5 Tips for Last Minute Halloween Costumes

This weekend is Halloween. My kids picked their costumes super early this year… but in years past, I have found myself in a bit of a pinch as they couldn’t quite decide what to wear.

Here are 5 tips for creating EASY Halloween costumes:

1. Look in your closets first! For Luke this year, he wanted to be a professional golfer… which is so easy considering he wears golf gear every single day. Eden wanted to be a butterfly, so I only had to purchase a black tutu and some wings… everything else for their costumes was found in their own closets.
2. Consider the weather: If you’ve waited until this week to figure out your kids costumes, one of the perks of waiting until the last minute is having the chance to view the upcoming forecast for trick or treat night. Kids don’t want to layer up on top of their cool costumes, so knowing if you have rain, snow or 80 degree temps in your future can possibly change the course for your kids’ costumes.
3. DYI FTW: A couple years ago, I really wanted all 4 of my kids to trick or treat as a theme, so we chose the cast of Scooby Doo. Standing alone they didn’t really look they were wearing costumes, but together…with the help of some old Amazon boxes and paint… I transformed their wagon into a “Mystery Machine” — plus, they had fun helping me decorate it!
4. Repurpose old props: This is the first year Adam is not going to be a shark, but that doesn’t mean we can’t repurpose old costumes and props. I’ve been able to use aspects of old costumes almost every year. If your kids are like mine, their interests don’t change a lot throughout the year. Luke always wants to be an athlete of some sort, Adam always wants to be an animal and my daughter Eden always wants to be a princess, fairy or witch. Princess crowns and fairy wings can be repurposed for years to come. Plus! My kids enjoy playing dress-up in their costumes throughout the year.
5. Start Early (next year): I realize this tip is a bit counterintuitive as I’m sharing this post a few days before Halloween, but I usually try to start brainstorming with the kids in early September. I ask them once what they want to be for Halloween to avoid changing their minds last minute. By starting early, you can look through your closets, dress-up pin and then Amazon the items you need. If you have to improvise due to a very stubborn kid or a sudden snowstorm, take those obstacles into consideration during your planning process. Will this costume still make sense with an extra layer of warmth? If my child decides to be a butterfly instead of a fairy, can we improvise?

I hope these tips were helpful.

I look forward to seeing all of your costumes this year!