No tricks! 6 easy, DIY kids’ Halloween costumes

Come trick-or-treating time, there seems to be no middle ground between a prepackaged drugstore costume and a full-blown McCall’s pattern costume made by Grandma. In fact, there is. “Cookie” magazine lists great kids’ costumes that can be pulled together from items found in your dresser, broom closet, garage, or even junk drawer. Some mixing and matching can provide all you need to pull together a dashing disguise. The benefits: They’re inexpensive, creative and fun!

Cat burglar
This retro, “To Catch a Thief” -look is easily attained by pairing a black top and leggings with a simple black mask and loads of costume baubles or jewelry made from tinfoil. A black bag with more fake jewelry spilling out adds to the mischievous look, and black gloves will hide her fingerprints. The black flats allow her to tiptoe silently and give her a chic French feeling.

Cheerleader
Use colored electrical tape to make a team uniform out of a plain pink T-shirt, pleated skirt and sneakers. You could also use Elmer’s Glue to cover a pair of old shoes with glitter — and don’t forget the ankle socks and tons of hair ribbons! Unused mop heads make for excellent pom-poms, and so do bunches of yarn or tissue-paper strips.

Football player
Most every child has a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. With some cotton from your medicine cabinet and old stockings, create shoulder padding by safety-pinning the “pads” to the inside of the shirt. Stuff knee-high stockings with batting and tuck them into tube socks to create the illusion of football pants. Use electrical tape to add a number and name to the shirt and to transform a bike helmet into a football helmet. Round it all off with sneakers and a football.

Cotton candy
Turn your toddler into a sweet treat by dressing him in a light blue shirt and pants. Spray-paint cotton batting with water-based paint and hot-glue it to the onesie. Even use double-stick tape to add the batting to their stroller. Mom or Dad can even don a clown nose or wig made from shredded paper to add to the carnival appeal.

TODAY's Howling Halloween Pet photos: Funny shots of viewers' pets in costume Costumes gallery: Photos of your disguises

Conductor
Most every boy has a suit in his closet that he has worn to a family function. Add a black hat with gold trim from a craft store, a mustache made from construction paper, a pocket watch, a whistle to rally the passengers and a notepad (his tickets). He might also want to carry the engine to his train set to drive the point home.

Zookeeper
Outfit your child in khaki from head to toe and top with a plastic pith helmet (available online at Amazon or eBay for under $2). Then let him go nuts with his favorite stuffed animals — on his hat, around his neck, coming out of his pockets. Also give him a butterfly net with Swedish Fish or fake flower petals to represent butterflies.

Want more great ideas? Go to “Cookie” magazine online for some Halloween costume tips and tricks found in the October/November issue of “Cookie” magazine.

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