Making your child’s Halloween costume can seem rather daunting, but the past couple of years, I’ve been a fan of doing it myself. I’m not handy with stitching, so sewing a costume is not even an option, but there are many ways to make a costume with some simple articles of clothing and some imagination.
This year my 2-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son, want to be Izzy and Jake from Disney Junior’s Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Having watched the show multiple times, and having many of the toys, I had a general idea of what these two characters wear.
If your child wants to be a popular character, just look on the Internet to see what they wear and try to interpret the look for yourself! In our case, Izzy is the female Pirate. She wears purple pants, a pink top, brown boots, a pirate necklace, and a pink bandana. So, I went to Target and bought purple sweatpants and a pink sweatshirt (knowing that Halloween night can be chilly here in the Northeast, I went with the heavier fabrics.) Then I bought a pink bandana and pirate necklace at the Party Store. (You usually can find these in the Birthday Party sections.) She already has pink boots, which I think is close enough, so we were all set.
For my son who wanted to be Jake, I needed a white short, blue pants and a blue vest, along with a red bandana. I picked up these pieces at the same places. The vest was a bit tricky, but you can find an inexpensive navy zippered fleece outdoor vest at places like Old Navy. (Bonus, it keeps your child warm when trick or treating. If you can’t find one, find a cheap navy sweatshirt and cut the sleeves off.) Then I picked up some yellow duct tape to outline the vest and boots. I even used checkered tape for a race car-inspired Halloween costume last year that you can read about here!
What makes DIY Halloween costumes even better is that in the days following Halloween, my kids now have clothes they can wear anytime. My daughter can easily pull off that pink sweatshirt with a pair of jeans, while my son can use the blue sweatpants for gymnastics class. Just look for coupons and sales to make your dollar go even further. It will leave some extra money in your pocket for all that Halloween candy!
