These 31 DIY Halloween costumes for kids turn sweatshirts, cardboard, umbrellas and other familiar materials into wearable ideas that children can help make. Each entry includes a base, a short materials list and assembly steps; a handful draw directly on projects from Children’s Mercy and Hallmark Canada, while the rest are practical original suggestions. Start with supplies you already have, then check the fit, sightlines and freedom of movement before Halloween night.
Animal costumes from clothes you already own
Matching clothes make a comfortable base and can often be worn again after Halloween. Hallmark Canada describes its pig, mouse and monkey costumes as easy projects, estimating 30–40 minutes for each of those specific tutorials—not for every costume in this roundup. See Hallmark Canada’s animal costume instructions.
1. Pig
Base: Pink sweatshirt and sweatpants, ideally with a hood. Materials: Pink felt or paper, a small piece of darker pink felt, and fabric-safe adhesive or tape. Make it: Cut two ears and attach them to the hood. Add a darker oval snout to the front of the hood or a soft headband. Keep the face uncovered and check that the hood does not slip over the child’s eyes.
2. Mouse
Base: Gray sweatshirt and pants. Materials: Gray and pink felt, a soft headband, and a length of ribbon or fabric for a tail. Make it: Layer pink inner-ear shapes onto gray ears and attach them to the headband. Pin or stitch the tail securely to the back of the shirt; keep it short enough not to trail or catch underfoot.
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3. Monkey
Base: Brown sweatshirt and pants. Materials: Tan felt or paper, brown felt, and a soft headband. Make it: Cut round ears and a lighter oval belly, then attach them to the hood and sweatshirt. Make a short, soft tail from fabric and secure it to the back of the waistband.
4. Cat
Base: Black or other solid-color clothes. Materials: Felt or cardstock, a soft headband, and optional face paint labeled non-toxic. Make it: Attach two triangular ears to the headband and add a contrasting inner-ear layer. If using face paint, test it according to its label and keep it away from the eyes; a drawn-on nose is optional.
5. Owl
Base: Brown or gray sweatshirt and pants. Materials: Felt or fabric scraps in two or three colors. Make it: Cut overlapping teardrop or semicircle shapes and attach them in rows to the front of the sweatshirt as feathers. Add simple felt ears to a headband; leave the child’s vision and hearing unobstructed.
6. Butterfly
Base: Solid-color clothes. Materials: Two large sheets of felt or lightweight fabric, ribbon or elastic, and tape or glue. Make it: Cut a pair of broad wings and decorate them with contrasting patches. Secure the wings to the back of the shirt with short shoulder loops or fabric ties, ensuring they do not restrict the arms or drag on the ground.
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7. Ladybug
Base: Red shirt and black pants or leggings. Materials: Black felt circles and a soft headband. Make it: Attach the circles to the shirt. Add small felt antennae to a headband if desired. Skip wire or stiff protruding pieces, and ensure the outfit fits comfortably over the child’s usual layers.
8. Bee
Base: Black shirt and pants. Materials: Yellow fabric strips or ribbon, lightweight felt, and a soft headband. Make it: Attach yellow stripes across the shirt, then add small felt antennae to the headband. Optional wings should be light, secured close to the back and clear of the arms.
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- ZENTAI JUMPSUIT: Long-sleeved form-fitting suit is made of two way stretch spandex
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- DETACHABLE MASK: Also includes a detachable spandex mask with plastic eyes
- JAZWARES COSTUMES: Halloween costumes made for every member of the family
Cardboard-box costumes
Choose a box that leaves room for the child to move. Children’s Mercy recommends fitting head and arm openings and trimming excess length so a box costume ends above the knee. Have the child try it on and walk, turn and sit before decorating; smooth or cover cut edges, and do not let the box block the child’s view. Its cardboard costume examples and safety advice include LEGO-style and Rubik’s Cube-style designs.
9. LEGO brick
Base: A cardboard box sized to the child’s torso. Materials: Paint or colored paper, glue, and lightweight cups or circles for studs. Make it: Fit the box, mark and cut head and arm openings, then trim its bottom above the knee. Cover it in one bright color and attach evenly spaced studs. Let paint and glue dry fully before the try-on.
