Halloween is just around the corner and you…and your wallet…might be starting to feel the costume pressure.
If, like me, you don’t know your way around a sewing machine but are pretty handy with a pair of scissors and Pritt Stick (think primary school level crafts here!), then you can make some pretty cool outfits out of you guessed it…your old packing boxes!
Thanks to the influence of the good old U S of A, it’s totally acceptable to think outside the box (haha!) and shun the traditional ghosts and witches costumes for something a little more quirky. So take a look at the ideas below which will work for all ages…just adjust the size of the box.
1. LEGO
LEGO…a timeless classic! This is a super easy make from the folks at Country Living which only needs a generous dose of spray paint and some upturned boxes to create this striking look.
Probably the hardest part of this outfit is finding the boxes to stick on but there are versions using upturned paper plates which you might have already.
Going as a group? You could all be a different coloured block to make a real statement.
2. Rubiks Cube
Aside from how adorable this wee guy is…how cool is this costume! This is definitely the easiest to make and the creator of this gem, Danielle Bevens, a super thrifty and creative Canadian Mama, didn’t spend anything on this one.
If you don’t fancy painting it you could use black gaffa tape around the edges and in-between the squares, then simply stick coloured craft paper on. Very budget friendly for a student make!
3. Skeleton X-Ray
So we’ve all seen the skeleton onesies in the supermarkets but the folks at Country Living have come up trumps again with this quirky x-ray costume.
Probably one for the more artistic folk as this will need a steady hand to get those bones anatomically correct. You could even take it one step further and use glow in the dark paint!
I’m sure if you need a cheat though there will be a skeleton image online to print off and stick on.
4. Popcorn Box
Love how this costume from Care.com almost disguises the fact that it’s just a simple box costume. The popcorn spilling out makes it super effective.
Here they have used scrunched up tissue paper for the popcorn but I’ve also seen people use blobs of expanding foam stuck on which could be fun to make…if not a little messy.
There’s even a YouTube video of how to make this costume which you can watch here.
5. Dinosaur
This dinosaur costume from Hello Wonderful looks more complicated than it is but I would still say this one is reserved for those with a little more time on their hands.
This would be amazing for a dinosaur obsessed child and thanks to the helpful instructions it is very achievable. Your little one could have lots of fun painting the dinosaur themselves and choosing how it looks.
6. Wheelchair Superhero
This superman costume is just one of 15 ideas from Special Needs Essentials on how to incorporate a wheelchair into a costume. You can create the iconic flying pose by resting a pair of stuffed tights or a bought costume on the box flap…and if Superman isn’t your number one hero, why not try Batman flying through Gotham City instead?
…And if you’re feeling really lazy there is always this option. Just raid a charity shop, cut out a face on a box and start shuffling!
Hopefully that’s given you some Halloween inspiration and who knows, maybe even got you a bit excited about it. We would love to see your cardboard creativity so why not use #MWAVhalloween so we can see the fruits of your labour!