Recycled Halloween Costumes

It is getting really close to that time again when your kids start to ask about their Halloween costume for this year. They drag you through the store poking and pulling at all the slick costumes that you know when only end up in next year’s yard sale. These are not any small purchase either, most conventional Halloween costumes come with a hefty price tag making the purchase even more painful.

However, chances are your parents did not pay high dollar for your costumes but rather gathered stuff from around the home to create an exciting and unique costume year after year for next to nothing. You to can do the same for your children. Just because everyone else has a store bought costume doesn’t mean that you can’t do yourself and the environment a favor and create a recycled costume that is sure to please any little trick-o-treater.

Plastic Bottle Armor

Make yourself or your child into a favorite superhero or knight in shining armor with plastic bottles. Cut the bottles in half, make holes in the sides and lace them together with yarn or thread. Paint the bottles to add fun colors and use an old pillowcase as a cape. 

Paper Bag Cowboy Costume

Paper bags can be used to create lots of fun costumes including a cowboy. Draw an outline of some chaps on an open paper grocery bag. Decorate it with brown yarn for fringe and brass buckles. Paint on a belt buckle then tie them over a pair of jeans with shoe laces. Make a vest in a similar fashion, but cut the front open and make arm holes, and a place for the head. Use an old mop to make a stick horse and complete the cowboy outfit with a thrift store cowboy hat and boots.

Old Umbrella Bat costume

A cut up recycled umbrella makes a great set of wings for any flying creature like a bat. Simply cut an umbrella in half and sew the halves to a long sleeve sweatshirt or t-shirt. Sew to the shirt part as well as the sleeves. When the costume wearer moves their arms, the wings will flap. Use a black umbrella for a bat, pink for a butterfly, rainbow for a parrot, and blue for a fairy. 

Fluffy Puppy Costume 

This costume is sure to be a hit, especially with the little ones. Get an old t-shirt or onesie to use as the base of the costume. Take the stuffing out of old stuffed animal or pillow. Form the stuffing into little balls and hot-glue them onto the base until it is covered. This will give the costume a fluffy look. Fashion a pair of ears by gluing paper ears to an old hat. Add some face paint to complete the outfit.  This costume could easily be changed into a sheep or kitty.

Just remember to have fun and use your imagination. There is not shortage to the things you can use to fashion and exciting costume this year!