Halloween costumes you can make yourself

The Halloween countdown has begun and if your kids are planning on dressing up this year we've got you covered. And you don't need to buy an expensive costumes, just look through your kids' crafts boxes, closets and junk drawers for inspiration. Check out the creative costumes these mums have made!

Aerobics Instructor

Mum: Jill of Homemade by Jill

What You'll Need: onesie, leggings, leg warmers, knit headband

Tip: Layer a onesie over leggings, preferably in cool '80s color combos. Boombox optional (this one was hand-embroidered and made of felt).
Superhero

Mum: Mari of Small for Big

What You'll Need: T-shirt, leggings, bloomers

Tip: Personalise your kid's superhero (in this case, the Winged Wren) by adding her initial, a logo, favorite animal or colour. Incorporate cool accessories (a favorite barette, a crazy belt) that kids can use for dress-up play after Halloween.
Boxes of Lollies

Kids' Names: Guini, Gavin and Gemma

Mum: Stephanie of maydae.com

What You'll Need: large cardboard boxes, craft paper, pencil, latex and acrylic paints.

Tip: Cut holes for your child's arms and head out of a large cardboard box, then cover it with craft paper. Using a pencil, draw the box lettering and other details; then paint.
Bag of Jelly Beans

From: Featured on Modern Kiddo

What You'll Need: A large, clear plastic recycling bag, mini balloons in assorted colours, ribbon, Sharpie.

Tip: Blow up the mini balloons (use a pump to make it easier -- you'll need lots of them!). With a Sharpie, write ingredients and nutritional information on the back of the bag. Then, carefully cut leg and arm holes in the plastic bag, have your child step into it and fill with balloons. Cinch the top loosely around the neck
Viking

Kid's Name: Baden

Mum: Cheri of i am momma hear me roar

What You'll Need: Long-sleeved white shirt, brown pants, brown fluffy toilet seat cover, brown and black leather string, brown leather belt, boots, plastic viking helmet.

Tip: Take two toilet seat covers; trim the elastic off of one and cut a small circle for the neck. Add leather string to tie it shut. Tie leather string around the wrists of the t-shirt. Trim the elastic off the other toilet seat and cut it in half; wrap the pieces of the toilet seat cover around each boot and tie with leather string.
Panda

From: Heather Mann, dollarstorecrafts.com

What You'll Need: A white t-shirt (a few sizes bigger than kid), black pants, a black long-sleeve shirt or sweatshirt, duct tape (in black and white), scissors, plain black headband, black shoes.

Tip: Use the duct tape to make the panda face: Cut two pieces of tape about 3 inches long. OVerlap the first piece on the second piece along the long edge to make a large square of duct tape. Cut an oval shape to make the large black ring for the eyes. Repeat. Stick both to the top chest of the white t-shirt. Cut another piece of duct tape, about 1 inch long, and trim into a small white oval to make the whites of the eye. Repeat, and stick each one to the center of the big black eye part. Cut two small circles out of black duct tape for pupils. To make the nose, cut a 1 inch piece of black duct tape into a half-circle shape. For the mouth, cut a narrow 2-inch strip and a 3-inch strip. Layer the white "panda face" shirt over the black outfit. For the headband, cut a 3-inch strip of duct tape and place it around the headband so the tape sticks together like a tag. Trim into ear shapes.
Captain Jack Sparrow

Kid's Name: Daniel

What You'll Need: Brown or black pants, a white long-sleeved shirt, a pirate's hat, brown and black yarn, a hot glue gun.

Tip: Make Captain Jack's dreadlocks by using the hot glue gun to glue long pieces of yarn to a store-bought pirate's hat
Robot

Kid's Name: Devin

What You'll Need: Cardboard, spray adhesive, tin foil, a plastic ice cream bucket or paint bucket, black or silver sweatshirt, silver or gray pants.

Tip: Cut holes out of the ice cream bucket and cover with tin foil (or silver spray paint). Cut off the handle, leaving a couple of inches on each side. Cut squares of cardboard for the arm, chest and torso decoration; cover with tin foil and attach to the sweatshirt.
Elf on a Shelf

Kid's Name: Charlie

Mum: Erin

What You'll Need: a red sweat shirt and red sweat pants (or long-sleeved red t-shirt and leggings), white felt, red felt, fake fur and fabric glue.

Tip: Cut white felt into triangles and glue onto the sweatshirt; then use red felt to make a cone-shaped hat (glue the seam shut with fabric glue) and glue fake fur around the edge for the trim.
Circus Strongman

Kid's Name: Jude

Mum: Eunice of hellolucky.com

What You'll Need: a pale link leotard, Sharpie fabric markers, striped pants or leggings (or red leggings and white felt strips), a red bandana, two styrofoam balls, a dowel, paint, makeup.

Tip: Channel your inner artist and draw sailor-style tattoos all over the leotard with the Sharpie or other fabric marker. Look for striped pants or leggings, or improvise by gluing long strips of white felt or fabric onto red leggins or pants. Use eyeliner and cream blush to draw a moustache and round cheeks on your child, and get that "19th century gentleman" slicked hair look with egg whites. To make the barbell, paint the styrofoam balls and the dowel rod black, paint white numbers on the balls, and stick the balls on either end of the dowel.
Monster Truck

Mum: Darleen of Darling Darleen

What You'll Need: shipping box (small, but large enough to fit around a child), red and silver spray paint, craft paint and paint brush, black dessert-size paper plates, hot glue gun, single hole punch, black yarn

Tip: Cut the flaps off one side of the cardboard box. Spray paint the top part of the box red, and spray paint the bottom part of the box (flaps) silver -- let it dry for 10 minunites. Paint truck decals (flames, stars or numbers) on the sides of the box and circles for the headlights on the front part of the box. Let it dry. Hot glue four black paper plates to the metallic cardboard flaps (two on each side of the box). Next, punch two holes on the front and back of the top corners of the cardboard box. Cut a few strings of black yarn to desired length and string through holes and tie double knots to secure. To finish, write on cardstock the child's name and secure to the back bottom of the truck for the registration plates.
Little Lion

Mum: Cathy of SweetPeaToadTots

What You'll Need: Solid colour knit hat or bonnet, yarn.

Tip: Cut small pieces of yarn (about 2 to 3 inches) and tie them onto the hat (cut some small holes on the hat big enough for the yarn to go through). Depending on how full you want the mane to be, you can either just have hair on the front or the entire head (full out the yarn to make it fuller). Make sure the colour of base of the hat is the same as the choice of yarn for the hair.
Ninja

Mum: Brenda of Secret Agent Josephine

What You'll Need: Black fleece, Velcro, black thread

Tip: Trace your kid’s head on piece of paper to make a pattern (add an extra inch or two at the seams), then cut out two pieces of black fleece using that pattern. Sew it up on all sides except the bottom, then turn it right side out.
Little Gent

Mum: Nicole of Wannabe Crafty

What You'll Need: white button-down shirt and clip on tie (or leftover fabric, Velcro and large safety pin).

Tip: For extra-crafty mums, Nicole offers a full tutorial on her site. Or you can take a shortcut with a clip-on neck tie.
Peacock

Mum: Christy of Creatively Christy

What You'll Need: Orange tights, blue onesie, feathers, elastic sequin bands

Tip: Layer feathers on top of a square of fabric using a glue gun; attach elastic bands to put around the legs and waist.