Easy DIY Halloween costumes

Super Hero (Kid costume ONLY)

With these outfits, your family will gain the power to collect a ridiculous amount of candy in a single night. No-sew capes team up with felt-and-duct-tape masks, belts, and badges personalized with the initial of your family’s last name.

Cape

Materials
• Tape measure
• Polyester Ponte knit fabric
• Duct tape
• Felt

Measure the wearer and cut a rectangle or square from the fabric as shown. Make slits along the top by folding over a 1-inch border and cutting 1/4-inch slits into the fold every 2 inches (see blue diagram below). Weave a 1-inch wide strip of fabric, at least 40 inches long, through the slits.

Mask

Materials
• Mask template (familyfunmag.com)
• Felt
• Colored duct tape in the same color as the felt
• Black cord elastic

Use the template to cut a mask from felt. Note: For a small child, you may need to make the eyeholes slightly closer together or trim the ends of the mask to fit.

Badge and belt

Materials
• Badge templates (see last page)
• Felt in 3 colors (we used orange, white, and blue)
• Tacky glue
• Double-sided carpet tape
• Measuring tape
• Colored duct tape

For the badge:
1. Using the attached templates, cut the shapes from felt. Cut your family’s initial to fit inside the starburst shape, and glue the pieces together.
2. Cover the back of the badge with carpet tape and adhere it to the wearer’s shirt.

For the belt:
1. Cut a piece of duct tape as shown and lay it sticky side up. Put a second length of tape on top of the first, also sticky side up.
2. Lay a third length of tape in the center, sticky side down, and fold over the sticky edges.
3. Cut a square of felt slightly larger than the width of your belt.
Cover the back with carpet tape.
4. Wrap the belt around the wearer so that the ends overlap in front. Adhere the square to the overlapping ends to hold them in place.

Sunflower

The flower’s petals are stapled to a simple headband.

Materials
• Leaf and petal templates (familyfunmag.com)
• 3 (9 by 12-inch) sheets of stiff yellow felt
• 1/4 yard brown felt
• Stapler
• Hot glue (adults only)
• 2-inch piece of adhesive-backed Velcro
• 1/4 yard green felt
• Thick-tipped green permanent marker
• 2 yards medium- to heavyweight white elastic cord
• 6-inch-wide roll of plain green tulle
• 6-inch-wide roll of green glitter tulle

For the petal headband:
1. Use the template to cut 15 petals from the stiff yellow felt.
2. Cut the brown felt into a 41/2- by 24-inch strip.
3. Overlap the bottom tabs of a petal and staple it in the center of the brown felt near the end of the strip. Add more petals to the strip, stapling them very close to one another.
4. When your strip has enough petals to encircle your child’s head, fold the brown felt in thirds, lengthwise. Use hot glue to secure it.
5. Fit the band around your child’s head and add the Velcro where the ends overlap. Trim any excess felt.

Skeleton

Your undead brood is invited to a party that’s going to rock the graveyard, so you’d better dress the part. Cutting out the bones is made easy by first laying strips of duct tape on a parchment paper backing. Accessorize with formal yet - funky touches, such as a choker, top hat, tutu, and vest.

Materials
• Parchment paper
• White duct tape
• Bone templates (familyfunmag.com)
• White card stock
• Black clothing, including top hats, tutus, and
• Bow ties (we found some of our pieces in a vintage store)

1. Decide which bone shapes you need (see below for what we used), then print those templates onto card stock and cut them out.
2. Tear off a 2-foot-long section of parchment paper. Cover it with strips of white duct tape, overlapping the edges of each strip. Make as many of these sheets as needed.
3. Trace the templates onto the back of the parchment. Cut out the shapes.
4. Peel the bones from the parchment and press them firmly onto the clothing.

T-shirt cutout funky witch

Materials
• Scissors
• Freezer paper
• A couple of plain tees

Directions
To make it easier for kids to draw and cut their own designs, use freezer paper to stabilize the fabric. Here, three simple steps for spooky shirts.
1. Turn a plain short-sleeve T-shirt inside out and place it front side facing up. Lay a piece of freezer paper on top of the shirt, shiny side down. With an iron on the “cotton” setting, fuse the paper to the shirt (an adult’s job).
2. Insert a piece of thick cardboard into the shirt. Draw a design in pencil on the paper (remember that it will appear in reverse on the finished shirt). For the web, use a ruler to draw the “spokes” (make each about ¼ inch thick), then add connecting lines.
3. Cut along your lines with small scissors; you may need a craft knife to do tight corners.
To cut circles, pinch the center, snip it, then cut along the lines. When you’re done, peel off any remaining freezer paper, remove the cardboard, and turn the shirt right side out. Wear it layered over a plain tee in a contrasting color.

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