6 Budget Halloween Costumes for Kids

Buying new Halloween costumes for kids each year can be a costly task and even beginning to think about ideas can be a chore. We have done the hard work for you and searched for 6 great homemade Halloween costumes that won’t break the bank, there’s no tricks here! Let us know if you give them a go or if you have any other great DIY costume ideas for kids this Halloween.

Propeller Plane Pilot

The sky is the limit with this propeller plane costume as you can make it however you like. This costume is a great way to reuse any old cardboard that may be ready for the bin. Simply cut out the shape of wings, reuse your kitchen roll holders as propellers and attach some rope to make straps. The rest of the costume consists of goggles, a dog ear hat and a cosy jacket – some you may already have in your house or can borrow from a friend. Now your child is ready for take-off!

Scuba Diver

This is a simple and fun costume to make for your kids, and you may already have most of the items lying around the house. For the main outfit you will need a plain black t-shirt and a pair of trousers. The next part is where you need a little bit of DIY magic to create the oxygen tanks – it’s not as difficult as it sounds!

• Simply reuse two empty 2 litre plastic bottles, spray paint them whatever colour you prefer (or leave them clear if you are short on time!) and let them dry.
• Next, add some black tape to secure the two bottles together and add some rope to both ends of the bottles to create straps – it should almost look like a schoolbag.
• Reuse your scuba goggles and snorkel from your summer holiday and you’re ready to go! You can check out the finishing touches here.

Pixar themed ‘UP’ costume

If you have a little one, there’s a high chance you have watched the popular Pixar movie ‘UP’ with which features the iconic character ‘Carl Fredricksen.’ The DIY UP costume requires a few items but most you can pick up cheaply and the result is worth it!

The key items for this costume are a cardigan, bow tie, thick black glasses and some colourful balloons! If you’re feeling more creative, then you can even create a walking stick with tennis balls attached to complete the look.

Zebra

Your options are limitless with face painting which means your child can be anything they want to be! A Zebra is a simple yet effective costume for any child at Halloween – and will definitely save you burning a hole in your pocket on an expensive costume. All your child will need is a black top and trousers to go along with their Zebra face paint. Check out this zebra face painting tutorial for a step by step guide.

Zombie

Anyone can be a zombie and it is one of the easiest and low-cost looks to create. Start with an old t-shirt or jumper and begin to cut the edges and some holes into it, then fray the edges with a razor for a rougher look. Now it’s time to make your clothes look not so clean, rub coffee over them to get that zombified look and then simply add lots of fake blood. Onto the face, apply white face makeup all over and add purple makeup under the eyes, and then of course, more blood! Check out this zombie step by step guide.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Alvin and the Chipmunks is a great costume if you have three kids or friends who all need costumes. Gather blue, green and red jumpers and some yellow fabric. For Alvin, cut an ‘A’ shape from the yellow fabric and stick onto the red jumper with double sided tape, or else you can sew it on. Simon requires a pair of round glasses to go along with the blue jumper, and for Theodore’s costume all you need to do is stuff the green jumper with a small cushion to achieve the chipmunk look! A drawn-on chipmunk nose completes the look - face paint or an eyebrow pencil will do the job here!

Have you made your own DIY costume for your child? Share your creations by tagging us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #SmarterLiving.