By Jackie Daley and Lauren Marie Miller, Kidstock! Educational Artists
It’s October and the countdown to Halloween is on! Do you and your family have your costumes ready? For anyone looking for some original DIY costume ideas, our team gathered up some ideas inspired by stories and theater. Scroll down for our top picks!
Storybook Family Costumes
“Take your child’s favorite storybook, have everyone be a character. For instance, your family could dress together as Strega Nona characters – Strega Nona, Big Anthony, Bambalona, and for sure one family member would need to be the pasta pot! The pot can overflow with yarn or felt pasta.” -Jackie
Upcycled Animal Costumes
“You can elevate any basic animal costume into something extra theatrical and special! Turn a cat costume into a specific cat from one of my favorite musicals, CATS. Add a top hat and a wand and now you’re Magical Mr. Mistoffeles. Throw on a conductor’s hat and some suspenders and you’ve become Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat. If you have a friend or sibling and some costume jewelry, you could become the thieving Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.
A basic dog costume can become a famous dog with a few accessories, like a collar that says “Toto” or “Sandy” to become the dogs from The Wizard of Oz or Annie.” -Lauren
Costumes for Book Lovers
“We find inspiration in books all the time, even from the title! For example, with fabric, string, and some simple base clothing you can make a web costume and be the web from Charlotte’s Web. You could add the words into the web from the original story or even put in your own words or messages! Or maybe your family loves the series The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe so one person can dress up as a Lion, another as a Witch, and a third as a Wardrobe!” -Jackie
Mashup Costumes
“A classic Kidstock! costume combines two of our favorite characters or stories into one, like a Pirate Princess, Spider-Cat, or Doctor Zombie. Combine elements from past costumes to create an original character for a fresh new take on Halloween!” -Lauren
Did one of these ideas help inspire you? Take a photo of your costume and send it to us! We’d love to see it and share.
About the Authors
Jackie Daley, Education Director at Kidstock! Creative Theater
Jackie Daley has been part of our management team and a Kidstock! educator and performer since 2017. She delights in directing, teaching, creating shows, and developing curriculum that fosters confidence, creativity, and empathy in young performers and storytellers.
Lauren Marie Miller, Educational Artist at Kidstock! Creative Theater
Lauren Marie Miller wears many hats, directing, choreographing, costuming, and performing in productions at Kidstock! and beyond. She holds a BFA in Media Arts Production from Emerson College and is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University.
