DIY Ninja Costume

This year, for Halloween, my 7 year old son decided that he wanted to be the white ninja from LEGO Ninjago.  So... I researched what "Zane" looked like, and this is the DIY Costume I came up with.

Isn't it cute?  It cost me less than $10 to make, and I love how it turned out.  It was pretty simple to make too.  I did a tiny bit of sewing, but you could easily use fabric glue for a completely "no sew" version.

To make the shirt:

1) Start with a plain long sleeve t-shirt.  I found this one at Walmart (on clearance) for $1.  I bought a few sizes too big so that my son can wear warm clothes under it when he goes trick-or-treating.

2) Cut a "V" shape from felt and secure it to the top of the shirt with fabric glue or stitching.

3) Braid dollar store shoe laces together to create a rope, and use safety pins to secure it to the shirt.

4) Cut a belt from grey felt.

5) Draw a lion face on a piece of yellow craft foam, cut it out, and use hot glue to secure it to the rope.

6) Use a black Sharpie to draw the remaining details on the shirt.

To make the hood (which was inspired by a tutorial I found at Creative Mama on a Dime):

1)  Start with a plain white turtleneck.  I found this one (on clearance) at Walmart for $1.

2)  Pull the turtleneck over the child's head until it is covering his/her ears and nose.

3)  Pull the back of the shirt up over the child's forehead.

4)  Tie the arms around the back of the head.

5)  Adjust the hood until it has the desired look.

Simple, right?  I added a pair of women's leggings (that I found on clearance for $5) and a pair of black gloves from the dollar store.

I am so pleased with this easy and inexpensive DIY Ninja Costume, and my 7 year old loves it too.  Do you have a LEGO Ninjago fan in your house?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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

No-Sew Superhero Cape and Cuffs

This summer, my boys and I had a "Superhero Day", and as part of the fun, we made Superhero Capes and Cuffs.  With Halloween around the corner, I thought today would be a perfect day to share our no-sew Superhero Capes (made from t-shirts) and our Superhero Cuffs (made from paper towel rolls).

To make the capes:

1) Start with an inexpensive t-shirt.  (I got mine at the dollar store for $3 each.)
2) Cut the sleeves off the t-shirt.
3) Open up the t-shirt, and cut one side off... being careful to leave the neck hole intact.  (Note: If the kids are going to be using the capes without adult supervision, you should cut the neck hole and fasten with velcro... and even with the velcro, adult supervision is recommended.)
4) Let the kids decorate their capes.  My boys used foam stickers, but fabric markers/paint would be fun too.

To make the cuffs:

1) Paint paper towel rolls.
2) Cut to the length of a cuff.
3) Cut a slit in the cuff.
4) Decorate with marker or stickers.

That's it!  My boys had a great time with their DIY Superhero Capes and Cuffs.  We set up an obstacle course on the front lawn, and had a fantastic day.  Do your little ones love Superheroes as much as mine do?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Olaf Costume

My youngest son loves the movie Frozen, so I was not surprised when he announced that he wanted to be Olaf for Halloween this year.  I knew it would be difficult to come up with a DIY Olaf Costume for him to wear, but I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out.

Isn't he the cutest?

To make the "body" part of the costume, I started with an oversized turtleneck from Walmart that I got on clearance for $3.  (It's big so my little guy will be able to wear a jacket under it for trick or treating.)  Then, I made some pom poms and used hot glue to attach them to the front of the shirt. Finally, I cut the legs off a pair of old tights and pulled them over the sleeves of the turtleneck (to make arms), and I added a pair of black stretchy gloves from the dollar store.

To make the Olaf hat, I started with a plain white hat that I got at the dollar store for $2.

Then, I cut all the facial features out of felt.  You can use the template below as a guide.  Just right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print the 8X10 photo.

I stitched the eyes together, and I stitched the nose together, but if you are looking for a "no-sew" option, you can use hot glue to assemble the pieces.

Then, once the pieces were assembled, I attached everything to the hat with hot glue.

Finally, I cut a small slit in the top of the hat, pulled through a couple of pipe cleaners, and secured them in place with some hot glue.

I made this DIY Olaf Costume for less than $10, and I think it is totally adorable, don't you? 

And if you are looking for an even easier option, I designed a cute, paper Olaf hat template that you can download here.

Enjoy!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE DIY Halloween Costume Ideas here.)

No-Sew Spy Shirts

Recently, I threw a 7th birthday party for my middle son.  He chose a "spy" theme, and I thought it would be fun to have the boys wear personalized spy t-shirts.

I bought 3 plain black shirts at Old Navy for $6 each.  Then, I used dimensional fabric paint to write on each shirt.  I used their agents as their secret agent names.  Fun, right?

It's a fantastic idea for an adorable personalized spy t-shirt, and it could easily be made into a no sew spy costume for Halloween.  Add some black pants, gloves, and a ski mask, and you're good to go!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

No-Sew Doctor Lab Coat

My boys love to engage in pretend play, and recently they decided to set up a teddy bear clinic in our living room.  We needed a quick doctor lab coat costume, so I came up with this simple no-sew version.

Isn't it cute?  I started with an inexpensive (adult) white t-shirt.

Then, I used a sharpie to draw a red cross onto the t-shirt.

Finally, I used sharp fabric scissors to cut straight up the middle of the shirt.

My boys had a great time playing "doctor" with all of their stuffed animals.  Such a great way to spend an afternoon, don't you think?  Would your little ones love this "no-sew" doctor lab coat?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

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.