31 DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids That Are Perfect for Trick-or-Treating These creative Halloween costumes are great for little trick-or-treaters who need a spooky (yet cute) ensemble in a flash. By Halee Miller Van Ryswyk Halee Miller Van Ryswyk Halee Miller Van Ryswyk is an associate editor for BHG.com. She is a graduate of Iowa State University where she majored in journalism and mass communications and earned a minor in design studies. Prior to graduation, she was the Better Homes & Gardens print magazine home editorial apprentice. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process and Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on October 16, 2024 Close Credit: Nicole Gerulat This Halloween, let kids show off their personalities with custom trick-or-treating apparel. Skip the store and choose one of our favorite DIY Halloween costumes for kids instead. Create an adorable animal or try a fresh take on a more traditional character. Short on time? These creative and whimsical costumes can be assembled in less than an hour. 13 Halloween Snacks for Kids to Fright and Delight 01 of 31 DIY Bug Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat If you have leftover cardboard boxes lying around, you already have most of this costume's materials. Have your little one wear black pants and a black shirt, then attach a cardboard beetle body to their back with elastic straps. Glue the antennae made of pipe cleaners to a black knit hat for an even more adorably realistic appearance. Get the Instructions 02 of 31 DIY Deer Costume Credit: Andrea Hanki Cardboard antlers and ears make for the cutest deer costume ever. Pair with a brown top and a kids' faux fur vest and dab on white paint freckles to complete the look. So cute! 03 of 31 DIY Bird Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat Bright feathered wings pair perfectly with a plain cotton sweatsuit to create this super easy (and super cheap!) kids' bird costume. Since it's all made from paper, this adorable bird costume won't leave you with a feathery mess to clean up when trick-or-treating is over. Get the free pattern 04 of 31 DIY Hot-Air Balloon Pilot Costume Credit: Andrea Hanki For an extremely creative and showstopping costume, craft this hot-air balloon outfit. As long as you don't mind removing the bottom, any basket will work for the main piece of this costume. Use three wooden dowels and string to create a spot for a large balloon or ball to sit on. Attach brown paper bags to the sides with string for a more realistic look. Don't forget to wear goggles and a scarf! 05 of 31 DIY Cake Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat Transform cardboard into a DIY kids' cake costume and use paint and wool felt balls for the frosting to make this party-ready costume. Top it off with a cake hat—which cleverly serves as the top tier. Get the free pattern 06 of 31 DIY Knight Costume Credit: Andrea Hanki DIY Halloween costumes shouldn't need a rescue attempt. This might be the easiest suit of armor ever! With an adorable sword, shield, and helmet all made from cardboard, your trick-or-treater will be ready to defend the kingdom. This costume allows your trick-or-treater to add their flair by designing their shield and picking their outfit underneath. Add an easy fabric cape and a coordinating outfit, and your knight will be off to the rescue of their friends—or some candy! 07 of 31 DIY Unicorn Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat A plain cardboard box is transformed into a beautiful unicorn with a little help from scissors and lots of paint. Cut the silhouette of a unicorn from cardboard and attach it to a box with a hole that can comfortably fit a child. Paint all the cardboard white, except for black on the eyes, pink on the cheeks, and stripes on the horn. Glue or staple strands of colorful yarn as the mane and tail. Use elastic straps to keep the costume on the child's shoulders. 08 of 31 DIY Clown Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat Add a few embellishments and DIY pom-poms to a set of kids' long underwear for the cutest clown costume ever. This costume is seriously so easy—and so cheap! Plus, by safety-pinning the pom-poms and accessories, your child can re-wear the pajama set later. 09 of 31 DIY Princess Costume Credit: Andrea Hanki A classic Halloween costume for girls, this princess shows her DIY flair with crumpled craft paper. Create a matching skirt and floral brooch set by wrapping and crinkling plain brown paper. Add a papier-mache crown to complete this fit-for-a-princess look. Or, add a plaid pattern to the paper with colored markers to make your little one a Scottish laird. 10 of 31 DIY Airplane Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat The sky's the limit when it comes to this creative kids' airplane costume. This cardboard airplane is ready for takeoff! Skip sewing with this Halloween costume and instead use our pattern to embellish a cardboard box with wings, a tail, and even a working propeller. Get the free pattern 11 of 31 DIY Star Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat All you need for this DIY star costume is a piece of cardboard, glue, and a big tub of Gold Glitter. It's really that easy! Cut a hole for your child's face and cover the star in glitter. Pair it with a color-coordinating outfit, and your costume is ready! Get the free pattern 12 of 31 DIY Witch or Warlock Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat This homemade witch costume is so easy, it could be magic! With a few pieces of fabric and some simple stitching, you'll have this easy hat and robe combination finished in no time. Add an adorable broom to the ensemble, and your little one will be ready to fly around the neighborhood collecting candy. Add a rope belt around the waist to tie on pouches of magical items, like colored glass stones. Get the free pattern 13 of 31 DIY Doll Costume Credit: Andrea Hanki This paper doll costume is too cute for words! Dress your child in all black and add flat cardboard cutouts, decoupaged with fabric to create the clothes. Add cardstock or cardboard tags to finish this fun costume. 14 of 31 DIY Skunk Costume Credit: Blaine Moats This skunk is far from stinky! Use fabric glue to attach black and white faux fur fabric in a skunk-like pattern to a black hoodie. Don't forget to leave some fabric where a tail would be! Spots of pink fur create ears on top of the hoodie. 