DIY Minion Costume... made using dollar store supplies

I love a good homemade costume, don't you? I especially love that the finished creations are unique and budget friendly. So, when my 10 year old said he wanted a minion costume that "looked like a mascot", I headed to the dollar store, and I got to work on my DIY Minion Costume (made from dollar store supplies).

I started with a dome-shaped candy bowl, and I used Mod Podge to attach yellow napkins. (Hint: I found the napkins thin and hard to work with, so I recommend using strips of yellow paper instead.)

Then, I cut a mouth out of a round laundry basket, covered it with yellow dish cloths (secured in place with duct tape), and attached a pop up hamper (with twine).

I cut two holes in the sides of a pop up hamper, and covered it in yellow dishcloths. Then, I used black duct tape, mason jar lids, and eyeballs printed on cardstock to make the Minion eyes.

Then, I used hot glue to attach pipe cleaner "hair" and duct tape to attached paper teeth.

Finally, I covered an old apron in blue duct tape to make the overalls. Cute, right?

My son was super-impressed with his costume, and I thought he looked super-cute. There really is nothing better than a DIY Halloween costume.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

         Find MORE ideas for easy and inexpensive Halloween fun here.

How to Save Money on Halloween Costumes

Kids love dressing up, and they often have very specific ideas of what they want to wear for Halloween. Over the years, I have loved helping my kids fulfill their visions, but I have never wanted to break the bank on something they are only going to wear once. Today, I am sharing my best tips for saving money on Halloween costumes.

1) Get crafty - Making costumes yourself is awesome because it saves money AND you end up with unique creations. The best thing is... you do NOT need to be super crafty. I have OVER 20 ideas (that require NO sewing) on my blog here. (e.g. I made this Ninja costume using black shirts and red duct tape!)

2) Buy second hand - Search "buy and sell" sites, ask friends, and visit second hand stores. There are a lot of fantastic deals to be had!

3) Shop at the Dollar Store - The dollar store has tons of masks, wigs, accessories, etc... It's a fantastic (and inexpensive) place to get inspiration and purchase what you need to pull together a wonderful costume on a budget.

4) Use what you have - Sometime you don't need to spend ANY money on a costume. With a little imagination, you can create a costume using what you already have in your home. For example, my son used a t-shirt he had to create this simple Clark Kent costume. We grabbed glasses, a dress shirt, and a tie from his closet, and we were good to go! You can also recycle old t shirts into costumes. You can find "use what you have" inspiration here.

5) Take advantage of "after Halloween" discount - If you really plan ahead, you can stock up on "after Halloween" clearance items and save them for the next year. 

How do you save money on Halloween costumes? Have your kids picked their outfits yet? I love these ideas for saving money on Halloween costumes, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

Halloween 2018

Just a quick update to let you know how our Halloween went down this year. As always, there was a mad dash between school, hockey practice, and getting ready to trick-or-treat... but we managed to get everything done. Pumpkins were carved, and three boys left our house happily with the three costumes they designed and I put together.  Check out their DIY costumes below.

This year, my oldest son went as Clark Kent (aka Superman). We bought an $8 t-shirt from Walmart, and added a shirt, tie, and glasses. Everything was secured with safety pins... and voila... a super hero in disguise.

My middle son went as Chewbacca. We already had the mask, so he added brown pants, a brown sweater, brown fuzzy mitts, and a duct tape bandolier. It was the perfect costume for this Star Wars fan.

My youngest son decided to be a "fancy waiter zombie". I'm not entirely sure this is a real thing, but he seemed to have a very clear idea of what he wanted: a fancy outfit, white make-up, and a body part on a tray. He was happy with how it turned out, and I think he looked great... so we'll call it a success.

Kids are dressed, pumpkins are carved, and everyone is out collecting candy. It doesn't get much better than that.

