Halloween Witch Crafts: Making Costumes with Household Items

Here are a few ideas for creating costumes with items you probably have around the house!

Got Boxes?
Large cardboard boxes can be turn into so many different costumes. Just cut the tops and bottoms of the boxes and add straps across the shoulder area. You can decorate the boxes with paint, felt, glitter, ribbons, etc.

POPCORN BOX – use cut of foam for popcorn
LEGO – make a matching hat with real legos
RECYCLE BIN – add empty juice bottles sticking out of the box
GUMBALL MACHINE – use rubber balls for gumballs
ROBOT – Spray the box silver and use dryer tubes for arms and legs
GIFTBOX – add a giant bow to the front
PAIR OF DICE – use sticky back felt to create dots for the dice

Bag This!
BAG OF JELLY BEANS – Cut leg openings in the bottom of a clear yard bag, have your child step into the bag and fill the bag with small “blown up” balloons, gather the top of the bag around the chest area with a ribbon or twine.

COWGIRL or POCAHONTAS – Crinkle paper grocery store bags so they look like leather. Cut the apart bags and sew/cut them to create a skirt, vest, dress, etc. You can sew through the paper bags with a sewing machine or the costumes can be secured with duct tape on the inside. Cut smaller pieces to create fringe.

ATTACK OF THE SPIDERS – Cut black garbage bags into 10” circles. Crinkle up the leftover bag into small balls, place the ball in the center of the 10” circle, gather the bag around the ball and tie with a black piece of yarn, cut 8 legs from remaining bag surrounding the tied area. Glue odd sized google eyes to the spiders. Make as many as you wish. Attach to a “normal outfit” with safety pins.

Get Clean!
DIRTY CLOTHES – Use an old plastic laundry basket and cut out the bottom to fit your child, add straps with rope for shoulder supports and fill with laundry. You can fashion a hat out of an old detergent bottle to match.

CHICKEN – Wear a yellow outfit and use yellow kitchen gloves for chicken hands and feet. Add feather trim around the costume for extra pop.

Wings
Household coat hangers can be transformed into many different styles of wings. They are easy to make and kids will really love decorating them.

ANGEL – add gold glitter to the wings and wear with a white dress
BAT – paint the wings black and wear with a black jumpsuit
FAIRY – add feathers and rhinestones to the wings wear with a frilly dress
LADYBUG – add polka dots to the wings and wear with a red jumpsuit
BEE – paint stripes and add fuzzy trim around the outer edge
BUTTERFLY – paint the wings to resemble a monarch and wear a black jumpsuit

Materials:
3 wire coat hangers
2 pairs 3x pantyhose in colors
duct tape
2 yd. elastic
needle and thread
scissors
2 large silk flowers
optional decorations: fabric dye, ribbon, glitter, fabric paint, and feathers

1. Bend one of the coat hangers into a loose oval shape to form one of the upper sections of the wings. Work with the curves already in the hanger, reshaping the wire so it does not look like a hanger (think graceful butterfly wings). Secure the hook by bending it back. When you are satisfied with the shape of the hanger, shape a second hanger to match the first one, making a matching set of frames for the top wings.

2. Shape the third hanger into the bottom of the wings by bending the hanger in the center and bringing it towards the hook to create two little wing shapes. Secure the hook by bending it back.

3. Lay the hangers together with all hooks in the center. You should have two larger oval wings on the sides, and the small bottom piece should slightly overlap both wings. At this stage, the wire frame should resemble a butterfly. Using duct tape, secure the hooks of the hangers together. Be careful to cover the hooks completely, and use as much tape as needed to secure the frame.

4. Using colored pantyhose (or you can use fabric dye to tint white pantyhose), lay out one pair se and cut 20″ from each toe end of the pantyhose. Starting at the bottom section of the wings, stretch one leg of the hose over the lower wire section of the frame. Pull the fabric tight and gather in the center. Loop, pull and twist the excess pantyhose around the taped center section and secure with a whipstitch.

