Adorable, Easy DIY Halloween Costume Ideas for Babies and Toddlers!

Halloween is approaching – in two weeks actually.  

Some of you may have your kids’ costumes already planned out, made or purchased; and you’re ready to go! However, sometimes trying to figure out a Halloween costume with a baby or toddler can be time consuming, overwhelming and expensive- and it’s so easy to put it off. 

If you need some guidance on Halloween costume ideas for babies & toddlers (and a few for preschoolers too), check out our different costumes (for Halloween and other events) from over the years!

Of course, I do have a little boy so these are boy costumes. However, many of these can be made for a girl too! 

Baby Costume Tips & Ideas: 

• Buy Pajamas That Can Double as a Costume: 

  Babies are super easy to dress for Halloween. They always look cute, no matter what they are wearing. We had some great pajamas when he was little that also had the matching Frankenstein Hat.  It was cheap, since we already owned it, and we were able to dress him up in it for his daycare Halloween party.  You can always find cute baby pajamas at any store – but we love Target and  Kohl’s.  

• Fat Babies are Automatically Pumpkins: 

  If you have a round bubbah like we did, they are just destined to be pumpkins!  We were given this super cute pumpkin outfit by my sister – so we did not have to buy anything when we decided to dress him up like a pumpkin before Halloween. Everyone loves pumpkins, and everyone loves babies, so really, you can’t go wrong here! 

  

• Work with Props: 

Of course, it’s understandable if you want to do an awesome Halloween costume with your baby. For Halloween night, we went big.  What made this costume great was working with props. A baby in a lobster costume is cute… but a baby in a lobster costume INSIDE a pot on the stove? That’s epic.  No matter what costume you decide, props are key for the most dramatic effect! And if you are really into it, dress yourself up too! 

Toddler Costume Tips & Ideas:

• Work Around Their Milestones: 

For his second Halloween, our boy had just started walking earlier in the month.  We knew he would have trouble walking around the neighborhood for candy, so we thought, he needs a prop! I had been in love with the idea of Carl from UP! for a while. When I realized old people need walkers & canes, well things evolved quickly!  Toddlers as old people is such a fun idea! You don’t necessarily have to go with Carl from UP!  You can get really creative finding clothes for your little ones that pass as “old”. My mother in law found a super cute, but old fashioned, sweater at the consignment shop. I paired it with a pair of corduroy pants, a pair of glasses and beret to complete his old man look. If you decide to go with Carl, you’ll need the balloons for full effect.  As for the walker, my husband made that from PVC pipes, duct tape, wheels and tennis balls.  A few quick searches online can help you get ideas for how to dress your little one as an old person! 

• Work With the Stroller

Toddlers have a hard time walking a lot, so you can always come up with a costume that works around them being in a stroller.  For Thanksgiving one year, we entered a stroller decorating contest. I turned his stroller into a roasting pan, complete with vegetables and a turkey. The turkey, of course, was my 1 year old.  Stroller projects do take time, so you’ll want to plan this out ahead to make sure you have all the supplies you’ll need.  

Preschooler Costume Tips and Ideas: 

• Go With What They Love: 

If your child has an interest in something, go along with it. Last year, he was infatuated with Thomas the Train (and he still is).  I could have purchased the standard Thomas costume sold at the Halloween stores, but I like making our costumes from things we either own or things we would use again if I bought them.  So, I decided to have him dress like a conductor. Train conductors are super easy – you need a pair of overalls and a train hat. Boom. Done. These were not fancy overalls, they were just standard ones I found at Kohl’s. We also put a handkerchief around his neck for added effect.   He had a train whistle already so this costume cost me zero dollars in the end.  Which was good because he ended up with strep throat and never got to trick or treat.  This is why I like to be cheap on Halloween – you never know what could go wrong… 

• Go with Classic: 

Ghosts, vampires, witches, cowboys, pirates. All classics, all super easy.  We dressed him up like a pirate last year for a town festival and it was a really easy costume to put together. He already had the t-shirt, the jean shorts and the vest.  We picked up the accessories, including the headpiece, at the dollar store.  Little touches like an anchor tattoo, gold charms and a sash around the waist completed the look.  The most I spent on the whole costume was a few bucks for a piece of fabric to make the sash; and a couple items at the dollar store. Classic costumes are easy to put together with things in the closet; and often times, places like Dollar Tree will have things you need for a complete look.  

• Find a Costume That Embraces Your Child’s Uniqueness:

What does that mean exactly? Well, my child wears glasses all the time. I could do a regular costume, sure. But why not find a costume that includes eyeglasses? Or hearing aides. Or braces. Short hair or long hair. Same with if your child has a cast during Halloween (either an arm cast or a broken leg; it happens, I’m sure).  Be creative to include every part of their unique self.   

So, what does one find when they google “costume ideas with eyeglasses”? Well, I found Clark Kent.  Not Superman. Superman didn’t need glasses. But Clark Kent did; and so I turned my handsome boy into Clark Kent this year!  Again, I love using things we already own or could use again. So I ended up find cute slacks at Old Navy on sale; the shoes as well. We used a classic Superman tee and a white button down shirt from Target. And I picked up the bowtie at an outlet store last weekend. His hair was slicked down with lots of gel. And we taught him how to rip open his shirt and say “I’m Superman”.  That right there, made the whole costume!  

DIY costumes don’t have to be intimidating or scary. I like to make my own costumes purely because (1) I’m cheap and (2) I’m a control freak – and putting together a costume by myself gives me full control. Don’t get me wrong – costumes bought at the store are just as creative, fun and cute.  I will probably go that route eventually, especially as he gets older and he realizes what I do to him every year…  For now though, I love being creative and coming up with my own costumes. I hope these give you some ideas and help you find the best costume for your children this year!