Homemade Superman Halloween Costumes

There are many different ways to make a cheap and attractive Superman Halloween costume. You can fashion your Superman costume after the Superman comics, movies or animated shows. Superman costumes will work well both for men and kids. Here are some ideas for Superman costumes that are cheap and easy to make.

Classic Superman Halloween Costume Ideas

To get started on your classic Superman Halloween costume, you'll need a bright blue long sleeved Spandex or Lycra leotard and pair of tights. If you prefer, you can also use a full length blue unitard. Then find or make some bright red briefs. You can easily make a pattern for the briefs from red fabric by placing a pair of underwear over a large piece of folded paper. Trace around the underwear with the seam at the fold, then cut out the pattern. Create some red belt loops from the same fabric. Sew on two belt loops on the front of the briefs and two in back. Insert a yellow fabric belt into the belt loops.

Get two large pieces of felt, one in red and another in yellow. Cut out the Superman "S" emblem from the red felt, making sure you leave a diamond-shaped outline attached to the emblem. Cut the yellow felt into a diamond shape. Hot glue the Superman emblem to the chest of the leotard. Find a red cape or make one using a sewing pattern such as Simplicity 2499. Tuck the top of the cape inside the leotard and sew or hot glue it in place. Find some tall stiff boots and cut a notch in the front of each one. Spray paint the boots red. If you don't have dark hair, wear a wig. Style your hair or the wig with styling gel, mousse or pomade to create a clean-cut style with a slight curl on the forehead.

Superman Returns Halloween Costume Ideas

The "Superman Returns" Halloween costume includes a bright blue leotard with darker red briefs, boots and cape than the classic costume. The cape should be longer than the classic Superman costume, and the boots should be soft-sided and shorter with smaller notches in the front. Make the Superman briefs in the style of a low cut bikini brief and attach the belt loops at a slight diagonal angle. Use a yellow vinyl or PVC fabric belt and attach a yellow Superman emblem to the front. The Superman Returns emblem should be considerably smaller than the classic emblem. Make the base for the diamond-shaped Superman emblem from yellow vinyl or PVC fabric. Cut a red Superman emblem from dark red vinyl or PVC fabric, then apply it to the yellow base with hot glue. Attach the entire emblem to the chest of the leotard.

Black Suit Superman Halloween Costume Ideas

To make a black suit Superman Halloween costume, get a black long sleeved leotard and tights. Then find some craft foam and cut it into a Superman "S" emblem. Spray paint the emblem silver and attach it to the chest of the leotard. Then create some cuffs from cardboard and spray paint them silver, as well. If you like, you could also add some briefs made from silver lame fabric, a silver belt and silver boots. Typically the black Superman costume doesn't have a cape. However, if you'd like to wear a cape, it should be black as well. To make a black Superman solar suit from "Superman: Doomsday," get some strips of cardboard, paint them silver and place them on the outsides of the arms and the front of the legs of the costume.

Superman Muscle Chest Halloween Costume Ideas

You can make a homemade muscle chest for your Superman Halloween costume using thick foam from a mattress pad or pillow, a close-fitting long sleeved shirt and some spray adhesive. You'll also need to borrow a mannequin or have a friend who's your size wear the shirt while you work on the muscle chest. Use an electric knife to cut and shape the foam muscle pieces. Create two large square pieces with rounded corners to create the pectoral muscles. Then create six smaller squares with rounded corners to become the abs. Make some smaller, flatter pieces to go on the sides of the torso where the oblique muscles are. Then carve two rounded pieces to become the deltoid muscles in the shoulder, two slightly more elongated pieces to become the biceps on the inner upper arm and two even longer muscles to create the extensors on the inner lower arm. If you like, you can also create tricep muscles for the back of the upper arm and flexor muscles for the outer lower arm. If you do, make all of the arm muscles a little smaller so that the muscles don't look too exaggerated. Use the spray adhesive to attach the muscle foam pieces to the shirt.

Get a large blue leotard to put on top of the muscle chest piece. Create the rest of your costume using the instructions for the classic Superman or "Superman Returns" costume instructions above.

Child Superman Halloween Costume Ideas

The adult Superman Halloween costume ideas can easily be adapted for older children. However, use a child's pattern like Simplicity 7470 to make the cape. For babies and toddlers, use a long-sleeved blue Onesie and blue tights or warm up pants. Use a plain pair of red underwear and a yellow belt over the costume. Make a smaller Superman emblem to go on the chest of the Onesie. If you don't want to go to the expense of getting boots for your child, baby or toddler, get some red foam Superman shoe covers. Adapt a sewing pattern like Simplicity 2505 or Butterick 5656 to make the baby or toddler cape or cut down a used Superman child's cape to size. For safety, attach Velcro at the closure of the cape instead of using a tie closure.

For more superhero costume ideas, read Ideas for Batman Halloween Costumes and Accessories, Homemade Spider-man Halloween Costumes and Cheap Movie-Themed Halloween Costumes for Men.