All Decked Out Halloween Costumes

This grand ensemble reuses that special-occasion dress your daughter will soon out-grow and transforms it into a costume fit for a princess. Simply tie a full length overskirt around the waist of the dress and drape a fur-trimmed stole over the shoulders.

In a sea of Halloween costumes, this one makes a splash! The satiny tail of reversible blue and lime quilted fabric is stitched as a skirt with the front cut short for walking ease and the back cut long with fins. Just make sure your Arielle dons leggings and a flesh-tone shirt underneath her bikini top for cool weather trick-or-treating.

Turn your pajama-clad cocoon into a dazzling butterfly with fabric wings so shimmery you won't need trims to make them sparkle. Just cut them out as a single piece and add elastic for shaping and fastening. For extra sparkle frame her face with boa-covered antennae.

This pirate's got bling--and it won't cost you a chest of treasure. With some inexpensive felt, gold and rickrack trims, and bit of sewing your lad will be set to sail into uncharted candy territory. Give him swagger with a skull-and-crossbones cap and a belt with a giant cardboard buckle wrapped in foil tape.

Half the fun of this automation is pulling the materials together: a box, duct tape, and old bike helmet from the garage; foam beads and a Slinky; flexible dryer duct and pipe insulation from the hardware store. Then just cut, spray-paint, and tape away!