Six Last Minute Halloween Costumes For Kids

Pumpkins are on the doorstep, bags and bags of lollies have been stashed, and that can only mean one thing: Halloween is nigh!

Pumpkins and lolly bags, however, are the easy part. The bit that throws most of us is the trick-or-treat or school dress-up costume. Throw in more than one kid and our heads start to spin! What to do?

Never fear - even if you've got no time for the costume shops nor a creative bone in your weary body, we've got some super easy Halloween costumes for kids that you can pull together the night before.

Ghost

This has got to be the easiest and most effective last-minute Halloween outfit out there - and perfect for social distancing! Grab a huge flat sheet and cut out two small goles for eyes.

Items:

• One large white sheet or piece of fabric

Little Red Riding Hood

Let's be honest: all you need is a bright red hood. Anything else is fair game!

The easiest way to go about the costume is to wear a simple dress have a basket ready - the hood does the rest! 

It's extraordinarily easy to grab a metre or so of red fabric and safety-pin it to the collar of the dress, leaving a little loop at the back to represent the hood. Or if you want to go the whole hog, pop it over your child's head, safety pin it under the chin and leave the rest to drape like a riding cape. Easy as!

If you've not got any fabric on hand or no time to go to the shops, grab an old red hoodie, cut the sleeves off, and split it up the front. Simply place the hood on their head and leave the rest as a cape covering their shoulders.

Items:

• Basket
• Simple dress (ruffles are good too!)
• Stockings (optional)
• 1m red fabric or an old hoodie 
• Toy dog as the wolf

Witch

Witches come in various sizes and fashion sensibilities - really, you could go to town here! But for the classic look, find a black dress and some stockings (colourful and stripey ones are best). Feel free to shred the bottom of the dress if you want to be creative, and a witches hat can easily be made with paper or cardboard. If you’re not keen on making one, then almost every two dollar shop and supermarket in the land is selling witch’s accessories.

To add the final touch, grab a broom and maybe a toy cat!

Items:

• Black Dress
• Stockings
• Witch's Hat
• Broom
• Toy Cat

Mummy/Zombie

If you don’t mind wasting a ton of toilet paper or bandages then this is an easy one.

Wear white and then let the kids go crazy wrapping each other up. Make sure they don’t wrap their arms and legs together – they still need to be able to walk around! 

For the zombie look, you can rip up a t-shirt  and paint their faces with green face paint or the palest foundation you have, with some brown/purple eye shadow around the eyes and in the hollows of the cheeks for good measure. The bandages can go around their heads.

Items:

• White clothing
• Bandages or toilet paper
• Green face paint or pale foundation
• Brown or purple eye shadow

Superhero

Don’t worry about the capes – dress up as Superman and Supergirl when they’re undercover!

All you need are pants or a skirt and a white buttoned shirt. Beneath the white shirt have a blue shirt with a handmade red and yellow S. You can do the S on cardboard or paper and stick it on the shirt or even better, get creative and paint it on.

If the kids are dead set on a cape, it's super easy to grab a bit of fabric or towel and safety-pin to the collar. Leggings and tight-fitting tops are good, and if you want to put the undies on the outside, well, we won't stop you!

Items:

• Dress pants
• White dress shirt (tie optional!)
• Geeky glasses make a good touch
• Blue undershirt with cardboard or painted Superman S
• tight tops and leggings
• Bit of fabric or towel for optional cape.

Dracula

Dress up as the most famous vampire of all! Find black jeans and a white shirt and vest. If you have red ribbons or an old red shirt that you can cut, then tie it around the waist.

For a special touch, paint your face white and add some vampire teeth which you can find at every cheapie shop.

Items:

• Black Jeans
• White Shirt
• Vest
• Red Ribbons/Shirt 
• Bow tie
• White Face Paint
• Vampire Teeth

Image via heavencostumes.com.au

Fairy

Have a tutu lying around? Good – then let’s add a little fairy magic. Find a coloured shirt that matches the tutu and voila! Sequins and glitter welcome - the more the merrier when it comes to fairy folk.

To add a special touch, make your own fairy wings and wand out of cardboard, coat hangers or even a wooden spoon for the wand if you've not got any in the dress-up box. A bit of shiny foil and some leftover ribbons never go astray!

Any special, frilly dress will work for this: it's the accessories that do the work. Find some real or fake flowers and weave a simple headpiece, grab a tiara for a fairy princess look, or just add the sparkliest hair clips, bits and bobs you can find.

Items:

• Tutu
• Sparkly top
• Sequins
• Glitter
• Aluminim foil
• Ribbon
• Cardboard, wire coat hanger and/or wooden spoon or dowel
• Real or fake flowers for a headpiece
• Tiara
• Sparkly hair clips and jewellery

BONUS: Two Easy Dress-Up Ideas For Mums and Dads

Now that the kids are dressed and ready to go, here are two bonus costume ideas for parents!

Bank Robbers

If you have a stripey black and white shirt then put it on! Match it with black jeans and an eye mask which you can make out of old clothes or cardboard and string. Don’t forget to bring a simple bag with a dollar sign painted on or cut out of cardboard.

Items:

• Striped Shirt
• Black Jeans
• Mask
• Bag of cash!

The Blues Brothers

Take out that suit that’s been gathering dust in the cupboard and don a hat with some snazzy glasses. You could even dress your kid to match!

Items:

• Black Pants
• White Shirt
• Black Tie
• Black Hat
• Black Glasses
• Attitude

Check Out Some More Halloween Stuff On ellaslist

Sydney’s Best Halloween Events For Kids
10 Ways To Ensure Trick or Treating Is Not A Nightmare
The Best Makeup Ideas For Kids on Halloween

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