15 of 31 DIY Bat Costume Credit: Blaine Moats This DIY kid costume proves that not all bats have to be scary. Use gray sparkly fabric to cut a cape that resembles bat wings. Attach the middle of the cape to the child's back and the ends to the wrists of their shirt. Choose another fabric that's slightly darker than the first to create a layered vest that looks like the hair on a bat's chest. Use the remaining fabric to create small fuzzy ears. 16 of 31 DIY Pop Star Costume Credit: Blaine Moats This fun DIY costume for kids can be made with clothing items already in your home. Bright colors and funky patterns are the key. Dress up simple clothing items like a vest or pants with iron-on stars, boa feathers, or faux fur. Don't forget to accessorize with bangles, sunglasses, and a microphone! 17 of 31 DIY Robot Costume Credit: Andrea Hanki Made from materials you probably have around the house, this adorable little robot is so easy to put together. Three stacked and spray-painted cardboard boxes form the robot's body, and plastic recyclables make arms, ears, and antennas. Adapt this gender-neutral Halloween costume with an ivory tulle skirt, khakis, or white pants to finish the ensemble. 18 of 31 DIY Pirate Costume Credit: Jason Wilde This pirate costume can be made by simply embellishing regular kids' clothes. Layer a red turtleneck sweater with a black vest. Hot-glue gold ribbon trim to its edges. Tie a pirate-inspired bandana around the child's head and top it with a felt-made pirate hat. Add black pants, boots, and a belt to finish the look. 19 of 31 DIY Frog Costume Credit: Adam Albright A green long-sleeved shirt, pants, and a little felt will give you this frog costume in less than an hour. Attach a yellow-green felt belly with fabric glue to the front of the shirt. Cut out dark green felt circles and glue them all over the costume. A thin strip of pink felt with a rounded end imitates a frog's tongue. Use ping pong balls with black dots drawn on as eyes that can be glued to the top of a hood. 27 Fun and Easy Sewing Projects for Beginners 20 of 31 DIY Elephant Costume Credit: Adam Albright This DIY elephant costume is almost too cute for words—and it's so easy to put together. Apply matching felt to a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants to make this adorable costume; the sweats are perfect for a chilly night of trick-or-treating, and make the costume super budget-friendly! Get the free pattern 21 of 31 DIY Gnome Costume Credit: Adam Albright A gnome is a cute and easy DIY Halloween costume for kids that only requires some fabric. Make a white beard from faux fur fabric and a pointed red hat, homemade vest, and belt with felt and hot-glue. Layer the vest over a plaid shirt and wear black pants with red boots to replicate an adorable gnome you'd find in a garden. 22 of 31 DIY Fairy Costume Credit: Blaine Moats A whimsical fairy costume can be put together with little supplies or time. Embellish any plain long-sleeved shirt with paper or felt flowers and leaves for a woodland fairy theme. Continue the florals onto a headband and tulle skirt to complete the costume. Wrap any wand-like item with ribbon for a magical accessory. 23 of 31 DIY Ladybug Costume According to legend, a ladybug in the house brings good luck—so this shimmering version is sure to be extra special. This DIY kids' ladybug costume uses just the right amount of glitter (lots) to make the antennae and spotted cardboard wings shine. Elastic shoulder straps make it easy to slip this costume over a dark shirt and black leggings, allowing your trick-or-treater to be comfortable, warm, and cute as a bug with minimal effort. 24 of 31 DIY Wolf Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat Trick-or-treating Little Red Riding Hoods beware! This DIY wolf costume comes to life with the help of a painted cardboard head, a faux-fur tail pinned to a gray sweat suit, and fuzzy gloves embellished with cardstock claws. This is a great DIY kids' Halloween costume with little sewing skills required. Get the free pattern 25 of 31 DIY Lumberjack Costume Credit: Andrea Hanki A knitted cap and a cardboard ax make for a super easy costume this Halloween. Add a child-size flannel and some eyeliner scruff and your little guy will be ready to start chopping down trees! 26 of 31 DIY Beaver Costume Credit: Adam Albright This woodland beaver costume is so adorable—and it's so easy! Cut and stitch brown felt sheets to a dark brown store-bought sweat suit to make a budget-friendly costume that is almost too cute for words. Plus, with our easy how-to instructions, you'll be finished in minutes! 27 of 31 DIY Beast Costume Credit: Andrea Hanki A child-size black hoodie and wire coat hangers form this spiked fire-breathing dragon. Switch up the ensemble by creating the look with a colorful hoodie and hot-glue multicolored felt spikes to the back. 28 of 31 DIY Tree Costume Credit: Adam Albright Stitch felt leaves to a plain green sweatshirt and pair with brown sweatpants for this cute-as-can-be DIY tree costume. It's so easy, and it'll be ready in minutes. Since all you have to buy is sweats and a few pieces of felt, it's super budget-friendly! 29 of 31 DIY Mouse Costume Credit: Nicole Gerulat Transform your littlest trick-or-treater into a mischievous mouse, ready to scamper about in search of treats. For your littlest pip-squeak, simply glue a set of cardboard ears to a headband and pin a long sewn tail to a pair of leggings for this homemade mouse costume that comes together in no time. 30 of 31 DIY Peacock Costume Credit: Adam Albright Add an intricate-looking felt tail to a plain blue and yellow combo for the easiest costume ever! Since the majority of the felt and foam is attached to the tail, instead of the clothing, you can keep the shirt and pants for your little one to wear again. Get the free pattern 31 of 31 DIY Colorful Knight Costume Credit: Adam Albright Give your child their shining armor with a store-bought sweatshirt and a few pieces of felt! Cut a sweatshirt hood to make the helmet, and add a felt badge to the front of a plain T-shirt. Cute, easy, and very budget-friendly. Plus, since it's made from sweats, your little one will be warm on Halloween night! Get the free pattern Explore more: Holidays & Entertaining Halloween Was this page helpful? 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