Make an Upcycled Halloween Costume This Fall

By Mali Anderson in Healthy Feeling

Since recycling and living frugally are important to many families, creating upcycled Halloween costumes has grown in popularity. Making DIY Halloween costumes from items you already have around the house is a festive, fun way to be creative and eco-friendly. It’s a great chance to stretch your family’s imagination while teaching the value in repurposing old items.

Finding Your Materials

When creating an upcycled Halloween costume, you’ll be thankful for unused fabric, old clothes, cardboard, loose buttons, and more. Blended together, the items you’re no longer using can create the perfect Halloween getup. If you’re unsure where to start, here are some ideas to get you started on your DIY Halloween costumes.

Transform a Cardboard Box

  • Robot or Computer. After you’ve cut holes in the top of a box (large enough for a head to comfortably fit through) and on each side for armholes, then it’s time to decorate it. Paint the box with silver or metallic paint, or cover with aluminum foil and secure with glue or tape. Add buttons and pictures of dials and keypads.
  • Laundry. Cut off the top and bottom of a large box and attach suspenders to wear over a black shirt and leggings. Paint the box to look like hamper or a washing machine. Fasten old clothes to the top of the box to look like laundry spilling out. You can even add small white balloons to the top to create the appearance of suds.

Reshape a T-Shirt

t shirt

  • Angel. Belt a large white T-shirt with a gold ribbon or fancy belt. If you have wire hangers you aren’t using, unbend them and cover with netting or ribbon to make wings.
  • Champion Boxer. If you have sports gear at home, this is easy to accessorize. Use a marker to draw muscles on to the T-shirt (tip: make ’em bulky!). Pair with boxing gloves, a robe, and shiny shorts to complete the look.

Reuse Items Around the House

  • The Sea. Dress in blue and attach ocean animals, shells, and beach toys. The items added can be bath toys, stuffed animals, drawings, or a mixture of both.
  • Pirate. Find an old pair of pants and shred the cuffs. Wear a ruffled shirt and a bandanna, and make a hook or a sword out of aluminum foil and cardboard. Use makeup to add scars and an eye patch for finishing touches.

Have you made an upcycled Halloween costume? Share a pic of your DIY Halloween costume on Twitter!

Image sources: Pixabay | Pixabay | Flickr

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Reusing items and eliminating waste feels good and is good for the planet. Plus, the materials are free! This article will help families create original, upcycled Halloween costumes.