Halloween How-To: DIY Halloween Costumes

Easy instructions for DIY Halloween costumes for your kids.

ByABC News via logo
October 19, 2009, 6:19 PM

Oct. 19, 2010— -- Making your own Halloween costumes can be easy and fun -- and you won't break the bank. Check out these ideas and step-by-step instuctions below.

I scream, you scream, your kids will scream for this creative costume.

Difficulty: 3 out of 4 pumpkins

Materials & Tools

Step 1: Create Ice Cream

Stuff white tights with white tshirts, or stuffing if you have it, and tie at the end. Depending on how long your child's torso is, you will either be stuffing 3 or 4 legs.

Step 2: Create Cone

Draw criss-crossing diagonal lines on leggings with thick black or brown sharpie.

Step 3: Create Hot Fudge Topping

Take brown tshirt, approx 6 inches down from the collar, start cutting a wave pattern. Cut the curves up and down around the shirt, at different lengths, to look like drizzled hot fudge. When done, the sleeves and body of the shirt will fall away and you will be left with a collar.

Step 4: Create Sprinkles

Dip giant safety pins in paint -- either brown for chocolate sprinkles, or multiple bright colors for rainbow sprinkles. Let dry.

Step 5: Get Dressed

Put on white top and leggings. Wrap stuffed white tights around your child's torso and secure together at the back with safety pins. Also pin the tights to the shirt.

Step 6: Finishing Touches aka "The Cherry on Top"

Put on hot fudge collar. Once safety pin sprinkles are fully dry, fasten them all along the shirt, tights, and collar.Put on red hat.

Halloween How-To: Homemade Movie Star Costume!

Lights, camera, action! Your daughter will take center stage in this award-worthy costume that's easy to put together.

Difficulty: 1 out of 4 pumpkins

Materials & Tools

Step 1

Search through your closets or costume box for a dress. This can be anything from Mom's old bridesmaid dress, to your daughters Sunday finest, or a dress up costume.

Step 2

Accessorize with a belt. To make it fun and colorful, use a scarf or a tie.

Step 3

Top off the look with whatever costume jewelry you have -- earrings, broaches, necklaces, bracelets, rings (or even a ring pop!). Old broaches add extra sparkle pinned in the hair or on the belt.

Step 4

Bedazzle shoes with a Christmas bow on the top of each foot.

Step 5

Add additional accessories: gloves, sunglasses, tiara, or a boa. Don't have a boa? Dig through some old Christmas decorations to find some Christmas garland. A pretty purse makes a great functional prop -- it's a cute accessory and your child can carry their candy in it.

Step 6

Make your daughter an award winning costume with her very own statuette. Find a container with a flat bottom -- could be Tupperware, a butter dish, even a tuna fish or cat food can. Remove all labels and wash clean. Turn the container upside down and Krazy glue an action figure to the top. Let dry. Spray paint gold.

Halloween How-To: Homemade Scuba Diver Costume!

Is your child "hooked" on under the sea adventures? Then he is sure to make a splash in this homemade costume!

Difficulty: 3 out of 4 pumpkins

Materials & Tools

Difficulty: 2 out of 4 pumpkins

Materials & Tools

Step 1: Get Dressed

Search through your child's closets and drawers for their colorful attire. Girls can wear a top, skirt and tights. Boys can wear sweatshirt and sweatpants, or even long underwear. Footwear is as simple as a pair of winter or rain boots.

Step 2: Extra Touch for Girls

Put hair in pig tails or pony tail. Take two loofahs and wrap around elastic , Bobby pin to hold in place, if needed.

Step 3: Make Arm Bands

Take a colorful pair of socks and cut off the feet. The top band of the sock that remains can be put on as wrist or arm bands.

Step 4: Create Mask

Check your costume box for an old masquerade or dress up mask. If you don't own one, drawn the outline on your child's face with colored eye liner.

Step 5: Create Cape

Lay two garbage bags next to each other, overlapping, so that they are a width that will comfortably fit around your child's neck. Line the entire outline of the bags -- front and back -- with electrical tape. Bring out your creative side: use the electrical tape to create patterns and designs on the garbage bags. Using a hole punch -- make a hole in the upper left and right corners. Secure cape by threading a piece of string through the holes and tying at the neck.

Step 6: Create Superhero Logo

On the back of the cape or the front center of your child's shirt/sweatshirt, tape down the first initial of your child with electrical tape. Frame the letter with a fun shape – like a diamond or hexagon.

Halloween How-To: Homemade Werewolf Costume!

Difficulty: 2 out of 4 pumpkins

Materials & Tools

Step 1: Create Werewolf Fur

Go into attic/kids closets and find UNUSED/DISGARDED teddy bears/brown furry stuffed animals (important note: this should be a furry friend your child won't miss when you cut them to shreds). Cut the ears off and cut 2 squares and 2 rectangles out of the teddy bear fur.

Step 2: Make Hand Paws

Cut fingers off of gloves. Glue 1 fur square to each glove.

Step 3: Make Foot Paws

Glue 1 fur rectangle to the top of the foot of each sock.

Step 4: Make Ears

Trim the fur from the ears of the teddy bears so they are shaped more like triangles. Glue to headband.

Step 5: Get Dressed

Put on turtleneck first, then the plaid shirt over it -- if long sleeved, rolls sleeves up. Put on jeans -- roll up legs a few times. Put on shoes -- put the sock/foot paws over the shoes. Put on gloves/hand paws.

Step 6: Finishing Touches

If hair is long enough, tease/brush it out and hairspray in place. Cover your child's face in brown face makeup or bronzer. Draw on nose with black eyeliner. Put on the ears

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