How do you save money on a kid's Halloween costume?

United States
October 9, 2008 6:41pm CST
I'm looking for some ways to save money on Halloween costumes. I have a couple ideas. Make a homemade costume. I think you can buy costumes after Halloween for use next year. That might save you some money next year. Of course, you'd have to buy a size bigger and just hope the child wanted to wear it next year. Target.com online has some cute girl costumes for less than $20. Mostly fairy costumes and Cinderella dress up. They're more play costumes than Halloween. So their use might extend beyond Halloween. Do you have any other ideas for saving money on a child's costume for Halloween?
1 person likes this
9 responses
• United States
9 Oct 08
If I had kids they would all be going as ghosts with no eyes... (bedsheets)
2 people like this
• United States
9 Oct 08
Wouldn't they bump into things like cars in the street?
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Oct 08
Not if I carried them.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
9 Oct 08
My son's costume this year is mostly things he can use after Halloween. His pants can be worn to school and the shirt I might be able to get the tape back off so, he can wear it too. My daughters costume only cost me a few dollars of things she cannot use after Halloween. Sometimes you can get costumes for really cheap after Halloween, but you never know what the kids are going to be into the following year.
2 people like this
• United States
10 Oct 08
That's true! Kids taste change so quickly! This year my daughter is into Dora, next year it might be the Bratz. Not looking forward to that. Though, I love their clothes. Wish I'd been so fashionable when I was a teen.
1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
10 Oct 08
I seen some cute ones at Family Dollar for $6. I am sure you will have to buy early to get one though.
• United States
10 Oct 08
Thanks! I keep forgetting about them, but they're a real money saver for shopping.
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
10 Oct 08
You are right, you can buy halloween costumes after halloween for practically nothing. I have done this in the past and it worked out really well. You can also just put something together from what you have at home. I remember wearing my moms robe, slippers and having my hair put in curlers and going out trick or treating as a kid. It is also easy to make a hobo costume, just mismatch clothes and put some black marks on your face. The Salvation Army is also a good place to go and find some costumes and also the dollar store to pick up accessories.
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Oct 08
How about going to Goodwill I was in there today and they had a whole bunch of new looking costumes for pennies on the dollar you might try there.
• United States
10 Oct 08
Call all the GoodWill, Salvation Army and other thrift shops in your area. They are listed in the phone book. Ask if they have any costumes. If they do, go check them out. We see great ones here locally. Plus - look at some weird clothes that are sold. Tuxedo jackets, weird boots, hats, purses, etc. You can make some fun costumes with them. You can cut stencils out of kraft paper and lay over a plain t-shirt. Just spray with regular canned spray paint. Tell your kiddo how you are going to do this and let them draw up their own ideas. "WORLD X-BOX CHAMP" Big cat face, etc. Fun, cheap and your kid will use their brain.
• United States
10 Oct 08
I love home craft projects. Those are awesome ideas.
• Canada
10 Oct 08
When I was a kid we always made our costumes from things that were already in the house. We never bought a costume, in our lives!! We dind't rent them either.
@di1159 (1580)
• United States
10 Oct 08
Both of those ideas are good, part of the fun is making your costume out of things you find around the house. Several years ago, the neighborhood kids made their own costumes out of things from everyone's house. My son was an I-pod, another was a cell-phone, one a computer...etc. The technology gang was a hit. You can also visit your local thrift store and pick up clothes and costumes very cheap. Whatever you do, just have fun and be creative. It's a great way to get your kids to show their artistic talent.
@taface412 (3175)
• United States
10 Oct 08
If I had kids I would either get material for them to make one....and I have made costumes from material before...it's not too hard and you do not need a sewing machine (but it would be faster)....or you can take them to thrift stores so they can pick out their own costume out of the clothes.... Too me costumes are always better with creativity....plus think about how much you spend on the chinzy little costume in the package.... I've made a Pebbles costume out of really soft fuzzy leapord material....inclusing with a papier mache bone, I've made a devil costume out of sequined material I bought out of Walmarts discount bin in materials....all I had to buy was the horns and tail.....Plus I've made numerous other costumes from clothing I bought and altered in different ways. In other words you can take that $20 dollars and strecth it to even more accesories for the costume.... I know not everyone is crafty, but you can learn to be. My mother and my aunt were the ones I got this from. My fav costume my aunt made form scratch was a robinhood costume she dressed up when I was a kid. It was awesome.... Happy Halloween. Yeah.