Best Cheap Homemade Halloween Costumes Ever

Several years ago, I was a single mom with two young children, and not a lot of money to go around. My daughter was 10 years old and my son was three, and they both wanted to dress up for Halloween. I didn't have spare money for Halloween costumes. I decided I would find a way to make them homemade Halloween costumes from things I already had around the house, but wanted something other than a white sheet to make a ghost.

That year, I managed to make two of the best homemade Halloween costumes for both of my children, and I only spent $2.00 for supplies. In fact, I ended up making a profit. Let me describe the Halloween costumes first, and then I'll explain how I earned money from making these two homemade Halloween costumes!

Best Homemade Halloween Costume: Kitty Cat

My daughter's homemade Halloween costume was very simple, but it was the most expensive of both costumes I made for my children that year. I had to go to the dollar store and buy a pair of black tights for her, total cost: $1.50. We didn't care that dollar store tights are cheaply made, since she was only going to wear them for one night anyway.

Then I hit Goodwill and found a black fuzzy belt for all of .50 cents. Using her leotard that she wore for gymnastic that school year (it was black, but a black swim suit or body suit would work too), along with the black tights, I dressed her in black from head to toe. Then with a safety pin, I attached the fuzzy belt from Goodwill to her bottom, and presto - she was a kitty cat.

Using mama's mascara, eyeliner and lipstick, we gave her a nice reddish pink nose and painted on black whiskers, and she was the cutest little human kitty cat I'd ever seen, with her hair up in pigtails (or were they kitty cat tails?).

Best Homemade Halloween Costume: Hobo

I was a bit more creative with my son. I had no idea what to do with him for a Halloween costume, but knew that at three years old, I wasn't really wanting blood and gore or a scary Halloween costume.

We must have gone through his entire closet trying to figure out what to do for his Halloween costume before inspiration struck me.

Taking a plain white t-shirt, I took the scissors and poked a couple of small holes and then ripped them a bit. Then I took the same mascara I used on my daughter, and smudged black marks on the t-shirt to make it look 'dirty'. I used his last year's Easter suit jacket that was a bit small by Halloween, and I tore one sleeve off of it and left the edge ragged while rolling the other sleeve up to his elbow.

His jeans were a tad too small too, which was perfect, and I tore and cut a hole in the knee of one leg and smudged his pants with mascara to make them look dirty and messy. With his shoes, I let him wear two different ones, rolled the pants leg up on one side and left it down on the other, and he had mismatched socks.

With my hair gel, I smeared it in his hair to make it all messy and then added a few streaks of mascara to his blond hair to make his hair messy and dirty then I smudged his face with the mascara too.

The next part was the fun part for my daughter, because I sent her and a friend out to look for a large tree branch. I was looking for something crooked and ragged upon which I could tie the hobo knapsack, which was nothing more than one of those simple red bandanas. When the perfect stick had been found, I expertly tied the bandana to the stick at the end in such a way to create a small sack, perfect for his trick or treat candy!

For the final touches, my eyeliner once again was used to make a shadowed beard on his face, and I grabbed the pocket of his jacket and ripped it just slightly in the corner.

Perfect!

Using nothing but some of my old makeup and clothes that were all too small for my son anyway, I made the perfect cute little dirty hobo, complete with a hobo knapsack, for his Halloween costume.

Now, my apartment complex was holding a Halloween party with a costume contest. So off to the party we go, with my daughter swishing her tail behind her and meowing, and my son with his knapsack slung over his shoulder.

The Halloween costume contest begins, with a panel of five adult judges and three teen judges. They each walked in front of each Halloween costume contestant and made notes on their note cards. Then the cards are turned into the Halloween party coordinator, and they are tallied.

Final results:

Homemade Halloween Costume:Kitty Cat - took third place and a cool $25 bucks! Not bad for a $2 investment!

Homemade Halloween Costume: Hobo - took first place and an even cooler $100 bucks. I hadn't invested a single penny in this Halloween costume.

That my readers, is how two homemade Halloween costumes ended up not costing me a cent, and in fact, earned me a profit of $123 dollars! We went trick or treating after the party and then had a nice dinner out and I still pocketed a little cash.

Yes, it was a perfect Halloween for us all, with two perfect Halloween costumes. The neat thing about the hobo Halloween costume is that it isn't just for kids! Adults can use this one too, and even throw in a cheap harmonica for a train jumping hobo!

Happy Halloween!