Tips and ideas for making Halloween costumes for kids

Children enjoy getting dressed up and going trick-or-treating. If they need a spooky Halloween costume at the last minute, there are various homemade costumes that you can quickly put together. In this guide, we will give you various ideas for making some last-minute Halloween costumes for children. In addition, there are also step-by-step instructions on how to make your own homemade face paint for children, which will add the finishing spooky touches to their fantastic costumes.

Quick and easy ideas for making your own Halloween costumes for kids

Fortunately, there are some great last-minute costumes that you can easily put together if you don’t have a lot of time. They are easy to make, and you do not need to buy any expensive costumes or even use a sewing machine.

Here are a few tried and tested examples of what you could make in no time at all:

• A ghost costume made out of an old bed sheet is an absolute classic Halloween costume. You can easily put this simple costume together within a couple of minutes by simply making two holes in the bed sheet for the eyes, applying some face paint and making two more holes for the arms.

• For a skeleton costume, simply turn an old black t-shirt inside out and get some black leggings. Use some white fabric paint to paint some arm, leg and rib bones onto the costume. This can be done in no time at all, and no artistic skill is needed.

• A mummy costume can be simply made out of any old linen bed sheets or tablecloths. Cut the fabric into strips 10 to 20 cm wide and then wrap your child carefully and loosely in them.

• You can put together a superhero costume in no time at all. All you need is a T-shirt with a superhero logo or other suitable design and a cape. A matching mask completes this quick Halloween costume for children.

Below you will find three ideas for more intricate Halloween costumes for children. They are guaranteed to look great and stand out at any Halloween party.

Now all you need are a few accessories to give the finishing touches to your costume, which you can buy in a costume shop or make or sew yourself:

• Long cape, for example, made from black fabric with patches or some shiny fabric/velvet

• Witch’s hat made from paper or felt

• Magic wand – for example, a small stick or one made from a thin paper roll

• Large broomstick – this can normally be found in a DIY store

Your witch costume is now all done! In case you don’t have a lot of time, you can simply use a black or dark blue fleece blanket, which can be used as a magician’s cape. If your child would like to wear some face paint, you can simply paint a spider web onto their cheek or paint their face to look like a witch.

To make a pumpkin costume for children you will need the items listed below:

• An orange t-shirt or a jumper

• Green, yellow or black leggings/trousers

• Black trainers

You can paint a grinning pumpkin face on the t-shirt with black fabric paint or sew it on with some spare black fabric. Additionally, you can add a collar to the t-shirt made of green felt to give the pumpkin a green stem.

For babies and young children, a sewn or knitted pumpkin hat in bright orange with a green stem is a fantastic accessory for a pumpkin costume. This will also keep their head nice and warm at the same time.

Making your own face paint for children: ingredients and step-by-step instructions

• Baby lotion free from fragrance and colourings

• Starch for white face paint

• Activated charcoal for black face paint, for example, charcoal tablets from a chemist

• Organic food colouring for bright coloured face paint

How to make your own white face paint for children:

1. Mix 1 tbsp of baby lotion with 1 tsp of starch in a small container.

2. Then melt the ingredients in a bowl of warm water or put them it in the microwave on medium heat.

3. Stir the thick mixture until it becomes smooth and then let it cool before applying.

How to make your own black face paint for children:

1. Grind 1 to 2 charcoal tablets until they become a fine powder. This can be done by using a mortar or a coffee grinder.

2. Warm up the baby lotion.

3. Add the ground-activated charcoal and stir until it is fully mixed, and the face paint is dark enough.

How to make bright coloured face paint for children:

Heat up some baby lotion as described above, stir until smooth and then add a few drops of food colouring.

Conclusion: making your own Halloween costumes for children

As shown above, spooky children’s Halloween costumes don't have to be expensive or complicated. Many homemade Halloween costumes for children can be made from simple everyday items of clothing and then finished off with a couple of accessories and some spooky face paint. This way, you can create a very spooky and unique-looking costume. Older children can even help to make the costume and then proudly present it once it is finished.

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References and further information

https://www.scratchsleeves.co.uk/blog/seasonal-childhood-baby-eczema/eczema-halloween-homemade-face-paint-recipe/
(Last accessed on 15.09.2026)

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