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Literary Halloween Costumes

October 14, 2008 by Jennifer

It’s that time of year again. The time that our children have to come up with THE costume. If yours are anything like mine, on November 1, they are saying “Next year for Halloween, I think I’ll be. . . . ” My daughter Amanda never runs short on creativity in coming up with her costumes. I don’t know if it’s her creativity or my frugality, but between the two, we usually end up making her costume. My very favorite was when she was four (or five?), and she told me she wanted to be a “girl superhero.”

I took an old baby blanket, attached some ribbon with the no-sew adhesive glue stuff, and made a cape. I bought a navy T-shirt and leggings and attached the A for “Super Amanda” to her shirt (although this led to a few guesses that she was Alvin, and this was even before the Chipmunks movie). She wore classes, so I attached her felt mask to her glasses frame. A bow matching the cape string for her ponytail and a dog temporarily playing the part of sidekick Shadow rounded it out.

How about trying a costume based on your children’s favorite literary character this year?

Scholastic Parent and Child magazine is a great resource in general, and especially right now if you are strapped for a creative costume idea for your child.

They offer step-by-step instructions for 6 easy costumes to make at home. Check out these ideas:

  • Captain Underpants
  • Angelina Ballerina
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar
  • and three more!


Check out their article
for all the facts and pictures of each of the costumes.


Would you like to win a set of Halloween themed books targeted to your child’s age (U.S. shipping addresses only)? Just leave a comment here. Tell us about a creative costume you’ve come up with, or if you don’t get creative, tell us what your child is going to dress up as this year. We’ll draw a winner on October 22, so that you’ll get your books in time to enjoy for the season!

Managing Editor Jennifer Donovan is a contributing editor at 5 Minutes for Mom. She has been blogging at Snapshot for over two years.

Filed Under: Children's Books, Jennifer

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Comments

  1. Marion Hildenbrand says

    October 21, 2008 at 3:19 am

    My daughter is recycling her Ballet costume and will be a ballerina.

  2. Carol M, PA says

    October 21, 2008 at 3:42 am

    our young one is going as a lady bug this year. Bringing us a lot of luck for the upcoming year hopefully.

  3. susan p says

    October 21, 2008 at 7:35 am

    my son just got a bob the builder playset for his bday so I might just put overalls on him and he’ll be bob the builder. thanks.

  4. Becky Grayson says

    October 21, 2008 at 9:17 am

    One year I made a costume for my oldest son. He was a care bear. This was when they first came out. I worked so hard on that costume (all that fur material UGH) and he still pulls out the picture from time to time to laugh at how cute he looked LOL. He now has four kiddos of his own. They are going as Cinderella, Snow White, Ironman and Ghost Rider.

    Thanks for the contest and the memories.

  5. c gibbs says

    October 21, 2008 at 9:49 am

    My son is going to be Indiana Jones and my daughter is going to be an astronaut.

  6. Lori Craig says

    October 21, 2008 at 10:04 am

    My son is going as a Star Wars clone warrior.

  7. Kathy Conley says

    October 21, 2008 at 10:22 am

    My daughter is going as a chef this year!

  8. Crystal F says

    October 21, 2008 at 10:36 am

    I’ very uncreative (lol) so my 4 yr. old and 8 yr. old are going as Little Bo Peep. They wanted to wear matching costumes and I was lucky enough to find the perfect one. Thank you for the great giveaway!

  9. Terri L says

    October 21, 2008 at 10:39 am

    My kids don’t like creative costumes. They love the costumes at the store! This year my son is an alien and my daughter is a vampiress.

  10. Tonia Rowe says

    October 21, 2008 at 10:42 am

    My mother in law can sew so that allows me to be creative. Last year my daughter was a Renaissance Princess and this year she will be Laura Ingalls.

  11. Rebecca Peters says

    October 21, 2008 at 10:43 am

    My daughter really wanted to be tinkerbell for halloween this year so thats what I got her..I’m still not sure about my son..probably superman or a pumpkin

  12. Renee Turner says

    October 21, 2008 at 10:47 am

    My 3 1/2 year old son is dressing as a “Rock Star”

  13. kathy pease says

    October 21, 2008 at 11:41 am

    i once made my daughter a mrs potato head out of a burlap sac 🙂

  14. Talitha Lee says

    October 21, 2008 at 12:22 pm

    My mom is the one who usually makes the kids costumes. The best ones were the dragon costumes she made a few years ago. We went trick-or-treating with a friend of mine who my mom had also made a costume for so we had 3 little dragons. It was really cute. Thanks for the contest!

