How to Light Up a Halloween Costume

Halloween trick and treating usually takes place after the sun goes down. Once skies turn dark, costumed ghosts, goblins and monsters begin to appear. Sidewalks and neighborhoods suddenly become alive with eerie figures and sounds. Darkness adds to the mystery and fun of Halloween, but it also cloaks dangerous encounters with moving cars and trucks on streets and highways.

Kids wearing Halloween costumes need to be safe while they're having fun. Many things are lighted, not just for safety but to add to and complete the desired effect. Lighting up angel and butterfly wings, princess and witch costume makes for great costume effects and keeps it visible. Light up costumes are festive and liven up a night of trick or treating.

Adding lights to Halloween costumes is not difficult, but some steps need to be taken to get the best effect.

Materials to gather to prepare to light up a costume:

Purchase a costume that is constructed from fleece or other non-fraying material.

Battery powered LED lights and batteries (test the string before you begin).

Sewing needle and thread

Eyelet cutting (punching) tool.

Sticky back hook and loop tape.

Paint to color the wires (if the wires are visible through the costume).

NOTE: Stores begin displaying Christmas items before Halloween, so battery powered lights should be easy to find.

Light Placement:

Before you begin to attach the lights to the costume, take time to carefully plan where the lights would look best. Turn the costume inside out and lay out the lights to determine where the lights will be on the costume. Tack the wires in place with safety pins or straight pins. Be sure to NEVER pierce the wires of the light string with a sewing needle!

Mark the Light Holes:

Lightly trace where the string of lights will be on the fabric with a pencil.

Sew eyelets where the light bulbs will be placed. Then, use the eyelet fabric cutting tool (punch) to make holes in the fabric for the lights. (You will need to do mark, sew eyelets, and cut a small slit in the middle of eyelets for all of the light marks.)

Sew Wires Place:

Thread a hand-sewing needle, and whip stitch the wires to the costume with basting stitches. Keep the stitches as small as possible because (depending on the fabric) they may be visible on the right side of the costume fabric. Tack the wires on both sides of the fabric to keep the lights in the hole and in place.

Attach the Battery Pack:

Insert batteries into the battery pack.

Find an inconspicuous area on the inside of the costume. Apply sticky backed hook and look tape to the back of the battery pack and attach it to the costume.

Turn on the lights and enjoy a fun Halloween night of trick or treating!