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.
I’m totally doing that! We’re making my son a Man In The Yellow Hat costume – we have one of those monkey backpacks that we’re going to call George!
We like to borrow costumes around here, especially since I’m due with our 3rd child very soon. My daughter is going to be a skunk and my son is going to be Spiderman. (I know, not original, but very cute nonetheless.)
I’m not very creative at all. Since we don’t do anything extravagant for Halloween, my kids just wear some of the dress-up clothes from their closet.
I would love these! This halloween, my oldest daughter(will be 8 soon) is going to be Nancy Drew; it was actually her idea, and she’s a lot more creative than I am. She’ll be donning Nancy Drew’s fashion(or lack thereof): knee-socks, headband,et al.
🙂
mom bake 3 @ g mail dot com
I once dressed up like Cyndi Lauper in the video that she did where she wore the skirt made of newspaper.
My boys are going to be Tigger and Eeyore – not intentionally literary characters, but it fits with the theme! I’m just happy my oldest went out of the superhero category this year… though I guess comic book characters could fall into the literary theme too. 🙂 And Tigger is a superhero in his own mind…
When I was in 6th grade, I made my own scarecrow costume using really cute fabrics 🙂 I haven’t gotten creative with my little ones costumes yet, but I hope to in the coming years.
i hate all the scary costumes and love the idea of being creative, and taking some of our favorite characters. My son will be Chicken Little for his first halloween this year!
Our son was a circus monkey when he was 13 months old. My mother-in-law made him the cutest costume — or so we thought — now it makes us cringe when we realized we posed him as a little monkey in a vest and pillbox hat! He has strong opinions now that he’s older! 🙂
Thanks for the contest!
Megret
My oldest loves Alice In Wonderland, so she is going as the Queen of Hearts this year! My middle girl loves Peter Pan, so she is going as Tinkerbell. They love to look at their books and imagine themselves as the characters!
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When my oldest son [he’ll be 8 on Sunday] was 2, money was tight. I wanted him to have a fun Halloween so I came up with this costume Idea. I put a black long sleeve button up shirt on him and opened the top few buttons. He wore black socks over his sneakers pulled up really high so they looked like boots. I bought him a long sword. The last item was a little container of black face paint. I gave him a deboinair mustache with that and he was Zorro! He was so handsome and got lots of compliments. Sadly, he didn’t win the costume contest-that distinction when to some cookie cutter pre-purchased unimaginative costume. It’s still my favorite, though.
I love to win these books for my son. He loves to read. He’s in second grade now, but is already reading Charlie Bone. He’s a great kid.
I’m not that creative! One of the kids is going to be Dorothy and I’m not sure about the rest yet!!
One of my sons is going as “The Cat in the Hat!” We have a hat from Disneyworld just like his! Got to love him. Thanks for a chance at winning the Halloween books. Cindi
I’m not very creative at all, and my son is just 1 so he doesn’t know anyway. I think I’ll go with the Super Baby idea with his first initial on his shirt. Thanks for that idea!
I think that link to costume ideas is interesting, but my those look pretty involved for homemade costumes. I’d never make something so involved!
Our little one is going to be a ladybug, a costume her aunt bought for her….no creativity here!
younger one will be what the elder one was last year, meaning princess. elder one will be Hannah Montana.
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Is it terrible to say that it is mid-October and I have no clue what my children will be for Halloween? Obviously, the holiday isn’t one of utmost importance around here. 🙂 However, we do have a festival to attend, and the “Little Miss Spider” and “Very Hungry Caterpillar” costumes are absolutely adorable!
My granddaughter is going to be Enequa from the backyardigans.
For me, being creative means seeing how cheaply I can throw something together. This year, my daughter is wearing my used cat costume with a pair of hand me down heels from a friend of ours. She’ll look great without me spending a dime.
What a fun idea! I’m afraid I’m not very creative though. My kids are Jack Sparrow, Red Power Ranger (or astronaut), Buzz Lightyear and I’m not sure yet about the baby.
