Costumes: Tips to Creating Children’s Halloween Costumes on a Budget

crafts • me • beauty & fashion • holidays

by Jessica Caldiero on October 20th, 2011 | No Comments »

Costumes—"Mom, I KNOW what I am going to be for Halloween!" How many times have we been told this only to have it change the very next day? Children frequently change their mind, which makes costume purchases a little tricky. My experiences are that I have purchases an expensive costume, then needed to return it because of a character change. Or, by the time my child has finally settled on a costume, it is out of stock everywhere. What is a mom to do?

My five year-old decided that Rapunzel was the costume for her. This costume is sold out everywhere, including online, unless of course I want to spring for the $60 version. Um...no! Our solution was found in a basic purple princess costume at the grocery store for $12.00!

Step 1: Here is what we started with:

Step 2: According to the expert (my five year-old), the main element this costume was missing was the bodice style lacing she fell in love with from the movie. I already had a variety of ribbon on hand and this is what we came up with:

Step 3: Do some hand stitching during TV time, add a basic blonde wig, and you have a happy Rapunzel for less than $20!

My nine year-old wanted to be Ginny from Harry Potter. If you are asking, "WHO?", so was I. I guess she is a minor character that wears the same cloak as Harry but has red hair and my girls love to find characters with red hair.

This one, with a little creative thinking, we were able to do for free! Here is how we did it:

Step 1: Start with black jeans and a white button up shirt.

Step 2: Add a tie from dad.

Step 3: Layer with a black button up sweater.

Step 4: Then pull out the black cape from your Halloween costume collection (we all have one, right?) Use a seam ripper to open up arm holes on both sides, then pin onto the sweater.

Step 5: Add a wand, aka a stick from the yard, and you have a completely free costume of your child's dreams!

Work with your child's idea of what their desired costume looks like. With a little creativity, you can come up with something that your child and your budget will be proud of!

What does your child want to be for Halloween? What are your favorite budget-friendly Halloween costume tips and tricks?

Jessica Caldiero is am a stay at home mom of two beautiful red head girls (9 and 5). Her husband’s career in finance has had them changing locations and companies more times than they ever imagined! The blogging world has allowed her to keep in touch with friends and family no matter where their current location is.

She loves to find tips and tricks to help her keep my head above water, and save money while she manages their busy household. They all seem to ask each other, “how do you do it?!” as they struggle along. Although she doesn't don’t feel like she is doing it well every day, she is trying her best as she clears the clutter out of their home and lives. How do you keep the clutter cleared from your lives?