they are doing with makeup.

Fifty Shades of Gray
Karen had the great idea of going as Fifty Shades of Gray. Her husband is a formal apology. The only thing she needed was the paint color sheets that someone had leftover after choosing paint colors.

Gumball Machine
Think this is what we’re doing this year. Get a big, clear plastic garbage bag and fill it with balloons. The one above is from Mommy Lessons.

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