5. Lay out the second pair of pantyhose and cut 30″ from each toe end. Working on the two upper sections of the wings, stretch each leg over each of the two wire sections. Pull the fabric tight and gather in the center. Loop, pull and twist the excess pantyhose around the center-taped section and secure with a whipstitch.

6. To attach straps, cut the elastic in half to make two 1-yard pieces. Fold each piece in half and wrap it underneath one upper-side panel of the wings; tie a knot to secure in place (figure F). Repeat for the second wing. Place the wings on your back and bring one elastic piece over your shoulder and the other piece up under your arm. Tie a knot to secure. Repeat for the other side.

7. Glue large flowers in the center of the wings to cover the duct tape and stitching. Embellish the wings with glitter, marabou trim, ribbons, pearls, fabric paint, sequins or rhinestones.

Got Old Clothes?

PIRATE– make a pirate with an old vest, sweatpants and a school shirt
FAIRY PRINCESS – use an old party dress to create a princess in no time
PUNKY MUMMY – old bed sheets can be transformed into a funky mummy
Wilma Flintstone – cutup an old white t-shirt and wear with a white mini skirt and chunky necklace. To make the hair – sut sticky back foam (Michaels crafts) into a swirl and stick to your hair. (see top pic)

 

Materials:
old white long-sleeve button-down shirt (a couple of sizes too big)
pen
scissors
set of 6 5/8″ eyelets or grommets
eyelet setter
hammer
leather cording
black sweat pants
GLOW AWAY Paint by Plaid
old vest
two scarves
hand sewing needle and thread (optional)
pirate themed buttons (optional)

1. At the top of the shirt, just inside the button placket for the top three buttons, mark the placement for three sets of eyelets or grommets (three running vertically down the left side of the button placket and three directly opposite those on the right side of the button placket).

2. Snip a very small hole where the marks were made. Insert the male (larger shaft) end of an eyelet through the front of the shirt. Click the female portion of the eyelet where the male portion extends on the backside of the shirt. Insert an eyelet setter into the back portion of the eyelet and pound with a hammer on a hard surface. The teeth of the male portion should clasp the female portion. Continue for all six eyelets.

3. Carefully cut the button placket just outside of the stitch lines so that the stitching remains intact. Cut from the collar to the second button, across the placket and up to the collar. The edge of the collar can also be snipped just outside the stitching line to create a frayed look.

4. Lace leather cording through the eyelets to create the pirate’s open-throat shirt. Cut the bottom of the shirt to the appropriate length for your pirate.
To make the sleeves, cut off the cuffs and re-stitch them to the sleeve a few inches above the bottom of the sleeve to form a channel. Thread leather cording through the channel and tie around the pirate’s wrist.

5. Swap the buttons on the vest for pirate-themed buttons.

6. To make the pirate pants: Cut the sweatpants to be approximately 6″ shorter. Cut a frayed edge into each leg. Apply stripes of the glow-in-the-dark paint for added effect and for safety.

Step-by-Step Fairy Princess Instructions:

Materials:
old party dress
stems of artificial flowers
safety pins
scarf in a coordinating color
head band
hot glue and hot glue gun
1-yd. each of two colors of tulle
satin ribbon
large artificial flower stem
glitter glue, rhinestones, glow-in-the-dark paint

1. Remove the individual blooms from the stems of artificial flowers. Remove any plastic parts from the flowers and safety pin flowers to the hem, skirt, and neckline of the dress. Pin the flowers such that the safety pin remains on the outside of the garment so that it is more comfortable to wear and helps prevent any pinpricks.

2. Use hot glue to attach additional flowers to the center portion of the scarf. This will be the waist sash. Use hot glue to attach flowers to the center portion of the headband.

3. To make the wings: Cut the tulle into pieces that are 36″ x 18″ (smaller fairies may need smaller wings and this size can be adjusted). Lay alternating colors of tulle in a stack. Cinch in the center and tie with a satin ribbon. Pin the wings to the back of the dress.

4. Wrap the end of the large artificial flower stem with leftover satin ribbon to make a flower fairy wand.

5. Embellish any elements of the costume with glitter paint, rhinestones, and/or dimensional glow-in-the-dark paint (optional).