Do you have nightmares about rabid hot glue guns, felt characters, and creepy craft store googly eyes watching you as you sleep? Wake up and take a deep breath. Sure you can go to the costume shop and buy expensive, perfect replicas of your child’s favorite character but making costumes at home is part of the fun. If you are the least crafty person on the planet, next to me, there are some fun ideas that are easy to make. Here are some ideas to get your creative costume juices flowing.

Power Up
For the video game lover, pick a favorite character. I usually try to steer my son toward a highly recognized character. This way we avoid the disappointment over people at every house asking “who are you supposed to be?” But, older kids may enjoy being an obscure character that only their friends get. Or, they may want to don the basic t-shirt with the word “costume” on it.

  • Mario and Luigi. These costumes require: overalls, a T-shirt and matching hat (red for Mario, green for Luigi), white gloves and a bushy moustache. You can easily make and tape on the M or L logo for the hats. You can usually score a pair of overalls at a local thrift shop.
  • A Wii remote. You can use a box and paint it white, then draw on the logo and the buttons. Use a narrow box. For a smaller child you could use a large white T-shirt and draw the buttons and logo with fabric paint.
  • Minecraft. This very popular game is based on building a world from blocks so it lends itself to easy costumes. Yes, you can purchase a Creeper or a Steve head, but all you need is square box. Cut out eyes and a mouth and draw the face with paint or markers. The costume could be simply the block head made from a box and an outfit that looks vaguely like the character you are emulating. You can also make an entire body out of boxes painted to match the character, just be sure your child can walk and climb stairs in the get up. Use some foam board or cardboard and markers for the tool in the game.

Test out costumes at least a week beforehand so you can make any adjustments. Remember to make costumes that are safe and easy for mobility and visibility. A flashlight or reflective tape is always a nice safety add on.

Low Cost Costumes!
We asked Little Rock Family Facebook friends to share some of their favorite homemade Halloween costumes. We shrieked in delight, not fright, when we saw all of the super-cool and crafty posts! Check 'em out in the slideshow above!

The Old Haunted Warehouse
Your teens too cool for costumes?  Try this thrilling treat for charity. Now in its third year of operation it’s often called “Arkansas’ Best Haunted Attraction.” In 2013, the Warehouse will collaborate with Spirit Halloween, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Big Brothers/Big Sisters on Oct. 4 and Boys & Girls Club on Oct. 5. Spirit Halloween will distribute free tickets to customers willing to donate to non-profit “Spirit Of Children,” valid opening weekend.

The Warehouse is located at 3400 Brown St., just a few blocks west of State Fairgrounds, in Little Rock.
Suggested for 12 years and up only.

Visit OldHauntedWarehouse.com for hours and days of operation.