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.

Simple Paper Viking Helmet

My boys were so excited to hear about the new (third) season of "Dragons: Race to the Edge" on Netflix, that we decided to make a simple craft to celebrate. I love watching my boys dress up and "pretend", so I am always willing to craft a new item for their costume box. Today, I am sharing the simple instructions for this paper Viking helmet.

To make your own Viking hat, follow the steps and graphic below.

Step 1: Cut two strips of card stock and cover both strips with tin foil. Secure with tape. One strip should be long enough to wrap around the child's head, and the other strip (which will be the top of the helmet) should be shorter.

Step 2: Fit the long strip around the child's head, and tape in place.

Step 3: Use tape to attach the shorter strip to the helmet.

Step 4: Draw horns on a piece of white card stock, and tape to the sides of the helmet.

If your kids are fans of the "Dragons: Race to the Edge" series, you are going to want to check out the announcement that inspired our little craft.

I love this little DIY Viking helmet, don't you? If you make one, let me know. I always love hearing from people that have made crafts from my tutorials.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Costumes Made from Old T-Shirts

Homemade costumes are original, fun, and a lot cheaper than store-bought alternatives. Today, I am sharing a collection of DIY costumes made from old shirts (or new shirts from the dollar store). You just need a pair of scissors and a little imagination.

Superhero Cape - My boys and I love these superhero capes made from dollar store t-shirts. I cut them, and my boys decorated them with stickers. Soooo easy and cute! Find the full tutorial here.

Mad Scientist - A white t-shirt becomes a lab coat when you cut it down the middle. Check out all the elements of this fun costume here. 

Doctor - A white t-shirt can easily become a doctor's coat with a pair of scissors and a Sharpie. Check it out here.

Ninja - The secret to this t-shirt transformation is duct tape! You can find all the DIY details here. 

Clown - A white shirt becomes a perfect clown costume with the addition of colourful foam circle buttons paired with dollar store accessories. Cute, right?

Peter Pan - A green t-shirt becomes a perfect Peter Pan tunic with a few simple cuts. I absolutely love this simple costume, and you can find the step-by-step tutorial here. 

These DIY costumes are fantastic options for Halloween, but they are also wonderful (and easy) additions to dress up bins. Is there anything better than seeing a child "pretend" and use his/her imagination?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find more easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

Easy Black Ninja Costume (no sewing required)

Last year my middle son decided that he wanted to be the white ninja from LEGO Ninjago, and this year he wants to be a black ninja. In order to give him the look he desired, I used duct tape to create a simple no-sew black ninja costume.

Didn't it turn out cute?

To make the ninja shirt, I took one of my old black shirts and I added red duct tape (see below). Then, I drew a ninja star onto an old cereal box, cut it out, and covered it with grey duct tape. I used hot glue to attach the ninja star to a piece of red ribbon to create a belt.

To make the hood, I used the same method I used when my son was a white ninja.

1) I started with a plain black turtleneck. 

2) I pulled the turtleneck over my son's head until it was covering his ears and nose.

3) I pulled the back of the shirt up over his forehead.

4) I tied the arms around the back of his head.

5) I adjusted the hood until it had the desired look.

I love a simple DIY costume, and this one was really inexpensive and easy to make. My 8 year old is super-excited about his black ninja costume, and I am happy that he is so pleased with it... and that I didn't have to sew anything!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more no-sew costume ideas here.

You can find more easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

5 Minute (no-sew) Costumes

Dressing up and imaginative play are important parts of childhood. I love filling my boys' dress up bin with fun costumes, but I don't like to spend a lot of time and money doing it. Today, I am sharing two costumes you can put together in about 5 minutes, and there is no sewing required!

The key to this no-sew mad scientist costume is an oversized white t-shirt. All you need to do is cut a slit up the front of the shirt, and you have a perfect no-sew lab coat. Add some test tubes or pens to the pocket of a plaid shirt, some silly glasses or goggles, and some yellow rubber gloves and you've got a fantastic costume. Crazy hair and black socks add to the look too!

A no-sew explorer costume is one of the easiest costumes you can put together. My son already had a white golf shirt and khaki shorts, so we added a dollar store hat and a pair of binoculars. It is a simple costume that uses stuff you already have lying around the house. You can't beat that!

Seriously.... how cute are my boys? :-)

I love how simple these no-sew costumes are, don't you? They are perfect for a dress up bin or a last minute Halloween costume. Pretty fun, right?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more no-sew costume ideas here.

Olaf Hat {free printable template}

Who doesn't love an adorable snowman that sings? I know I do! So, when it came time to do alphabet crafts for the letter "O" with my Preschool class, I knew I had to come up with a fun Olaf craft. Take a peek at the adorable Olaf hats we made (below)... and download the FREE template to make them with your own kids or class.

How cute is my 5 year old in his Olaf hat?  To make your own hat:

1)  Download a pdf version of the Olaf hat I designed here and print it onto cardstock. Or... if you have trouble accessing the download:

Click on the photo below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo. (Please enjoy this free printable for your personal use... but do not sell it or republish it.)

2)  Have the child color the template.

3)  Have the child cut along the line to separate the face from the teeth and branch.  They should also cut out the branch and teeth.

4)  Add another strip of paper to the face to form a headband that fits the child.  Tape in place.

5)  Use tape to attach the branch and teeth.

That's it!  Do you have a Frozen fan that would enjoy making this Olaf hat?  I think it is a fantastic craft for Preschoolers (and older children too)!


♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You must also enjoy the crafts, activities, and freebies here.

DIY Peter Pan Costume

My oldest son decided that he wanted to be Peter Pan this year for Halloween, so today, I am sharing the tutorial for his DIY Peter Pan Costume.

Didn't it turn out cute?  I started by making a Peter Pan tunic out of a green t-shirt from the dollar store.  I used tape to mark where I wanted to cut, and then I cut zig zags from the sleeves and bottom of the shirt.  Then, I cut a slit for the collar and pinned it down.

I also cut zig zags out of the bottom of a pair of green shorts I found on the clearance rack at Walmart.  

I couldn't find green tights for under the shorts, so I bought a white pair from the dollar store, and I dyed them with food coloring and green kool aid.  I boiled them on top of the stove, stirred them around, removed them from the heat, rinsed them with cold water, and hung them to dry.

Then, I made a simple hat from green felt, and I added a red feather with hot glue.  {I hand-stitched mine, but fabric glue would work well if you want a no-sew version.}

To finish the look, I added a brown belt from the dollar store and a sword from our dress up box.

My 8 year old is very pleased with his Halloween costume, and I like that it was easy and inexpensive to make.  What do you think of our DIY Peter Pan costume?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE no-sew costume ideas here.)