I can't wait for the kids to get home and tell me all about their adventures... and I won't mind if they share a bit of their candy with me too. Happy Halloween everyone!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

7 Netflix Inspired Halloween Costumes

Deciding on a Halloween costume is a big decision for a kid, but fulfilling a child's wishes doesn't have to be an expensive or difficult task for a parent. Today I am sharing some simple DIY Halloween costumes ideas inspired by Netflix. I'm also including delightfully frightful titles to add to your Halloween watch list. 

Check out these adorable DIY Halloween costume ideas, and click on the links for more info:

1) LEGO Ninjago inspired costumes - I based this no-sew ninja costume on "Zane" the white ninja from LEGO Ninjago. It cost less than $10 to make, and it was a huge hit with my 7 year old. You can find the full tutorial here.

And, if you prefer a black ninja, you can find a fantastic step-by-step tutorial here.

2) Walt Disney Short Films Collection inspired costume - Who doesn't love the characters from Frozen? A couple of years ago, I made this adorable "no sew" Olaf costume for my five year old, and I loved how it turned out. If you have a Frozen fan in your house, you can find the full tutorial and free templates here.

3) Pirates of the Caribbean inspired costumes - Dressing up as a pirate is simple and fun, and it's perfect for kids that ARRRRR on the hunt for adventure. Click on this link to see how my boys and I recycled old clothes and transformed them into simple pirate costumes. 

I have another pirate costume tutorial (including a template for a cardboard sword) here. 

4) How to Train Your Dragon inspired viking helmet - If your kids are a fan of the movie or the Netflix series, they will love this DIY viking helmet. It's made from paper, tinfoil, and tape, and you can find the full tutorial here.

5) Pee Wee's Big Adventure inspired costume - Seriously... you need to check out this adorable Pee Wee Herman costume here.

6) Care Bears inspired costume - I don't think I could get my boys to dress up as a Care Bear, but if they were younger, I will totally opt for this adorable costume. You can check out the Care Bear cuteness here.

7) King Julien inspired costume - I love how simple and original this costume is. You should totally check out the tutorial for this DIY King Julien costume here.

Once you have settled on a costume, kick back and watch a spooky flick on Netflix. Halloween may only be one day of the year, but with the ultimate guide to streams and screams, there’s enough spooky titles and inspiration to get you in the Halloween spirit all month long. Check out this fantastic stream and scream guide.

What are you planning for Halloween this year? I hope this guide to costumes and scary movies makes your Halloween a little more Spooktacular. Happy Halloween!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I receive special gifts and perks as part of my affiliation with Netflix.... however (as always) the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

20+ Awesome No-Sew Costumes for Kids

For those moms out there who don't sew, this is the perfect collection for you. These "no-sew" costumes are not only great for Halloween -- they are excellent for playing dress-up any time of the year. I also have several options suitable for older kids! Number 26 is my favourite, but let me know what you think.

Click on the links below for all the easy DIY (no-sew) details:

1)  Zombie Waiter - This is a simple idea if you want a costume that is a little spooky. Splatter fake blood on an old white dress shirt, put on a suit, glue a fake arm to a dollar store tray, and add some zombie make-up. That's it! 

2) DIY LEGO costume (from a box) - Such a simple and cute idea from Semi-urban Mom.  {Here's the link.} 

3)  DIY Ninja - I based this no-sew ninja costume on "Zane" the white ninja from LEGO Ninjago.  It cost less than $10 to make, and it was a huge hit with my 7 year old.  {You can find the full tutorial here.}

And, if you prefer a black ninja, you can find a fantastic step-by-step tutorial here.

4)  No-sew angel wings - I don't think I could convince my boys to wear these, but I think Creative Connections for Kids did a beautiful job on these no-sew angel wings.  {Here's the link.} 

5)  Doctor - Recently, boys decided to set up a teddy bear clinic in our living room, and I made this quick doctor lab coat from an adult t-shirt.  It took less than 5 minutes!  {Here's the link.}

6)  Soldier - My boys love pretending to be soldiers, and I think they would love this adorable version from Frugal Fun for Boys.  Aren't the moustaches too cute? {Here's the link.}

7)  Olaf - I made this adorable "no sew" Olaf costume for my five year old, and I am so please with how it turned out.  If you have a Frozen fan in your house, you can find the full tutorial and free templates here. 

