Halloween is just 2 weeks away, and if you're anything like me, it came faster than you were prepared for. Luckily, for me, the girls had already decided on costumes a while ago and planned them out themselves this year. However, that hasn't always been the case!
Now I am not one that is going to rush out and spend way too much money on a flimsy costume that will most likely have the stitching rip out before we even get home from trick-or-treat, but I still want my kids to be able to dress up as something better than a ghost in a sheet with eye holes cut out. So, that means it’s time to get creative. Here's seven of great alternatives to spending a lot of money that we have come up with over the years. Most of these are free or next to free!
Who doesn't love that?!!!!
#1
Cowboy/Cowgirl
What’s cuter than a little cowboy/cowgirl? And it honestly
doesn’t get much simpler. The year Penelope wanted to be a cowgirl, we started
by looking through her closet. We found a plain white shirt to pair with a jean jacket,
cowboy boots, and one of my cowboy hats, and her look was almost complete. She
opted for a skirt instead of jeans, but we didn’t have a jean skirt that fit
her at the moment. Easy fix, I cut strips of fabric from some scraps I had from
a quilt tied them onto a ribbon and tied the ribbon around her waist! Zero
dollars for an adorable cowgirl! I call that a win-win for everyone
#2 Nerd
When Gretchen came to me and said that she wanted to be a nerd, I was immediately smiling. She had found a picture of a costume that she liked, but she said she was pretty sure that she already had everything in her closet. She was right for the most part. She had the skinny jeans, button shirt, and hair bows. She had to borrow the suspenders and bow tie from her brother, and we made a quick trip to the dollar store for a pair of glasses. I now was the proud mom to the sweetest little nerd that you’ll ever meet!
#3 Pumpkin
I was not sure about this one when Gretchen approached me with it. She said, “mama, all I need this year is face paint, my orange dress and one of dad’s old hunting hats that he no longer wears. This was truly a no sweat costume, and in the end, I cherished the memory of watching her create her own unique look.
#4 Raggedy Ann
Blue long sleeve under a white sun dress, red yarn attached to an old stocking cap, and face paint. Sounds easy enough doesn’t it. You know why it sounds that way? Because it is! I picked up a few partial skeins of red yarn from the local thrift store for under $1 each. With a few running stitches, I was able to attach the yarn down the center of the stocking cap, separate it into pig tails, and add a few stitches here and there to hold it in place. Add some red checks and lips and some eye lashes and freckles and we had a charming little rag doll!
#5 Vampire
Logan hasn’t dressed up for a few years…the difference between a teenage boy and teenage girls, I guess. But one of the last years he did dress up, he wanted to be a vampire. I scrolled through pages of costumes looking for the perfect vampire costume, when it suddenly struck me that all these costumes were cheap, thin, and expensive. Also, they had a strong resemblance to the outfit that he had worn for Christmas Mass the prior year. Light bulb moment!!! I could order his suit for Christmas now, and he could wear it for both Halloween and Christmas! Feeling like a genius, I placed the order and made my trip to the dollar store to pick up a set of vampire teeth and some white & red face paint.
#6 Teddy Bear
Who doesn’t have a giant teddy bear sitting around? And if you don’t, there are usually plenty to choose from at thrift stores. We actually got ours from a neighbor that was going to throw it away. With a few carefully placed snips to the seems in the back, we were able to pull out all the stuffing. One quick run through delicate cycle in the washing machine and a tumble on low heat, and the bear costume was ready. Well, we thought it was ready. We did have to cut new eye holes and cut out the bottom of the feet since the girls’ legs were a little too long, but the girls still look great!
#7 Cat…or zombie cat as was the case at our house
Black leggings and a black hoodie…Can you say closet essentials? Add a pair of cat ears and tail from the dollar store with a little face paint, and you have the perfect feline for under $5!
