DIY Costumes - Simple, Low Cost and with Originality

20 Days until Halloween 2010...

Yes, it's mid October and Halloween is just SCREAMING around the corner. Have you found the perfect costume for your little monster yet? Are you not wanting to spend a fortune? Or are you just a last minute kind of parent? Whatever the reason may be, we have gathered some trendy DIY costumes that take little to no time, money or SEWING so let's take a peek!

Sure, your kid could be a pumpkin, a football player, or pink princess, but those are all the common costumes that show up year after year. If you are looking to try something new, one of these DIY costumes may be just what you are looking for...and we guarantee you won't see 10 other kids running around the neighborhood in the same costume.

Big Green Turtle
For those of you that can remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, how about this Turtle Costume Kit for $15.00? An adorable, ready to make turtle! You could add a sword or grenade and make your little guy a "Warrior Turtle". This Etsy seller has a variety of DIY Costume Kits. Find this costume online HERE.

If you don't want to order and rely on the costume to be shipped in time for your child's Halloween Bash then DIY it! Here are some helpful hints on putting together your little turtle guy:

• Green sweatshirt
• Green sweatpants
• Backpack
• Green fabric or poster board to cover the backpack
• Light green fabric, poster board or felt
• Glue
• Safety pins

Directions

Using the fabric or poster board, cut out the shell shape. Next, cut out small and medium sized circles to put on the turtle shell; apply those with glue. Now you can attach the shell to your child's backpack with safety pins. Be careful where you place the safety pins, you don't want your little one to get poked while scavenging through his candy bag. If you want to go further with this DIY transformation, cover the backpack straps in front with your leftover fabric or felt. Lastly, just slip on that green sweatsuit! Your turtle is ready to crawl the neighborhood.

Batman on a Stick

For those that are simple minded and don't feel like making a single item, how about Batman on a Stick? I know that sounds like a type of sucker, popsicle or something you'd find at the fair, but for $5.95 you can purchase this Batman mask on a stick and head over to your closet and pull out those trusty old BLACK pants and shirt! That sounds easy, right? Check out this mask on a stick costume HERE.

For the real DIY types who like to get a little creative, go to your local hobby or craft store and pick up the following items:

• 2 pieces of black felt
• 1 dowel rod or popsicle stick (these are all near the unfinished wood products)
•  Scissors
•  Glue

Directions

Draw your Batman silhouette on a piece of scrap paper, lay it over the black felt and start cutting! Apply glue to 1 piece of felt, lay the stick on the far left or right side of the face, then put the second piece of felt on top. Viola, you have "Batman on a Stick". Let this dry for approximately an hour.

Pale Pink Piggy

For the main part of your little piggy you need a sweatshirt two sizes bigger than what your child would normally wear. You can find this at a discount store for around $5 each. You will also need a hot-glue gun and scissors.

Directions (via Parenting Magazine)

1. Cut the sleeves off a pink sweatshirt; fold in and glue raw edges.
2. Turn Sweatshirt inside out and glue Poly-Fil or batting to cover inside, front, and back.
3. Turn sweatshirt right side out. Glue on a tail made from a coiled pink pipe cleaner.
4. Add a pink turtleneck and pink leggings.
5. Hat: Cut two 7-inch-long triangles from one of the cut-off sleeves and glue them (fleece side out) to a pink knit hat for ears.
6. Snout: Cut an empty toilet paper roll to 1 1/2 inches. Cover tube with a glued-on piece of sleeve (fleece side out). Glue two pink ribbons inside tube (to tie snout on head) and a large pink button on front.

Blue Butterfly

Thanks to Family Fun for this beautiful bright blue butterfly. Your little bug will stay warm in this costume. The bright blue is eye catching so you will be able to keep track of that little fluttering butterfly of yours.

Here are the supplies you will need. The following items can be be found around the house and at your local hobby store:

• Pencil 
• 2 sheets of corrugated cardboard 
• Utility knife 
• Tempera paints and paintbrushes 
• Cellophane 
• Glue 
• 8 feet of cording 
• 2 silly straws 
• 2 googly eyes 
• Knit ski cap 
• Blue shirt 
• Tights 
• Socks 
• Sneakers 
• 48-inch piece of batting 
• 24-inch piece of nylon 
• Diaper pinsDirections

Directions

• For the wings: Draw the butterfly wings on one piece of the cardboard that extends roughly from the top of your child's hips to the back of his head and no more than 8 inches beyond his shoulders (our butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 feet).
• Draw a simple decorative pattern on the wings. Cut out the wing shape and pattern using a utility knife. Trace the shape onto the second piece of cardboard and cut out.
• Paint one side of each wing shape. When dry, place one wing paint-side down on your work surface and cut pieces of cellophane to lay over the cutouts in the wing.
• Glue the second wing on top so that the cellophane is sandwiched in place. Poke three holes in the wing and thread the cord through them so it hangs evenly.
• For the antennae: Glue one googly eye to the tip of each silly straw, then tape the straws about halfway down the ski hat. Fold up the brim to hide the tape.
• For the body: Have your child put on the blue shirt, tights and sneakers. Pull the blue socks on over sneakers. Wrap the batting around his middle a few times, then tightly wrap the piece of nylon over the batting. Use a few diaper pins to pin the nylon in place.
• Put on the wings: Hold the wings up to your child's shoulders, then help him put one arm through each cord strap, so he wears the wings like a backpack. Run the cord ends around his waist a few times and tie in place.

Now go, go, go!  Start looking around the house for any materials you may already have on hand and then head to your local hobby or craft store to pick up the rest of the items you will need to create your child's Halloween Costume!