Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. The crisp Fall weather with leaves of every color covering the ground and all my fellow weirdos wandering the streets late at night.

I have only grown to love Halloween more as I witness my children’s excitement for stopping door-to-door for candy and dressing up in imaginative ways. This, mixed with a healthy discovery of their fears, makes All Hallows Eve the best.

When my son turned three last year, he stopped letting me decide what he was wearing and instead he chose costumes for the entire family. Family costumes are much more economically feasible [not to mention more fun] when they are homemade.

Here is where things get tough for me every year around this time – I am a self-proclaimed procrastinator – luckily I also happen to be crafty and a night owl. Therefore I am well qualified to offer my tips on last minute DIY Halloween costumes.

DIY Costume Tips:
1. Utilize All Your Resources: Last year Jonah wanted the whole family to be Cat in the Hat. Jonah was Thing One, Millie was thing Two, Mommy was Cat in the Hat, and Daddy was The Fish in the Pot. First I took stock of what I had. Some red Christmas PJs worked for Thing One and Thing Two along with some sticky white felt and a permanent marker. Next, I realized hats can make any costume! Check out Stuck On You Crochet for some great ideas. Amazon also has some cheap, easy hat options – Prime delivery is every procrastinator’s best friend.

2. Boxes and Poster Board: As my kids get older they may want more elaborate costumes. For now, drawing a car and pasting it on a cardboard board box with duct tape straps does the trick, or rather gets them the treat! This year Jonah decided the whole family will be Pixar Cars. Poster board, recycled boxes, duct tape, paint markers and some late nights for Mom will make Jonah’s vision come to life.

3. Supplementing with Reused Goods: There are so many resources in any community nowadays for parents to support one another. My Cat in the Hat costume would not have been ready on time if it hadn’t been for a good friend I met through my local FaceBook Mom’s Group. They had a black, pull-over fleece outfit felted and ready to go! It is so worth it to reach out to people through social networking when you are in a pinch. Other resources that are great for these situations are Nextdoor, FaceBook Marketplace, and simply word-of-mouth to find resources unique to the area you live in.

There is still one week left until the BIG night! I plan on spending this weekend crafting my butt off since my kiddos have Halloween parties starting Monday.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Kim

For a few more last minute ideas, check out these other easy DIY costumes we found on Pinterest! 

Black Cat; Parker Baby Co. Knotted Headbands coming soon :)

Where's Waldo?; Source: Pinterest

Wizard of OZ; Source: Pinterest

Winnie the Pooh; Source: Pinterest