Cheap Halloween Costume Ideas For Children

Looking to save some money this Halloween?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with some cheap costume ideas for your little ones! Instead of spending a fortune on shop-bought costumes, why not get creative with what you already have in your home? Raid your wardrobe for old clothes, mix and match, and let your imagination run wild.

From superheroes to ghosts, the possibilities are endless.

Let’s make this a Halloween to remember without breaking the bank!

Check out these cheap Halloween costume ideas for children using clothes you already have at home:

Transform them into adorable animals using simple face paint and pairing them with matching clothes. You can even make a tail by using an old pair of tights and stuffing with newspaper or material.

A few easy ideas include:

• A Black Cat – Wear black trousers and a Black top and add a tail using a pair of old tights stuffed with material or newspaper. Use face paint to add a nose and add simple whisker details. If you feel creative, you can make ears by cutting cardboard triangles and adding them to a headband or cardboard band.
• A Spider – Wear all-black clothing and make legs using black tights stuffed with material or newspaper. These can be pinned onto the back of the costume or sewn on. To make them a little stiffer and more prominent, you can use a metal coat hanger straightened and added inside the tights to give the legs some shape.
• A Bat – Again, use your black clothing for the base of your costume then you can make a pair of wings using cardboard, or if you have some spare or old black material you could sew wings to the side of the costume (attaching to the bottom of your top, under the armpits and attaching to the sleeves) – this will make wings which your child can use to pretend to fly when they spread their arms out. Make a simple mask from thin card or use face paints instead.
• Old dressing-up costumes repurposed – You can turn any animal costume you may already have into a Halloween costume by adding fake blood and face paints to turn your animal into a zombie or vampire animal.

More ideas:

• Create a DIY princess or prince costume by repurposing old dresses or suits and adding glittery accessories and a homemade crown.
• Embrace the spooky spirit by crafting a unique monster costume using mismatched socks, colourful fabric scraps, and some googly eyes attached to a homemade headband.
• Turn your child into a brave explorer by dressing them in cargo pants, popping on a safari hat and using binoculars or a magnifying glass as a prop – not all costumes have to be scary!
• Get inspired by classic storybook characters like Little Red Riding Hood or Peter Pan by using items from their wardrobe and adding a few key accessories.

Your imagination is your limit when it comes to making costumes from what you already have at home:

• White sheets can be used to make ghost costumes or even an old pillowcase for smaller children
• Dustbin bags can be used to fashion a witch costume, either a skirt or full outfit by cutting arm holes and a hole for their head.
• A suit can be worn as a Men in Black costume.
• A white shirt can be ripped up and covered in red paint for a zombie outfit (this is what Emmy did last year).
• A white party dress can be made to look like a Zombie Bride or the Corpse Bride.
• White trousers and a white top can be fashioned into a Beetlejuice costume by painting black stripes either with paint or using Sharpies.
• A Witches broom from a previous costume or even a normal household broom can be used for witches’ costumes, or you could create a costume of one of the animals from Room on the Broom (this is even better with a few children as you could create the whole crew) – Cat, Dog, Frog, Bird and Witch. The animals are easy to recreate by wearing appropriate coloured clothing, face paint, or making homemade masks. I’ve a post on how to create a bird mask using card here.

Even easier ideas:

If your costume is just going to be worn in the evening for trick or treating, then remember, the end of October will be dark and cold, and even possibly wet. There is the possibility your child will be wearing a coat to keep them warm so their costumes are hidden under winter coats.

With this in mind, you could opt for face paints only, opening up even more possibilities and keeping costs down again.

Face painting ideas which don’t require a full costume could include:

• Clown – normal or scary
• Bat
• Pumpkin
• Vampire
• Monster
• Cat
• Skeleton
• Spiders Web designs complete with spiders
• Werewolf
• Devil
• Superhero – not all costumes have to be scary!

Expand the Fun

Have fun and enjoy a memorable Halloween without breaking the bank! Have a blast at your Halloween party by hosting a fun costume contest with prizes for the most creative and unique outfits.

Set the spooky atmosphere by decorating your home with cobwebs, PomPom spiders, eerie lighting, and haunting music or watch some scary movies.

Make some spooky-themed snacks like Halloween-themed cupcakes, spider-shaped cookies, and witch-finger sandwiches for a tasty treat.

Don’t forget to carve pumpkins and display them as festive decorations, adding a touch of Halloween charm to your home.

Capture the memories by taking plenty of photos throughout the night, ensuring you have lasting memories of this fun-filled Halloween celebration.