DIY Halloween costumes your kids can use again (and again)

I loved Jessica's post about how much we're spending on Halloween costumes this year, and reading what Shine users are doing for their kids this Halloween. I'm a big fan of DIY costumes, and was slightly sad when my oldest son told me he wanted to be Darth Vader. He'd been talking this up for weeks. But in a surprising turn of events (heh), now he wants to be a skeleton. And he's super excited about making his costume this weekend. (So am I!)

The main reason I dig DIY costumes is that they are usually comprised of things your kids can reuse, either to play dress up or by removing the embellishments so the costume becomes regular clothes. I also like it when I can use everyday items from around the house. The added bonus? DIY costumes can be done on the cheap and with minimal effort.

With reusable DIY Halloween costumes, you can't go wrong with a few basics: fleece clothes and capes/cloaks. Fleece sweatshirts and pants can be used as the foundation for just about any costume. You just have to dress them up with some simple embellishments and attitude. (Side note: My kid's skeleton costume uses a turtleneck, sweats and black gloves.)

Some favorites:

Fleece pants and sweatshirts: With a pair of sweats, a crewneck sweatshirt (or a turtleneck), and just a few embellishments, kids can dress up as cats, dogs, pigs, monkeys, mice, dragons and just about another animal-related character. Here's how:

• Go to your local Target, Wal-Mart or craft store and the ears/tail that correspond to the animal your kid wants to be.
• If your kids don't have them, buy sweats and a matching fleece sweater in the color of the animal. (You can get a complete Hanes set about US$12.) Turn the sweats inside out so that the soft part is showing (and more animal like). For a dog or cow, consider buying white felt, cutting out circles, and ironing the patches onto the sweats using fusible webbing. Even easier, you can use white contact paper instead of felt and webbing. For a dinosaur, you can cut triangles out of heavy cardstock to make a spine and attach them to the sweatshirt with double-sided fabric tape.
• Use black/brown eyeliner to draw whiskers and a nose on your kid's face, or face paint for other animals.
• Cover hands with colored socks to match the sweats.
• After Halloween, you can peel the patches/embellishments off the sweats and voila, a new set of comfy winter wear.

I also found more great ideas for fleece animals over at Fleece Farm. You can adapt each of these to your budget and your desire to get crafty.

Capes/Cloaks/Ponchos: Add a colored cape or cloak to any fleece outfit and you've got yourself a super hero. Why not Captain Underpants? Okay, hear me out. Kids love reading about the wacky adventures of the infamous Captain Underpants. And this costume is a serious no-brainer for young boys. They can wear their jammies or fleece sweats with a pair of big white briefs over the bottoms.  If you have a red bed sheet or tablecloth, fold it in half and let your kid use it as a cape. They can secure it just like Captain Underpants -- with a simple knot. If you need to buy one, you can find them at Target or any store that sells Halloween costumes and online for under $US10. And I guarantee your kid will use that cape again.

Other options:

• Superman: Red cape, blue sweats and socks.
• Darth Vader: Black cape, black sweats and a black turtle neck. Buy a plastic light saber or make one out of newspaper. And you can pick up an inexpensive mask at just about any store that sells Halloween costumes.
• Bat Girl: Blue cape, gray sweats/tights and great turtleneck. You can make a simple mask out of black felt. And a pair of rain boots could add a fun touch.
• Super Girl: Any mix of colored capes, sweats/tights and turtlenecks along with glittery shoes and fun ribbons in their hair and bracelets, a la Wonder Woman. Let your daughter decide what her super power will be!

On a previous post, a Shine user mentioned some cool superhero pajamas that come with a removable cape. The bottoms are long and warm, so easily wearable on Halloween night. Both of my boys love these and we found them at Target for under $US15. And they can be used all year.

What are some of your favorite DIY costumes that you've made for your kids? Comment with your stories or post your ideas/instructions and I'll do a round up!