My grandson is going to dress up as a fireman!! He is all excited!
I took a black tutu and put a fuzzy tail on it, then dress my daughter in a black leggings and turtleneck and used kitty ears. She was the most precious kitty cat last year. Now her younger sister wants to be it this year.
Nothing super creative, but we took one of my daughters ballet costumes & she was a doll. We did pig tails, big rosy cheeks, Mary jane shoes. She looked so cute, it was one of my favorite costumes. We have also taken ballet outfits & did fairy. This year my youngest is going to be an angel with a big fluffy white tutu.
The year I had open-heart surgery (in June) I made Peter Pan and Captain Hook costumes for my 2 youngest sons (I think the morphine helped alot) lol
One year I made a corn cob costume – it was way cute.
My grandson wants to be a Lion this year.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
I’m not creative, but Gracie is going to be a cheerleader for Halloween. Thanks for the chance.
My son is going to be a skeleton. My daughter is going to be a zombie cheerleader.
My son is just turning 4 so his halloween costumes have been easy so far (fireman, pirate).
When I was in 4rth grade, I insisted my mom sew me a potato costume for halloween! The next year she had me wear it again as Mr. Peanut!
My daughter is dressing up as a cat this year. Also to Abby- I dressed up as Cyndi Lauper too when I was younger!!
I have a Clone Trooper and a Vampire Princess this year.
Thank you so much for this giveaway. Our two oldest is going to be dressed as Doctors. Our younger kids will be a princess (daughter) and a pea (baby). Thanks so much.
I once went as a marinated tofu stick. My relatives from California wouldn’t have batted an eyelash at this, but my in-laws in Virginia think I am a nutjob.
Alicia Webster
[email protected]
well in the past i well did make up costumes for my older childern and well one year i had my oldest dressed up as a wicth i had takeing 2 old black skirts and made one in to a dress the other in to acape and it looked so cute and well the other one i did was when i made both my olest and 2nd oldest i put the oldest in a homemade dress that well looked like it was from 1800’s and i also made her a sun bonet and apion and some black boots and her bother i put in to a pair of old landianhoesson’s that i found aat and hand shop and well i gave him my dads old cowboy hat and well thay looked like famers from way back in the day and well thay where cute and this year is my youngest ones frist year out and i have not yet begain to pick her out a costume yet i’m thinking abt makeing her in to a princess but as to what kind? i was thinking abt a fairy pumpkin prencess.
I’ve gone as Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter – it’s always a hit!
well we create from old costumes and clothes and my most proud moment was taking my prom dress and pinning and making it a cinderella princess dress with a little pinning
I’m not creative at all. My daughter will be a fairy and my son will be Superman.
My son is going to be a bat this year!
My two year old will be a dinosaur this year. Se lucked out finding such a well made costume this year because I’m not crafty in the least!
if i dress up as ‘batman’ the neighbors kids would go koo koo
Our son went as Harry Potter for a few years. He had a set of Spiderman pajamas that he wore out.
Holt wants to be a biker. I can make a fake 5 o’clock shadow and dress up the leather jacket with a iron on Harley logo. I will add a fake tatoo and do-rag. I think he will be cute.
the lion king
My son is going to be a power ranger 🙂
My daughter (6) will no doubt be a ladybug yet again. She just loves the costume, and I’m dreading the day she outgrows it! Love the literary idea, though at the moment her favorite character is Ramona Quimby and I’m not sure how we’d pull that off!
We share costumes amoung our family members
the most creative would have to be a bubble gum machine.
we were going to a star wars costume but if the Phillies win tonight. It will be a Phillies player.
It is so funny. My daughter is 5 and she wants to be Supergirl this year.
Cool Contest!! My kids are using dress up costumes we already have so I’m thinking we’ll have a wonder woman or princess, and a spiderman or star wars guy, plus a little power ranger!