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Base: A torso-sized cardboard box. Materials: Black paint or paper, colored paper squares, glue. Make it: Cut and fit openings as for the LEGO costume, leaving the box above the knee. Cover each visible side with a black grid and colored squares. Make sure the openings allow a natural arm swing and the child can see clearly.
11. Robot
Base: A box for the torso, with comfortable clothes underneath. Materials: Foil or silver paper, colored paper, glue or tape. Make it: After fitting and trimming the box, decorate it with control-panel shapes. Add details from paper rather than sharp metal or hard protrusions; secure everything firmly and recheck movement.
12. Delivery truck
Base: A short cardboard box worn around the torso. Materials: Paint or paper, cutout circles for wheels, and tape. Make it: Fit the box with clear arm and head openings and trim it above the knee. Add wheels and windows on the sides. Keep wheel decorations flat and confirm they do not interfere with walking.
13. Television
Base: A small, lightweight box. Materials: Colored paper, markers, glue. Make it: Fit and trim the box, then decorate the front as a screen with a favorite pretend program or pattern. Do not cover the child’s face opening with a screen, plastic or mesh; the child needs an unobstructed view.
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- ZENTAI JUMPSUIT: Long-sleeved form-fitting suit is made of two way stretch spandex
- INVISIBLE ZIPPERS: Includes front and back invisible zippers
- DETACHABLE MASK: Also includes a detachable spandex mask with plastic eyes
- JAZWARES COSTUMES: Halloween costumes made for every member of the family
14. Gift box
Base: A fitted cardboard torso box. Materials: Wrapping paper or paint, ribbon, tape. Make it: Fit and shorten the box first, then decorate it like a present. Use ribbon as decoration rather than a neck loop, and keep loose ends short so they cannot catch on objects.
Wearable objects and playful characters
15. Jellyfish
Base: A child-sized umbrella and comfortable clothes. Materials: Ribbon or lightweight fabric strips; optional glow sticks or small lights. Make it: Attach short streamers around the umbrella edge, keeping them away from the child’s face and hands. Children’s Mercy suggests lights or glow sticks as optional visibility additions. Practice walking with the umbrella open in a clear area, maintain an unobstructed view, and use only if the child can carry it safely.
16. Mr. Potato Head
Base: An oversized T-shirt or sweatshirt. Materials: Felt or cardstock facial features, tape or fabric-safe adhesive; optional reflective tape. Make it: Create detachable eyes, nose, mouth and other features and fasten them to the shirt. Children’s Mercy describes this mix-and-match approach and suggests reflective additions. Attach pieces securely and skip small parts for children who might mouth them.
17. Book character
Base: Clothes resembling a character’s usual outfit. Materials: Paper or felt for one recognizable prop or detail. Make it: Choose a character the child knows, then add a simple color, badge, hat or soft accessory. Keep props lightweight and short, and avoid masks that obstruct vision.
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18. Artist
Base: A smock or oversized shirt over everyday clothes. Materials: Paper palette, markers, and a clean, soft brush. Make it: Draw paint swatches on the paper palette and attach it to the smock. Carry the brush by hand only if it has no sharp end; otherwise use it as a shirt decoration.
19. Astronaut
Base: White or silver clothing. Materials: Paper patches, foil accents, tape or glue. Make it: Add simple mission-style patches and control-panel shapes to the shirt. Use a soft, well-fitting hat only if it stays out of the child’s eyes; do not use a rigid helmet that limits sight or hearing.
Rank #4
- INTEGRATED SUIT: Join the action with the MARVEL Integrated Spider-Man Official Youth Deluxe Zentai Costume
- ZENTAI JUMPSUIT: Long-sleeved form-fitting suit is made of two way stretch spandex
- INVISIBLE ZIPPERS: Includes front and back invisible zippers
- DETACHABLE MASK: Also includes a detachable spandex mask with plastic eyes
- JAZWARES COSTUMES: Halloween costumes made for every member of the family
20. Cloud
Base: White or light-gray clothes. Materials: White felt or fabric shapes, thread or fabric-safe adhesive. Make it: Attach flat cloud shapes to the shirt and pants. Avoid loose stuffing or bulky pieces that could shed, restrict movement or make the child too warm.