8)  Pirate costumes (from old clothes) - My boys and I recycled old clothes and transformed them into perfect pirate costumes.  {Here's the link.}

9)  Norman the slug - How original is this costume from Zing Zing Tree?  I love it!  {Here's the link.}

10)  Skeleton (using paper and tape) - This skeleton by Red Ted Art is the perfect last minute Halloween costume.  I love how easy it is to put together.  {Here's the link.} 

11)  Jake (from Jake and the Neverland Pirates) - Here's a cute costume I put together for my oldest son.  I have included a full step-by-step tutorial and a template for the cardboard sword.  {Here's the link.} 

12)  Peter Pan - Peter Pan is a great character, and this costume is super cute and easy to put together.  {Here's the link.} 

13)  Witch (with a DIY tutu) - What is cuter than a witch in a tutu?  I just love this purple, green and black costume from Red Ted Art.  {Here's the link.}

14) Mickey Mouse - This adorable Mickey Mouse costume from The Chirping Mom is too cute for words.  I love the great big ears.  {Here's the link.} 

15)  Minnie Mouse - This Minnie Mouse costume by School Time Snippets is a great choice for a toddler or preschooler.  I love the polkadot tutu and the yellow shoes.  {Here's the link.}  

16)  Detective - This DIY detective costume by Toddler Approved is really original and totally cute.  {Here's the link.} 

17)  Captain America - This Captain American shield by Toddler Approved is the perfect accessory for a little super hero in training. {Here's the link.}

18)  Super Hero masks - I made these foam super hero masks for my boys in a bunch of different colors.  They are super fun, and you'll love how easy and inexpensive they are to make.  {Here's the link.} 

19)  Super Hero capes - I made a bunch of these capes for my boys' super hero birthday party a couple of years ago, and my boys still play with them all the time.  They are made from felt which makes them really easy and inexpensive to make.  {Here's the link.}

Here is another version.  Click the link for a full tutorial for t-shirt capes and toilet roll cuffs.

20)  Army men - My boys are big fans of their bucket of soldiers (from Toy Story), so I know they would love these army men costumes by Frugal Fun for Boys.  I love the platforms for their feet... so cute!  {Here's the link.}  

21) Explorer - Is your little one always up for an adventure? It doesn't get much easier than this simple explorer costume. {Here's the link.}

22) Mad Scientist - The secret to these adorable mad scientist costumes are the easy no-sew lab coats. Find out what we used to put together these mad scientist costumes here.

23) Clark Kent aka Superman - It doesn't get much easier than this. I bought a $7 Superman shirt from Walmart, added a white shirt and tie (that I already had), secured things in place with safety pins, and added some glasses. The result is fantastic... don't you think?

24) Diary of a Wimpy Kid - To make this simple literary favourite, you just need black and white clothes and a bristol board mask. Easy peasy!

25) Secret agent - This is the perfect costume for kids that already have a suit hanging in their closet. Just add a dollar store hat, sunglasses, and mustache. I also used my computer to make a "secret agent" nametag and my son carried a toy briefcase we already had. So easy... and super cute!

26) Minion - This minion costume is made from a dollar store bowl and laundry basket. It's adorable... and totally genious! Find the full "how to" here.

27) Robber - Pop on a striped shirt, a black hat, mask, gloves and black pants. Then, just add a money bag! Easy... peasy!

Which of these 27 costumes is your favorite? Have you ever made a great no-sew costume for your little one? I'd love to hear about it!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)


PS (For more great ideas... you can check out my "no sew" costume Pinterest board here.)

You can also find more frightfully fun Halloween ideas here.