Time-Saving Creative Halloween Costumes for Trick-Or-Treating

Gone are the days when moms spent time thinking about and gathering materials for their child's Halloween costume. Not that today's moms are slackers or anything. It's just, well, who has the time? Between juggling work, extra-curricular activities and dinner, making glitter balls for antennae tends to take a backseat. Even so, there are ways to bedeck your child in something original enough to stand out from the sea of trick-or-treaters with a minimal investment of both assembly and shopping time.

Your first ally in this endeavor is the cardboard box. Close it up, put one hole in the top and two on the sides and your child is on the way to becoming a product. Either paint the box directly or glue sections of painted posterboard to the box and you child is on his way to being a box of macaroni and cheese, a cell phone or even Spongesquare-what's-his-name pants. Any box-shaped item or character could be created-just make sure your child likes it. Additional accessories could include tights for the legs, and maybe a baseball cap.

If you prefer a more well-rounded goblin, one of those free-standing laundry hampers that are made of thin material or canvas (better because it's paintable) with wire hoops in them should do the trick. Add some arm holes and Lil' Johnny could be a sports drink, a can of beans or a coffee cup. Anything cylindrical-you get the idea.

Face makeup can play a bigger part in the costume than most people realize. I have seen a costume where the person was dressed in green with a light green scarf and had the face painted like a flower. The face painting should be pretty elaborate, however, if it is to be the main focus of the outfit. Since a toddler probably won't hold still long enough for you to create an artistic masterpiece, this is better suited for older kids.

Some other common items could become a costume when put together. For example a lab coat, a stuffed dog, a clipboard and a leash make a rather nice veterinarian. Start by asking your child what they want to be when they grow up and go from there. Usually this will yield an original costume that is acceptable to the child.

While your creative juices are flowing, don't lose sight of the fact that your child should love the costume as well. After all he/she will be the one wearing it. While a box of Cheerios may seem like a clever costume to you, your child may have a different opinion. Store bought costumes offer an array of characters that are popular because they are cool. It would be a good idea to keep this in mind and consult with your child before costume construction begins.

If you are still looking for some ideas, ask your mom or grandmother. After all there weren't ready made costumes available in the old days and I'm sure they have seen some good ones in their day. They may even have some vintage materials they would be willing to donate to the project. Even better, they might even come over and help design/assemble the costume saving you even more time.

If you can make do with materials already lying around the house and a little creativity you can both save time and be sure your child's costume will be unique and not just another cookie-cutter Superman/ Transformer/Ninja Turtle clone. Imagine the time saved not having to go to the Superstore, fight the crowds and wait while he/she selects and tries on the costume. Even busy moms today can make something unique with everyday items and possibly a little help from seasoned costume makers. Happy trick-or-treating!