Halloween is one of my all-time favorite holidays. The spooky movie marathons, the candy, the decorations, and of course the costumes. I’ve participated in it since I was a child, and since becoming a mom, its even more exciting! My pockets don’t always think so though. Some of the costumes I see online and in the stores are $50 or more and sometimes still require additional pieces to complete the look. Below I’m sharing a few of our current and past Halloween looks, as well as a few ideas to help save a couple bucks during the season. I hope you enjoy our Halloween Costume Inspiration and decide on one that fits your budget and style!
A good witch and her little black cat-
For this look I wore a fancy black dress, any black dress or skirt will do. And my daughter Aven wore a simple black dress she had outgrown in length, and black tights. I attached a tail to the outside of her pants and ta da! She became a cat!
The lion from the Wizard of Oz and one of those winged creatures-
At least thats what I said it was lol. The get up I’m wearing is my cheap, each and every Halloween costume. Black pants, black boots, a black corset, and a black shirt is all I need to seamlessly transform into a vampire, cat woman, bat woman, the girl from Resident Evil, the one from Underworld, this winged creature, and Malfeficent a few pics down. I just change the accessories. Aven has on a store bought lion costume with a shirt underneath.
FedEx Delivery Driver-
This was really out of the box! Literally and figuratively. We were gifted this costume from FedEx, but something similar could totally be recreated to model any delivery driver. I used a lightweight FedEx box as a prop to help bring the costume to life.
Mama Maleficent and Little Maleficent-
Aven’s costume was purchased but in a size that will allow her to grow into it. This is my multi-purpose get up I discussed previously. I added this feather collar in lieu of Maleficent’s wings. It’s one of those pieces I loved when I bought it, but never seem to find a practical occasion to wear it, other than on Halloween. We picked up these birds and Aven’s wings (just a foam board with feathers covering it) at our local craft/fabric store and I found my headpiece in a Halloween themed store. Her stick was free, from our backyard.
Queen of the Nile-
Aven was gifted this costume. If recreating, a white or cream dress tunic, or pant/set would work well for the base. A scarf or even construction paper could be used for a sash. Head adornments could be a crown, hair accessory, wig, leaf forehead band, headband, etc. A cat purse, staff, hand fan, cane, etc. could work as additional accessories.
Woodland witches-
For something like this, use a simple black dress or skirt and terry cloth frayed to model rags or cobwebs. These skirts and cloth came from the fabric store. I added a bit of makeup to make it more interesting.
Tips:
Size Up
When you do buy a costume, I suggest buying at least one size up from your child’s current size. Buying a costume to only enjoy for a night, is a hard pill for me to swallow. I like to get significant wear out of my daughter’s clothing and Halloween outfits are no different. You can get temporary alterations for items that are too big or use fabric tape or hem tape to make some alterations yourself.
Do It Yourself
If you have it in you, create your own costume! Whether you’re a pro with a sewing machine, or a novice just winging it like me, try your hand at a DIY! Thrifting, or going to a fabric shop, with an idea in mind, may inspire you to come up with an awesome costume that pulls out your inner creativity and resourcefulness. Pinterest is great for finding DIY ideas. You can also choose to focus on accessories as an alternative to considering a full body costume. Cat ears and a tail go a loooong way!
Check with your Crew
Get together with friends and family and do a costume swap or just check around to see if anyone you know has costumes collecting dust. I’m sure they do! Those princess gowns, spider-man suits, ninja turtle costumes, pumpkins, clowns, witch costumes, lions, tigers, bears, and even Dorothy, never go out of style.
Buy at the Last Minute
This is probably horrible advice if you’re looking for something specific, but if you’re just trying to put something together that serves it’s purpose, go to the halloween stores 2 or 3 days before the big day, and I bet you’ll find some great deals. “Everything must go” to make room for Thanksgiving and Christmas items at many retailers the very next day.
Face Paint
Don’t sleep on a good ol’ face painting. You don’t have to be an artist to achieve the perfect look. Youtube has some great tutorials and you don’t have to spend a fortune!
Your feedback is greatly appreciated.