Halloween is almost here! And for all of those moms out there who wait until the last minute to do everything (hey, who doesn’t?), then right now is probably all about scrambling to figure out what to throw together last-minute as a Halloween costume for the kiddos. Look no further. We’ve got the quick-and-dirty ideas that will save moms’ bacon this holiday season. And they won’t sacrifice style at all. The kids will still look great.
There is no need to stress if maybe the Halloween plans this year come down to a quick five-minute peruse of the house. There’s no shame in that! And no matter what sort of Halloween costume is the right call β spooky, sweet, or funny β these pictures should make for great inspiration. There’s no shortage of what a mom can do with a cardboard box, markers, quick-thinking, and a little imagination.
Most can be scrounged together from common household items or a quick trip to the local convenience or craft store … and they’re so clever, it’s easy to create the impression that this kiddo’s mom and dad spent months masterminding these costumes. No need to thank us!
Free Puppies
With a large cardboard box and some stuffed dogs (or cats!), anyone can throw together this “free puppies” Halloween costume from Costume Works. Parents can dress the kid in a dog outfit or just grab some ears and a nose at the Halloween shop.
Lego Bricks
What kid doesn’t love Lego bricks? And as this tutorial at Instructables makes clear, a Lego costume can be thrown together with nothing more than a cardboard box, paper bowls, glue, and spray paint. (Although parents might want to add a little time for drying.)
Bubble Bath
In the time it takes to blow up a few balloons, any kid can float out the door in this cool bubble bath costume! For full instructions and info on where to get that rubber duck, head to The Budget Diet.
Duct Tape Mummy
This is an easy twist on a Halloween classic that is also super inexpensive! Simply grab some gray clothes, a roll of duct tape and follow the easy instructions from the DIY Network. Perfect for tweens who still want to dress up this year!
Scuba Divers
For any family with goggles and snorkels handy, all it takes is to slap the children into some black clothes and painted soda bottles for the “air supply” to create this clever scuba diving costume from Costume Works.
Knight
A popcorn bucket creates a quick-and-easy knight helmet with the handy instructions provided by Meaningful Mama. And combined with the easy addition of a sword, that knight in shining armor will be ready for a candy quest!
Frankenstein
All the enterprising parent needs for this easy costume from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store is some old clothes (even mismatched will work!) and safety pins to hold it together. This look is frighteningly easy!
Harry Potter Wizard Robe
This costume may take a little more time, but it will cast a spell on the Harry Potter fans in the family that will make them swoon over this Harry Potter wizard robe made out of a T-shirt!
Star Trek Baby
For those families that have Trekkies, nothing could be more appealing than adding a Star Trek baby costume to the clan by following the easy steps posted at Instructables. These little nuggets will be ready to beam up in minutes.
Bull's-Eye
The secret to this clever and cute DIY bull’s-eye costume β duct tape! This is a great option for a kiddo with a fun sense of humor and a mom who doesn’t mind doing a bit of precise tape cutting. It isn’t quite a five-minute job, but it is still totally doable as a night before Halloween project!
Edward Scissorhands
This costume uses aluminum foil and cardboard to re-create Edward Scissorhands β all it takes is a few snips and it’s finished! For step-by-step instructions, head to Eve of Reduction.
Baby Koala
All that’s required is a gray onesie, hat, and felt, and this adorable baby koala costume can be thrown together with a hot glue gun in minutes, according to Jamie Dorobek at C.R.A.F.T. (Creating Really Awesome Free Things).
Toolbox
Households with tool-loving kids (and what family doesn’t have at least one?) can gather up a cardboard box and some spray paint, then read the easy instructions at Coolest Homemade Costumes to create a toolbox costume complete with a drawer where kids can throw their candy as well as their tools.
Identity Thief
Gather an array of name tags scrawled with different names, stick them to the child in question, and suddenly there’s an identity thief on the prowl! The Budget Diet has all the details on this one.
Emoji Costume
This is so simple, especially for folks who already have yellow posterboard on hand! Simply choose the right emoji, grab some scissors, and the costume is almost done! More detailed instructions can be found on HelloWonderful.
Spooky Skeleton
This might be the easiest costume idea ever! With a simple white T-shirt, black hoodie or long sleeve shirt, and a decent pair of scissors, this idea from HGTV is totally foolproof and works for any age of trick-or-treater!
Strong Man
OK, so the maybe making the dumbbell might take more than five minutes, but getting a baby or toddler into a cute onsie and tennis shoes combination is super quick. Dumbbell size can be adjusted to match the size of the child, but a used toilet paper or paper towel tube should work well!
