Start with: Brown leotard, sweatsuit, or a light-colored shirt and brown leggings.
Add on: Cut out head and arm holes from a brown pillowcase, and then, add colorful rick rack trim along the bottom edge using a glue gun. Belt the pillowcase with a piece of twine or red fabric. Take a brown, cotton headband and glue on red craft feathers for the perfect Native American princess headdress.
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Start with: Monochromatic leotard or close-fitting, gray sweatsuit
Add on: Attach shoulder straps to a box using two pieces of string and then wrap the box in aluminum foil. Continue molding the foil around your kid’s arms, legs and upper chest until his clothes are covered. For the robot’s hat, cut a face hole into a small box, then place a paper plate on the top and cover it entirely with foil. Make a couple aluminum antennae and glue them onto the hat.
Start with: Red leotard and black leggings or tights
Add on: Use fabric paint to paint wings with black spots. Then glue black pompoms to the ends of two thick, black pipe cleaners and fasten them to a red headband for the homemade version of antennae.
Start with: Brown leotard with leggings or a sweatsuit
Add on: Purchase a furry brown bathroom mat and cut a hole in the center. Place it over your kid’s head and belt it with a strip of animal-print fabric or twine.
Start with: White leotard with leggings or tights or a sweatsuit
Add on: Paint black patches on the tights and the leotard using black fabric paint. Then cut rounded doggy ears from white felt and secure to the hooded shirt or white hat. For the collar, cut a strip of red felt and a circle from yellow felt for the nametag. Write your kid’s name on the circle, glue it to the shirt’s collar and tie it around your kid’s neck (not too tight!).
Start with: White leotard or close-fitting white sweatsuit
Add on: Rip old white sheets into strips and wrap them haphazardly around your kid. Some white face makeup with dark eye circles, and some stiff-legged walking, will complete the look.
Check out ivillage for even more inexpensive, DIY costume ideas!