Your child decided what to be for Halloween. But you don’t have $40 to spend on a costume he’ll grow out of before Winter arrives. What do you do?

Generally speaking, you head to the fabric store. Sit down at the pattern table and search Simplicity, Butterick, McCall’s, and all the other pattern books. Expect to pay around $10 for a new pattern. If you’re an avid sewer, you probably already have all the notions back in your sewing room (this could get pricey if you’re not). For pattern, fabric, and notions you’ll spend $20-35. It can quickly match or exceed the licensed costume.

For my money, the best way to build a Halloween costume is a combination of pre-made and hand-made. Little Johnny wants to be a Vampire. No problem. You can find dress pants and dress shirt in his closet or the local thrift store. The local costume or party store carries inexpensive black capes and novelty teeth. Check your makeup drawer for pale powder and grey eyeshadow. If you don’t have any, you can pickup makeup kits for Vampire, Witches, and Clowns at the drugstore. Let your son design his royal medallion. Draw a star shape onto cardboard and then color with markers, paint, and glitter. Attach the medallion to a piece of ribbon. The final touch is some gel through his hair for the fiendishly slick look. Voila.

Animal costumes are quick and easy. Your child will need a base costume to build up the dog, cat, pig, what have you. Leotards or sweatsuits are great for this. Choose the one best suited for your climate. A Black Cat needs a black leotard and tights. You can fill a black stocking with padding for a little tail. Use a headband for the ears’ base. The ears can be made of stiffened fabric, pipe cleaners, or foam. Glue or sew the ears to the headband. Some creative makeup and you have the cutest little kitty in the world.

This method works for most animals. If you need a specific dog, like Snoopy, don’t worry. You’ll need: white sweatpants and shirt, one black felt spot sewed onto the posterior area, a pair of black socks for ears can be attached with bobby pins or a headband. The last touch is a little black nose. See how easy animals can be?

Clowns require a quick trip to the thrift or Goodwill store. Pick busy shirts and old golf pants. A silly novelty wig can really make your daughter feel like a cut-up. Have fun with the makeup. What good is a Clown without a prop? You can pin an plastic flower to the lapel or…tie a series of three or four bright scarves or bandanas together. Let her practice pulling them out of her pocket or her hand. She’ll be a show stopper.

You want a creepy costume for your kid? I have the perfect most terrifying thing. Guaranteed to make candy givers hesitate: Chucky. I doubt your child knows anything about Chucky, and that’s for the best right now. After a few doorbells, he’ll believe you were right about having the scariest costume. Little Chucky will need a rainbow striped shirt. Discount stores and chain stores typically carry them. A pair of overalls. Use a red fabric marker to write “Good Guys” on the front center pocket. The shoes should be red. Try the discount store for cheap canvas shoes. Hand your son a plastic knife and then hide behind the couch because he might just scare you too. Weasley red hair is best for this look, but don’t worry about a wig. If you must have the hair, pick up some color hairspray that can be washed out when he’s done trick-or-treating.

Good luck crafting!

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