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3 Out-of-the-Box Halloween Costumes Made From Cardboard
Reduce, reuse and recycle your way to creative Halloween costumes your kids will love.
The air is getting cool and crisp, and that can only mean one thing: Halloween is approaching! Time to load up on candy, adorable decorations and crazy costumes. But before you go out and buy a run-of-the-mill outfit, consider crafting an adorable DIY costume out of recycled boxes you may already have at home.
Candy-Crazed Astronaut
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Begin by cutting the small flaps off of one side of a large rectangular box (A diaper box works perfectly for this). Turn the box on its end and use a medium-sized lid to trace a neck hole. Use scissors to cut the hole all the way to the edge of the box. Next, create sleeve holes by lining up a short piece of flexible aluminum duct on the side and tracing it with a pencil. Cut out the hole with a craft knife. Repeat on the opposite side. On the back of the box, hot glue the flaps closed. Set the box aside.
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Cut one side of flaps off of a smaller, square box. Use a ruler and pencil to trace a square on one side of the box and cut out using a craft knife. Hot glue the remaining flaps shut and paint both boxes pink.
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Attach the short pieces of duct to the sleeve holes with aluminum foil tape. Use a thin aluminum foil tape to keep the front flaps closed. Now, it's time to embellish. Use hot glue to add whatever decor you and your child adore. We chose to hot glue a heart, four tealight candle holder buttons and a CD candy meter complete with a spinning dial. To finish the costume off, hot glue an antenna (paper straw and pom-pom) and tuna can ears to each side of the head. Your little one is sure to love this costume to the moon and back!
Jalynn Baker
Candy Conductor
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Cut all flaps off of one side of a large rectangular box (Again, we chose a diaper box). On the other side, cut the flaps, leaving a small portion near the top of the box. Take a smaller, square box and hot glue all the flaps closed. Cut a large cylindrical oats container in half and remove the outer paper. Paint both boxes and the oats container blue and set aside to dry.
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Once dry, hot glue the square box to the front of the larger box. To create a smokestack, hot glue the cylinder to the top of the square box, making sure the open side is facing upward. On the front of the square box, hot glue an aluminum pie pan. Add stripes using red and gold tape to the smokestack and the side of the train.
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
If you wish, tape a piece of paper on the side of the train with your train’s name on it. Finish the train off by hot gluing black paper plates along the bottom for wheels. Stuff the smokestack with cotton fill and hot glue ribbons to the inside of the box for shoulder straps. Black ribbon with white stripes looks perfect as conductor suspenders.
Jalynn Baker
Super Sweet Hot Air Balloon
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Begin by folding all the flaps on a large box inward and taping inside. This will add extra support and keep the box from folding. Next, use a magic marker to draw a simple basket-weave pattern on all sides of the box. Punch holes in opposite top corners of the box, then use a craft knife to cut slits near the holes. Repeat on opposite side.
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Jalynn Baker
Fill a 36-inch balloon with helium and tie eight long pieces of string together at the balloon’s knot. Tie the string to form a cage around the balloon, as seen in the video, and secure the cage to the box by tying the strings through the punched holes. Before your kiddo takes to the skies, beautify their hot air balloon by tying pom-pom trim around the edge and adding ribbon shoulder straps in the previously cut slits.
Jalynn Baker
