Life
Pre-kid, I was never completely on board with Halloween, preferring instead to maintain my indoor cat status as opposed to donning a tail and a pair of ears. But when my daughter Claire was 3 months old and Halloween season was in the air, I suddenly became completely jazzed about creating a costume for her. I read dozens of articles claiming to have really cute Halloween costumes for babies, but didn't find the one until I landed on a photo of a baby dressed as an elderly woman. Claire was the sweetest little granny — photo proof below — and wore her costume cat-eye glasses like a pro.
Now we are approaching her third Halloween and I have already nailed down the DIY steps required to create her costume. Like a complete holiday fanatic, I am scouring the aisles of craft stores for the most colorful pom poms and restocking my glue stick collection so I don't run into a shortage during midnight crafting.
But I can't help reminiscing about that first costume, the one that in the midst of new motherhood kept me up late into the night gluing cotton balls onto a hat and securing a strand of pearls to leopard print glasses. Want to join the DIY roller coaster and create something for your little one? Check out these costumes that go beyond the already adorable pumpkin, pea pod, and cuddly teddy bears.
1
Little Granny
My daughter's first Halloween costume was this sweet granny getup that I made for her using a DIY tutorial for the cotton ball hair. I glued a strand of costume pearls ($5, Target) to a pair of costume glasses ($7, Party City) and put a floral onesie ($10, Walmart) under a white crocheted sweater ($14, OshKosh). The final touches were a simple pair of leggings ($8, Carter's) and a floral brooch ($8, Walmart) pinned to hold the sweater together. Safety tip: Put tape around the point of the pin to avoid boo-boos on little fingers.
2
Unicorn
A simple white onesie ($9, Target) paired with a rainbow tulle skirt ($35, Etsy) and oh-so-cute floral crown ($1, eBay) is all that's needed to create a precious unicorn costume. Add rainbows, sparkles, a pair of pink crib shoes ($11, Carter's), and the world's cutest unicorn headband ($8, Jane) and you'll have a mystical creature to tote around for the night.
3
Rosie The Riveter
It doesn't get more simple (and badass) than this Rosie the Riveter getup. Snag a baby-sized denim romper ($17, Stage) and red and white polka dot bandana ($5, Etsy) and you're ready to go advocate for full sized candy bars all night long. "We can do it!"
4
Offred From 'The Handmaid's Tale'
Want a cute way to make a big statement? This costume is sure to tickle every book-loving parent out there, yours truly included. Plus, the lead character from Margaret Atwood's novel-turned-Hulu-hit series is easy to create — all you need is a red cape ($40, Etsy) and white bonnet ($25, Etsy).
5
Pebbles
Come on. Who's cuter than this jurassic babe? Remove the sleeves from a basic green onesie (Walmart, $5) paired with blue shorts or bloomers ($14, Etsy), and a stone age-inspired headpiece ($5, Etsy) to make a simple DIY costume for your little one. Paint triangles on the onesie using contact paper and black paint and for the perfect Pebbles hair, attach the bone clip to a green or orange elastic headband ($7, Amazon) or orange hat ($10, Etsy). Of course, if you are not in a DIY mood, then you can always pick up one of these adorable crocheted hats from Etsy.
6
Oompa Loompa
Oompa Loompa doompadee doo, I've got another costume for you. A brown and white striped onesie ($15, H&M) under white overalls ($10, Macy's) will turn your little one into the cutest member of Willy Wonka's factory. Add matching socks ($7, Chrissy's), brown crib shoes ($12, OshKosh), and a green hat for "hair" ($12, Walmart). If you're willing to risk smudged face paint (read: all over the place), then go ahead and put a little orange all over your babe's face. Just be sure to choose something non-toxic. A dash of skin-sensitive bronzer might also do the trick.
7
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
The notorious RBG looks super cute on babies. A black dress with a white collar ($36, Etsy), oversized costume glasses ($7, Walmart), and gold clip-on earrings ($11, Amazon) will give your little one all of the flair fit for the 84-year-old associate justice of the Supreme Court. Don't be surprised if they don't let you put the earrings on, but it's worth a shot — just make sure you don't buy the extra-pinchy ones.
8
Waldo
Remember how much you loved the Where's Waldo puzzle books as a kid? Snag a red and white striped onesie ($8, Walmart), matching knitted hat ($8, Etsy), and blue pants ($8, H&M) for this getup. Add a pair of round costume glasses ($2, Party Supplies Delivered) and it will be hard for anyone to miss your adorable bundle.
9
Cardio Queen
A leotard ($15, Etsy), leggings ($4, Walmart), leg warmers ($10, Amazon), and a wide headband ($8, Etsy) are all it takes to create this costume. Because who needs Jazzercise or Buns of Steel when you have edible inner thigh rolls made for spandex?
10
Clark Kent
Oh, how I wanted Superman to be the Clark to my Lois when I was growing up. She was a whip-smart journalist and he was, well, so damn cute. Anyway, why not turn try your hand at this DIY costume for one of America's favorite comic book characters? All you need is a Superman onesie ($14, Walmart), white button down shirt ($10, OshKosh), black pants ($7, H&M), necktie ($10, Etsy), and, of course, the famous Clark Kent-esque glasses ($2, Oriental Trading).
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