Last Minute Costumes for Kids

Halloween is seconds away. For us, the party starts Thursday at daycare. I had all these awesomely unique ideas of what Jack would dress as. Originally thinking Evil Knievel because “daredevil” is my two-year-old’s favorite nickname.  I also thought I would go as a pregnant nun, my husband as a minister <gasp> and Jack as the devil. But true to form, I waited until last week to start looking for the tiny costume. And apparently Halloween is no longer in stores, it’s now Christmas time.

With a full-force pregnant brain, I panicked. Briskly browsed every store. Lunch breaks. Late nights. Sunday evening. Then my Mom called.

“It’s too bad you can’t use that tuxedo he wore for the wedding,” she casually said. (See photos of Jack in the tux here).

Um. Never thought of what Jack has in the closet. Since he’s known to daycare as the “Ladies Man,” why not dress him as one? Tuxedo. Flowers. Box of chocolates. Lipstick kiss.  Adorable right?

Here’s a few other last-minute children’s costumes I discovered (and what Jack’s wearing to trick-or-treat):

Handy Man

Jack’s Halloween night costume. He already has a pair of Carhartt overalls, so we purchased a Home Depot cloth work belt (less than $1) and placed his plastic Black & Decker tools in it. He loved it already. Finishing it with a bandana in the back pocket and sweatshirt underneath the overalls. Wa-la.

Farmer

What kid doesn’t have a pair of overalls? Pair it with a plaid shirt, straw hat, bandana and work boots and you’ve got a mini-farmer. Pick up a tin pail at the local store to be used as the candy-holder. When out Halloween night, fill the wagon with straw and stuffed barn animals.

Homemade Skeleton (Family Fun)

Family Fun has a pretty easy cut-out to be placed on a black outfit. First purchase black sweatpants, shirt and black gloves (if desired). Should be easy to find at Meijer, Target or similar. Then, visit Family Fun for the creation process and images.

Football Player

Since Jack also owns a Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson jersey, we considered dressing him as a football player. Authentic to our favorite team. Add gray sweatpants – preferably white-stripped, - two black lines under the eyes and a football. Go a step further and purchase a helmet from the local sporting store.

80’s Rocker

Search the Internet for your favorite 80’s band then print onto a sheet of iron-on printer paper. Then, iron the image onto the front of a plain T-shirt. For girls, add a tutu, sideways ponytail, pink shoes, abundance of chunky bracelets and white sunglasses. For boys, add skinny jeans, dark cords or preferably stone-washed jeans. Electrify hair with hairspray and for a special touch add a blow up or toy guitar.

Snowball

Cutest ever. Parenting.com featured this last-minute costume. All you need is an over-sized light blue sweatshirt, white felt, Styrofoam balls, Velcro and small other supplies to create the snowball. Check out how to create the tiny snowball at parenting.com.

In the future, I hope to have a “Jack” theme. Jack and Jill. Jack-o-Lantern. Jack Frost. Jack-in-a-Box. Jack and the Beanstalk. I could go on and on.