7 DIY Halloween costumes for kids

Is your child looking for the perfect spooky-cute costume to scare up some fun and excitement this Halloween? We've taken seven classic get-ups and broken them down into these simple DIY steps. A version of this article appeared in our October 2014 issue with the headline, "Boo!" p. 81-88.

Bolts of lightning brought her to life, but all you’ll need is a black wig, white yarn, a large white pillowcase and bandages. Use white clothing as your base. Pin or stitch white yarn to wig to make two streaks at the temples. Cut a neckline and armholes from the pillowcase and wrap arms and legs with bandages, tying to secure. 

Use black clothes as your base. Cut a mask from black stiffened felt, glue on a nose and yarn whiskers. Thread ends with elastic. The fur coat is like a sandwich board: fold over a rectangle of faux fur big enough to cover your kid front to back. Cut a hole for the head and slits in the sides to tie together with black ribbon. Safety-pin a piece of wired fur for the tail.

Start with beige or neutral clothing (long-sleeved T-shirt and leggings) and shoes or boots as a base. Soak muslin scraps in strong black tea for about an hour. Wring out and hang to dry, then wrap your mummy up, tying ends to secure. (In a pinch, you can also use beige tensor bandages.)

Use a black dress and tutu, striped or polka-dotted leggings and dark shoes or boots as the base and layer on accessories. For more drama, drape a gauzy black shawl around her shoulders and add a straw broom and plastic rats and spiders to complete the creepy look.

An all-black outfit, white opaque transfer sheets, some scissors and an iron help these bones take shape. To find the right size bones for your kid, Google “skeleton templates.” Cut white opaque transfer sheets into bones and iron onto the shirt, pants and gloves.

Your kid will sink his (plastic) teeth into this character. Use a white shirt, white or black vest, black pants and shoes. Make a no-sew cape with 1.5 metres of black fabric. Fold a 3-in. hem along the length and snip slits 2 in. apart along the whole hem. Unfold hem and thread black ribbon through slits—they will gather the top of your cape like a drawstring. Knot the ends and tie it on.

A cozy plaid shirt and basic blue jeans turn wild with a bit of faux fur—and a head of messy hair. Black fingerless gloves, T-shirt and socks are essential for fixing the faux-fur pieces in place. Pin pieces to the gloves, shirt and socks and tuck ends into clothing. Cut slits in two more pieces of fur to slip over ears.