Sew Fang-Tastic Halloween Costumes
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, especially the costume part! Thrifting and upcycling have always been a part of my family’s Halloween costume traditions. Besides, transforming unwanted items into fun Halloween costumes for the whole family is one of the best ways to put my sewing skills to good use. Not only does upcycling save time, money, and the environment, these costumes outlast the expensive store-bought costumes, which means they can be handed down and used year after year. That is a thrifty win in my book!
I know I am not the only thrifty sewist out there that loves a good, refashioned Halloween costume. Check out these super creative ideas I found in my search for this year’s perfect costume!
Spooky Fun
It isn’t Halloween without a spooky bat flying around! This is a great upcycling project by Lenore of Evil Mad Scientist using an old umbrella and a little creative crafting. I know I have an umbrella hanging out in my coat closet that has seen some better days that would be perfect for this! I think it would even be cute in an unusual color. Who says a bat must be black?
If you are a thrifty sewist, you know the creative inspiration that a simple sheet can provide —don’t forget about them when looking for supplies to upcycle this season. Tear a large sheet into strips, and you can have a quick and terrifying mummy in no time!
Animal Crossing
If you’re more on the “too-cute-to-spook” than the “BOO!” side of things, look to the animal kingdom for inspiration. Here we have a sweet baby moose made by Kathryn of House of Paint. She simply used a pair of gloves and a little brown sweatsuit! I bet you could pick up the supplies for this cute-overloaded costume at a thrift store!
Whoooooo doesn’t love owls? Check out the incredible costumes that Amy Christie of This Heart of Mine made for her two little trick-or-treaters (below left). She made these with fleece fabric and love. However, I can also see them made up from upcycled clothes or scrap fabric. I made my daughter something similar years ago by cutting up old men’s dress shirts into feather shapes and stitching them onto an oversized orange sweatshirt (below right).
Quick & Thrifty
Sometimes all you need to create a quick and easy costume is to pull out an old t-shirt and get your cutting machine warmed up. Here I created a watermelon t-shirt for my daughter by cutting out large black raindrops, … I mean seeds, with heat-transfer vinyl on my Cricut and ironed them onto the shirt. A little makeup and she joined an entire fruit bowl group costume with the rest of her friends!
Hey, Ghoul!
Let’s throw it all the way back to 1989 and one of my favorite movies, Heathers! Here is an excellent group costume idea from Keikolynn.com. A quick stop by the thrift store or your closet might be all you need to create this fun look!
Sew Scary: Embroider Some Halloween Fun
Put your embroidery machine to work this year and scare up some Halloween costumes and more.
A Last-Minute Costume
It’s not quite the last minute, but we’re getting there. Here’s a quickie costume you can get done in time to get the trick-or-treaters out the door.
Beyond Halloween Costumes
It’s not all about the costumes when you have an embroidery machine. Stitch up this adorable Halloween toy! Is there nothing these amazing machines can’t do?
Why leave the advent calendar concept to Christmas? Build the excitement with this darling Halloween countdown project.
I would love to know what DIY or upcycled costumes y’all are working on this year. Please leave a comment below and share your ideas and makes with us. I am still looking for ideas!
Happy Halloween and happy sewing!
Sadie
This article originally appeared on October 20, 2022, and was updated on October 30, 2023.
Join the Conversation!