21. Rainbow
Base: A neutral shirt and comfortable pants. Materials: Strips of colored fabric or paper. Make it: Arrange the strips in an arch across the front of the shirt and secure them flat. Avoid long hanging streamers that can catch or trip the wearer.
22. Crayon
Base: A long-sleeved shirt and pants in one bright color. Materials: Black felt or paper. Make it: Add a dark crayon label across the shirt and a simple paper tip detail to a soft hat if desired. Keep the hat optional and ensure it does not cover the child’s eyes.
23. Traffic light
Base: Black clothes. Materials: Red, yellow and green felt or paper. Make it: Attach three large circles in a vertical line on the shirt. Add reflective details to clothing or a bag where useful, but do not rely on the costume alone for nighttime visibility.
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24. Sunflower
Base: Green or brown clothes. Materials: Yellow felt or paper petals and a soft headband. Make it: Attach petals around the headband, making sure they do not obscure the child’s peripheral vision. Add a green leaf shape to the shirt.
25. Tree
Base: Brown clothes. Materials: Green paper or felt leaves and fabric-safe adhesive. Make it: Attach a few flat leaves to the shoulders and shirt front. Avoid branches, sticks or bulky pieces that could snag or poke.
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26. Strawberry
Base: Red shirt and pants. Materials: Green felt or paper and small pieces of contrasting felt. Make it: Add green leaves around the shirt collar and small seed shapes across the front. Keep collar decorations away from the chin and fasten them securely.
27. Popcorn
Base: White shirt and red-and-white striped paper or fabric. Materials: Yellow paper or felt. Make it: Add vertical stripes to the shirt and attach a few flat yellow popcorn shapes near the shoulders. Avoid loose, bulky filling that could obstruct movement or shed.
28. Sushi roll
Base: Black or dark clothing. Materials: White and colored felt or paper. Make it: Create a flat white rice ring and a small colorful center, then attach both to the shirt front. Do not wrap material tightly around the child’s body or neck.
29. Bookworm
Base: Green clothes. Materials: Felt or paper circles, optional glasses with clear lenses. Make it: Attach a row of contrasting circles to the shirt as a segmented worm. Add a favorite book as a hand-carried prop only if it does not interfere with safe walking.
30. Package of crayons
Base: A bright shirt and pants. Materials: Paper or felt in several colors. Make it: Attach parallel colored strips to the shirt and label each with a color name. This group costume can be made from the same base design in different color combinations; keep all labels and strips flat.
31. Little monster
Base: A comfortable sweatshirt and pants. Materials: Felt shapes in contrasting colors. Make it: Add soft spots, a mouth or a row of felt teeth to the shirt. Avoid attached pieces near the face that could impair vision, and skip sharp horns or hard protrusions.
Fit, visibility and comfort checks
Before heading out, have the child wear the complete outfit with the shoes and layers they will use. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that costumes and shoes fit well, hems be short enough to prevent tripping, hats not block vision, makeup be non-toxic, and accessories not be sharp or long. It also recommends checking labels for flame resistance and adding bright or reflective details. Its guidance says: “Costumes should be short enough to prevent tripping and avoid catching on objects.” Read the full HealthyChildren.org Halloween safety tips.
- Walk, turn, sit and raise both arms in the finished costume; adjust anything that pulls, slips or catches.
- Make sure the child can see clearly in every direction. Use face paint instead of a vision-limiting mask, and choose non-toxic makeup.
- Keep hems, tails, ribbons and accessories short and secure. Avoid sharp items, long sticks, swords, canes and floor-dragging pieces.
- Use bright or reflective details where appropriate. A light or glow stick can be an addition, not a substitute for supervision and clear visibility.
- For cardboard and umbrella costumes, do a supervised movement check in a clear space before going outside.
More child-friendly inspiration
PBS Kids’ Halloween crafts and costumes offers projects designed for families to do together with a child. For a wider gallery of ideas, see HGTV’s 82 Cute + Easy DIY Halloween Kids’ Costumes.
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