  15. Veronica Garrett says

    October 21, 2008 at 12:41 pm

    My granddaughter will be dressing up as a pirate.

  16. Tarah says

    October 21, 2008 at 12:45 pm

    My niece is going to be a purple fairy.

  17. shar says

    October 21, 2008 at 1:55 pm

    cannot claim to be creative but my child will look so cute in pooh costume

  18. Roberta F. says

    October 21, 2008 at 2:28 pm

    My son is 3 and adamant that he doen’t want to dress up, so I have srlurged on a big chicken costume – hilarios. Not creative, I know – but funny.

  19. stevie says

    October 21, 2008 at 2:29 pm

    I have made a Robot costume for my boy, with a large box, and some buttons and lids form dishsoap bottles. he loves it, but by the time Halloween comes, I think it will be wrecked.

  20. rebecca says

    October 21, 2008 at 2:31 pm

    Hi and thanks for such a great giveaway. I haven’t made a costume this year as I was frugal and got one in the sale LAST year. (I know, I’m so tight). But, we are hosting a big halloween paty and I’ve been creative with decorations from black tulle and orange cards.

  21. Kristyn Martin says

    October 21, 2008 at 3:36 pm

    My 1 year old son is going to be a UPS driver, just like his Daddy is in real life!

  22. Veronica Szymankiewicz says

    October 21, 2008 at 3:40 pm

    Hello. This year we are dressing our 15 month old as Darth Vader. We love it all the more because his name is Lukas and we can say, “Luke, I am your father”.

  23. Jennifer Schroeder says

    October 21, 2008 at 4:24 pm

    I’m not a very creative person, so we usually buy costumes every year. This year I am running really late because I haven’t bought my kids their cotumes yet!

  24. Valeen N says

    October 21, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    We’re all going as the Adams Family, Gomez, Morticia, Pugsy, and Wednesday!

  25. Rosanne Morrison says

    October 21, 2008 at 6:59 pm

    One of my sons made a fly costume out of some old black clothes and 2 strainers for eyes

  26. Viva says

    October 21, 2008 at 7:49 pm

    My son will be a robot. We’re using all recycled items…boxes, light up toys, plastic caps that we’re painting and adding on to the costume. It’s a bit of work, but worth it. Thanks for the chance!

  27. Sandy Tritt says

    October 21, 2008 at 8:35 pm

    My children are 4 and 8 and they love reading books together

  28. Tia W. says

    October 21, 2008 at 9:09 pm

    My girl is going as a Vampiress..thx for the contest!

  29. Tricia says

    October 21, 2008 at 9:28 pm

    I am not really creative when it comes to costumes however, I have a tradition I am following this year for my 2 year old son.My oldest child is now 12 and when he was 2 I bought him a Pooh costume from The Disney Store.I held on to that costume and 4 years later, when my daughter was 2, she wore the Pooh costume. Now, my 3rd and final child will be wearing the same Pooh costume that his brother and sister wore. Even though it has been 10 years since I bought that costume, I don’t think it will ever go out of style and it still looks just as good as it did 10 years ago.I have taken pictures of my other 2 children in this costume and I will be taking a picture of my youngest in it so I can make a little collage photo. And who knows, maybe some day, 1 of my grandchildren could be wearing it.

  30. sharon martinez says

    October 21, 2008 at 10:13 pm

    My granddaughter who is 4 just watched the Wizard of Oz for the first time. Now she is obsessed with Dorothy, she she did get a Sparkly Dorothy costume, her Mom is going as the scarecrow and her Dad is the Tin man. I think I am goig to be forced to be the Lion LOL . I care for her everyday, and we have started to read the oringinal Wizard of Oz book . Thank you for a great contest
    [email protected]

  31. Anne says

    October 21, 2008 at 10:13 pm

    This halloween my daughter is going to be Wonder Woman and our son is going to be Superman. we ran out of time to be creative this year so we are planning next years already….a lion tamer and a circus lion. we have already started drawing up the idea book!!

  32. Heather C says

    October 21, 2008 at 11:20 pm

    I dressed my girl up as girl in bubblebath. We made ‘bubbles’ out of balloons, a bathtub out of a box and white poster board, had her in a shower cap, etc. It was fun, and people loved it.

  33. Janet says

    October 21, 2008 at 11:26 pm

    one grandson is a shark and one is a lion this year!

  34. Lily Kwan says

    October 21, 2008 at 11:39 pm

    I would like to dress up as a unicorn.

  35. Timothy Sternberg says

    October 22, 2008 at 1:57 am

    I’m not very creative at all.

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