Great Cheap Halloween Costumes for the Truly Frugal Mom

by Nicole Humphrey | More from this Blogger

It's the last minute - what will they wear?! Or perhaps maybe you just don't have the finances to purchase thirty to fifty dollar costumes? Or maybe, just maybe you decided you wanted to try to be a bit original this year.

Wherever you are, saving money on costumes is really nice, since typically a child only wears a costume once, and even if they have a younger sibling, often the younger sibling doesn't want to be that thing ever.

I have been collecting home-made costume ideas for years. Some I came up with my self, and some friends or family gave me. Still other's were clipped from magazines, books and pictures.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Bunny

Use a white sleeper for infants and toddlers or white sweats for older children. Attach a pompom to the seat of the pants. You can make ears out of white cardboard or felt or even check out the dollar store. Sometimes they have a headband with ears of different types of animals. You can interchange this costume by trying out other colors - brown=bear, black=cat.

Bumblebee

Use a yellow sleeper or yellow sweat suit. Make antennae from pipe cleaners and Styrofoam painted balls. Add stripes with black tape so it's removable, or if you don't care use black felt and glue or paint them on.

Ladybug

Use a red sleeper or sweat suit. Create antennae with pipe cleaners and Styrofoam balls painted black. Add spots to the sweat suit with black felt or paint.

Pirate

This one should be popular this year. You will need a large white dress shirt, usually dad's work great for this. Find dark pants, preferably large black ones rolled up a bit on the bottom. Boots, a bandanna, and a wide belt which can be made from fabric. Put on the clothes with the belt around the outside of the shirt and poof the shirt out a bit above the belt. Tie the bandanna around your head. You can add some gold chain jewelry and a single hoop earring if you have an inexpensive pair. You can make eye patch out of a piece of black felt and elastic. And you can create a sword from cardboard and cover the blade with aluminum foil.

Please visit tomorrow's article, More Great Cheap Halloween Costumes for the Truly Frugal Mom, for more great ideas for inexpensive costumes! Also be sure to visit the Frugal Blog for more great Frugal tips and the Kid Crafts Blog for more terrific Halloween projects to try!

Related Articles:

Use Your Hands, It's Cheaper

Great Cheap Halloween Costumes for the Truly Frugal Mom

Halloween Decorating on a Budget

More Great Cheap Halloween Costume Ideas

Homemade Halloween Costumes For Kids

Learn more about Nicole Humphrey

Nicole Humphrey is a freelance writer, consultant for CTMH and a Sr. Blogger for families.com. She resides in St. Charles, Missouri with Mike and their five children and two furbabies.

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