Like most parents, you are tired of spending a great deal of money on Halloween costumes. It could be, too, that your kids are starting to outgrow the local retail and party store options. With a little creativity and a few items found easily around your house, you can pull together a creative outfit.
Simply Scary
If your child is into the ghoulish side of the holiday, let him get creative with some household items to create a silly, scary outfit. Fortunately, if your child is putting together his own outfit, he doesn’t have to follow a particular script or outfit. You can set out a collection of options and let him design his own. Old, stained, ripped-up clothes or big ghostly sheets work for outfits. Band-Aids, gauze, red paint or ketchup packets–whatever you can come up with–let your kids go for it and create their own creepy costume.
Creative Characters
If your child likes a particular type of character, you can put together her own version of that character. For instance, if she loves fairies, twist some wire hangers into a wing shape and cover them with her favorite color of tulle or fabric. Attach them to her with ribbons over her shoulders and let her wear her favorite leotard or fancy dress. Her dress-up clothes or an old flower girl dress might be perfect. If your little guy loves superheroes, let him wear any solid-colored outfit he likes. Draw a superhero logo with permanent markers on an old sheet to wear as a cape.
Playful Pun
If your kid loves a good play on words, let him express himself in his outfit. Just make sure he knows that he will probably have to explain his outfit to everyone he sees, but if it gets him a good chuckle, he will love it. If literature is your thing, cover yourself in purple balloons with angry faces to symbolize “Grapes of Wrath.” Covered in little chickens, your son can be a “Chick Magnet.”
Domestic Favorites
If your child loves to help around the house or has a certain sense of humor, give him a large box and help him build straps over his shoulders. Help him cut a whole in the front and stuff it with laundry. Decorate the front to look like a washer or dryer. Variations might include a dishwasher, a bag full of groceries, a basket of fruit or a fashion shopping bag.
