I did it — I semi-DIYed my very first Halloween costumes and lived to tell the tale. It wasn’t nearly as hard as I expected, and believe it or not, I didn’t sew a single stitch.
Clara wanted to be Jessie, the cowgirl from Toy Story, and Burger got to be Slinky Dog, also from Toy Story. Here are the main supplies I used for Clara’s costume:
- a cowgirl hat from a local pop-up Halloween shop
- red yarn and white duct tape
- flared jeans from Old Navy
The first thing I made was a long, Jessie-style braid from red yarn. I attached the yarn braid to the hat using white duct tape. From the inside it doesn’t look perfect, but once Clara puts the hat on the messy side is hidden and she loves the result. The braid also helps the slightly-too-big hat fit her better, though it still slides a little.
I found cowgirl-style boots on sale at Old Navy that work for the costume and will also get a lot of real wear this winter. I also picked up a white button-down shirt from the boys’ section that she can wear after Halloween. To make the jeans look like Jessie’s, I cut white duct tape into cow-spot shapes and stuck them onto the denim. Everything is fully removable, so the jeans, shirt and boots can be worn normally after the holiday until she outgrows them.
For Burger’s Slinky Dog costume I used a quarter yard of brown felt, cut into a narrow strip that wraps around his belly and fastens with velcro under his ribcage. To create the slinky look, I bought two yards of silver trim from the fabric store and attached it with safety pins to the outside of the felt so nothing is against Burger’s skin. I considered stitching the trim down after pinning it, but it looked fine as-is and he tends to wriggle out of costumes quickly, so I skipped the needle and thread.
One of my favorite small touches is the gold fringe at the bottom of Clara’s flared jeans. She absolutely loves it — watching her giggle and shake her legs is priceless — and the trim only cost a dollar. I attached it with safety pins so it’s removable and the jeans can still be used as everyday clothes. She likes the fringe so much that we might remove the cow spots and leave the fringe on for a while.
I also made a simple belt for Clara using woven faux-leather trim. To fasten it I repurposed a clear plastic pin/button: I opened it and placed a piece of yellow paper with a star cut from leftover felt inside, then closed it back up. The pin has a safety-pin backing that holds the trim together like a tiny belt buckle. It was an inexpensive, kid-friendly accessory that added a lot to the look.
Clara’s favorite Jessie move so far is sliding her legs out on the floor in her boots, which cracks us up. She’s even been playfully rough with her Woody doll on occasion. Seeing her enjoy the costume so much makes the effort totally worth it.
If you’re thinking about DIY costumes this year, consider mixing a few budget-friendly store finds with crafty details you can add at home: yarn braids instead of wigs, removable duct-tape accents on existing clothes, felt wraps that fasten with velcro, and trims or fringe attached with safety pins. These ideas let kids wear the pieces beyond Halloween and keep the project simple and reversible.
Happy Halloween — I hope you all have a safe and fun holiday. I’d love to hear what your kids (or you!) are dressing up as this year — DIY ideas, thrifted finds, and clever shortcuts are all awesome.