From a DJ booth for the big kids to butterfly wings for the littles, you can use your old cardboard boxes to create these unique Halloween costumes
It’s that time of year! The weather has that autumn chill, everything is pumpkin-flavored (just look at TJ’s latest pumpkin offerings!), and the kids are buzzing with family costume ideas. Instead of breaking your budget on a store-bought costume, why not reuse those Amazon boxes you have stashed away? They’re called “boxtumes,” and with just a little crafty inspiration and your child’s imagination, you can create any number of cardboard box costumes that will make for a happy Halloween. Looking for some more DIY inspiration? Check out these Halloween crafts for kids, super-cool pumpkin carving stencils (your neighbors will flip!), and haunted Halloween decorations.
Minecraft Creeper Heads Box Costumes
Your little builders will love painting these Minecraft heads for their Halloween costumes this year. What’s especially nice is that you’ll need a reasonably-sized box, not a huge one you’ll have to find.
Rockstar & a Mixed Tape Box Costume
We love this sibling costume idea—a mixed tape and a guitar made out of boxes. Bonus: Your kids can wear comfy clothes for the rest of the costume, which means you’ll win Halloween.
Zoltar
Get ready to read some fortunes with this Zoltar costume you can create using a cardboard box. Suspenders help to hold it up and you’ll want to add some accessories like a genie lamp and colorful magic ball to channel the sorcery of it all.
Related: 34 Incredible Homemade Halloween Costumes for Kids
Paper Doll Costume
We love this creative option that would be super easy to cut out and decorate this Halloween! Find instructions for this box costume here.
UFO & Alien Cardboard Box Costume
Get yourself some foil and craft a UFO out of those cardboard boxes for an out-of-this-world costume!
Related: 27 Family Halloween Costume Ideas to Copy This Year
Thomas the Train
Your preschooler can’t stop going on and on about his favorite little blue engine. He’s totally into Thomas the Train and is begging (like every 30 seconds) for a costume that features his fave. Well, here’s where this costume from Sugar Bee Crafts comes in. It’s artsy, fun, and something you can DIY at home.
Airplane Box Costume
You’ve seen Disney’s Planes something like a trillion times. And now your child wants to play one of the roles. For Halloween, that is. Don’t worry about finding a ready-made L’il Dipper costume at the mall (or online). Check out this cardboard box version from Desert Chica.
Related: 23 Last-Minute Costumes You Can Totally Pull Off