These DIY Halloween costumes for kids will make your little ones the talk of the town. These speedy Halloween costumes are perfect for little trick-or-treaters who need disguises in a flash. Choose an adorable animal or try a fresh take on a more traditional character. These creative Halloween costumes for kids can all be assembled in under an hour.
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Adorable Elephant
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This DIY elephant costume is almost too cute for words—and it's so easy to put together. Apply matching felt to a gray sweatshirt ($12, Hanes) and sweatpants to make this adorable costume; the sweats are perfect for a chilly night of trick-or-treating, and make the costume super budget-friendly!
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Shimmering Ladybug
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According to legend, a ladybug in the house brings good luck—so this shimmering version is sure to be extra special. This DIY kids' ladybug costume uses just the right amount of glitter (lots) to make the antennae and spotted cardboard wings shine. Elastic shoulder straps make it easy to slip this costume over a dark shirt and black leggings ($6, Target), allowing your trick-or-treater to be comfortable, warm, and cute as a bug with minimal effort.
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Gold Heart Robot
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Made from materials you probably have around the house, this adorable little robot is so easy to put together. Three stacked and spray-painted cardboard boxes form the robot's body, and plastic recyclables make arms, ears and antennas. Adapt this gender-neutral Halloween costume with an ivory tulle skirt, khakis or white pants to finish the ensemble.
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Airplane Halloween Costume
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The sky's the limit when it comes to this creative kids' airplane costume. This cardboard airplane is ready for takeoff! Skip sewing with this Halloween costume and instead use our pattern to embellish a cardboard box with wings, a tail, and even a working propeller.
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Feathery Bird Costume
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Bright feathered wings pair perfectly with a plain cotton sweatsuit to create this super easy (and super cheap!) kids' bird costume. Since it's all made from paper, this adorable bird costume won't leave you with a feathery mess to clean up when trick-or-treating is over.
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Sweet and Simple Halloween Cake Costume
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Transform cardboard into a DIY kids' cake costume and use paint and wool felt balls for the frosting to make this party-ready costume. Top it off with a cake hat—which cleverly serves as the top tier.
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Brave Knight
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DIY Halloween costumes shouldn't need a rescue attempt. This might be the easiest suit of armor ever! With an adorable sword, shield and helmet all made from cardboard, your trick-or-treater will be ready to defend the kingdom. Most traditional boys Halloween costumes are also Halloween costumes for girls, and vice versa. This costume allows your trick-or-treater to add their own flair by designing their shield and picking their outfit underneath. Add an easy fabric cape and a coordinating outfit, and your knight will be off to the rescue of their friends—or some candy!
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Oh, Deer
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Cardboard antlers and ears make for the cutest deer costume ever. Pair with a brown top and a kids' faux fur vest and dab on white paint freckles to complete the look. So cute!
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Woodland Beaver Costume
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This woodland beaver costume is so adorable—and it's so easy! Cut and stitch brown felt sheets ($0.49, Michaels) to a dark brown store-bought sweat suit to make a budget-friendly costume that is almost too cute for words. Plus, with our easy how-to instructions, you'll be finished in minutes!
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Little Lumberjack
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A knitted cap and a cardboard ax make for a super easy costume this Halloween. Add a child-size flannel and some eyeliner scruff and your little guy will be ready to start chopping down trees!
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Tree Costume
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Stitch felt leaves to a plain green sweatshirt and pair with brown sweatpants for this cute-as-can-be DIY tree costume. So easy, and it'll be ready in minutes—and since all you have to buy is sweats and a few pieces of felt, it's super budget-friendly!
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Clown Costume
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Add a few embellishments and DIY pom-poms to a set of kids' long underwear for the cutest clown costume ever. This costume is seriously so easy—and so cheap! Plus, by safety-pinning the pom-poms and accessories, your child can re-wear the pajama set later.
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It's Magic! Easy Witch or Warlock Costume
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This homemade witch costume is so easy, it could be magic! With a few pieces of fabric and some simple stitching, you'll have this easy hat and robe combination finished in no time. Add an adorable broom to the ensemble, and your little one will be ready to fly around the neighborhood collecting candy. Add a rope belt around the waist to tie on pouches of magical items, like colored glass stones.
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Shining Star
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All you need for this DIY star costume is a piece of cardboard, glue, and a big tub of Gold Glitter ($3.50, Michaels). It's really that easy! Cut a hole for your child's face and cover the star in glitter. Pair it with a color-coordinating outfit, and your costume is ready!
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Royal Highness
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A classic Halloween costume for girls, this princess shows her DIY flair with crumpled craft paper. Create a matching skirt and floral brooch set by wrapping and crinkling plain brown paper. Add a papier-mache crown to complete this fit-for-a-princess look. Or, add a plaid pattern to the paper with colored markers to make your little one a Scottish laird.
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Fantastic Beast
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A child-size black hoodie and wire coat hangers form this spiked fire-breathing dragon. Switch up the ensemble by creating the look with a colorful hoodie and hot-glue multicolored felt spikes to the back.
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Little Pip-Squeak
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Transform your littlest trick-or-treater into a mischievous mouse, ready to scamper about in search of treats. For your littlest pip-squeak, simply glue a set of cardboard ears to a headband and pin a long sewn tail to a pair of leggings for this homemade mouse costume that comes together in no time.
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Howling Wolf Costume
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Trick-or-treating Little Red Riding Hoods beware! This DIY wolf costume comes to life with the help of a painted cardboard head, a faux-fur tail pinned to a gray sweat suit, and fuzzy gloves embellished with cardstock claws. This is a great DIY kids' Halloween costume with little sewing skills required.
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Adorable Peacock Costume
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Add an intricate-looking felt tail to a plain blue and yellow combo for the easiest costume ever! Since the majority of the felt and foam is attached to the tail, instead of the clothing, you can keep the shirt and pants for your little one to wear again.
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Dolled Up
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This paper doll costume is too cute for words! Dress your child in all black and add flat cardboard cutouts, decoupaged with fabric to create the clothes. Add cardstock or cardboard tags to finish this fun costume.
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Knight Costume
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Give your child their shining armor with a store-bought sweatshirt and a few pieces of felt! Cut a sweatshirt hood to make the helmet, and add a felt badge to the front of a plain T-shirt. Cute, easy, and very budget-friendly. Plus, since it's made from sweats, your little one will be warm on Halloween night!