These cheap kids costumes keep Halloween affordable without asking too much of your DIY skills (or lack thereof…hey, no judging here!).
Do you dread the thoughts of dropping $20 (each!) on a costume for your kids again this year? Despite the fact that they come in children’s sizes, most costumes are made of flimsy paper thin material that won’t hold up to kids.
Well, don’t worry! We’ve got years of costume ideas under our belts here. All it takes is just a little creativity (don’t worry, I’m terrible at DIY and even I can pull this off!).
Here are 5 easy ways to find cheap Halloween costume ideas.
1. Make a Swap
Ask your Mom friends if anyone would like to trade old costumes. Most of us are dying to get stuff out of the house!
Younger kids usually don’t care what they dress up like, which makes it even easier.
(Or get it early enough that you can sell them on the idea.)
Other ideas: If you don’t know Moms who’s hand me downs are the right size, put out a plea on Facebook. Sometimes people have an old costume in a closet somewhere.
Or they might have a friend that’s the perfect match for you. Hey, you might even make a new Mommy friend!
2. Shop Second Hand Sales
If you keep your eyes open, you can find some great deals on Craigslist, FB Marketplace, or at a yard sale. I’ve found costumes for just $2.
Thrift stores and secondhand shops can be another great resource. And if you have a costume you no longer need, selling it to a secondhand shop will help pay for a new costume.
Skip anyone who is asking retail prices on a used costume.
And if you shop Craigslist, ALWAYS insist on meeting in a public location. (That goes without saying, right?)
3. Get Creative
One year my son decided he wanted to be Anakin Skywalker. So we dug around and found some white clothes.
My shirt was a little big for him, but he wore it for such a short time that it didn’t matter.
We added a brown jacket. Then we used his lightsaber toy and created a belt from some ribbon I had.
Well.
He wore that costume to one event and decided the next day that he didn’t want to wear it again.
…now he wanted to be a rock and roll star.
Yeah. I spent a ton of time pulling together that Star Wars costume. So I told him he’d have to figure it out himself.
Wouldn’t you know, he came downstairs with some clothes he’d pulled together and a bandanna around his head. He was carrying a toy guitar.
We helped him put on a goatee with some face paint and he was good to go.
It’s amazing what a kid can do for himself when he really wants something!
Another time my Hubby and I decided at the last minute to go as a Cialis commercial. I got a couple of cheap laundry baskets for us to cut a hole in.
Hubby printed the logo. We taped on some balloons as bubbles, added the wine glasses…and cheers!

This is my mean and angry look. Bring me a steak!
4. Buy Outside the Box
Sometimes it’s worth spending money on a costume, especially if you’ll get several uses out of it.
Perfect for people who attend a ton of Halloween events…or have lots of kids that would use the same costume over and over.
You can also buy clothes they can wear in their daily lives.
Maybe you need a gray sweatsuit for an elephant costume. The kids can always use sweatpants for sledding or lounging at home.
Or…let’s say you need a black t-shirt for a costume. Is there a black t-shirt anywhere in the house? Even if it doesn’t quite fit, it could probably work for one night.
If not, check out Goodwill. They divide their clothing by color, which makes it easy to find what you need. And simple shirts are usually cheap!
5. Plan Ahead
This tip might not help you this year, but it’s worth mentioning anyway. We all love to shop clearance after a holiday. This year, pick up a costume or two for a fraction of the cost.
Remember, you can give costumes to your child for Christmas or a birthday gift.
They’ll love to wear them around the house and play pretend throughout the year.
(I can’t tell you how many times my backyard was saved from danger because a Transformer, a ninja, and Superman were running around.)
My daughter has received many princess costumes this way, and this year she can be almost any princess she wants to be.
Bonus: Dollar Store!
Last year we got everything we needed for this costume at Dollar Tree!
Poster boards, shelf paper, string, some markers, and done.
You can find tons of supplies for super cheap. Walk the aisles and let your creative juices flow!
Combine these tips to save a pretty penny on frugal or free Halloween costumes!
Save that $100 you would have spent on store bought costumes for something more fun. Like buying clearance Halloween candy!
Now let’s find a cheap way to decorate the house for Halloween!
What frugal tips do you have to find cheap or free Halloween costumes for your family?
These are such great ideas! I love the one about planning ahead or buying differently and it being something you can wear again – I think that also works well when you’re thinking of ideas and what is already in your closet. A few years ago my friends and I all dressed up as the characters from Clue and as Ms. Scarlet, I think the only thing I actually purchased was a boa, because I was able to wear a red dress I already had!
That sounds like a lot of fun! I love a good theme like that. I wish my crew would agree to a theme… but I do like them to be able to express their individuality, too.
Thanks for the visit!
It’s almost halloween, we are on a tight October budget and I am THRILLED to see this post! Thanks.
Oh, I am so very happy to help!
these are all such awesome ideas! I love DIY my costume and purchasing props if anything. Also love checking out thrift and dollar stores for cheaper stuff. thanks for these ♥
stop by and chat with me 🙂 http://storybookapothecary.com/
Great ideas. If you plan ahead, you have so many more options. Resale shops often have great stuff to mix and match. I am visiting from Katherine’s Corner. xx
We usually made our own-the girls would get pretty creative 🙂
Thrift stores are a great resource 🙂
I’ve been lucky that my boys want to be the same thing, year after year. My husband is appalled, but every costume lasts 2 or 3 years!
Isn’t that great?! I love when my boys are low key like that.
A great post for us frugally minded Mom’s – Thanks for linking up to Pin Worthy Wednesday, I have pinned your post to the Pin Worthy Wednesday Pinterest Board.
Swaps are such a great idea! Especially for growing kids who want to be something different every year! Thanks for sharing at #SmallVictoriesSundayLinkup!
These are all great tips. I only have to buy a costume for one kid this year, my other 2 are ” too old” to go get free candy. they will learn. So anyway,I am having this link up on my blog. I would like to welcome you to post this link.
http://atmycounter.blogspot.com/2015/10/october-note-on-counter.html
Have a great day.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks the store-bought costumes are flimsy – even my 6 year old noticed! Another great place to get frugal costumes are thrift stores. If you’re really lucky you can find new or like-new ones there!
You’re right, the thrift store is a great resource! It’s pretty bad quality when even the kids are noticing…
Halloween really can get expensive! These are excellent tips and I’m so glad you’ve shared them with us at Hearth and Soul. Pinned and will share. Have a great weekend!
Great tips! I love buying our kiddos costumes in advance the day after Halloween for cheap then having them pick through the stash the next year. Great post & thank you for linking up with Small Victories Sunday Linkup!
Great ideas! I am definitely asking around my mom friends this year to see if they have the costume I need. My problem is a have to have matching costumes for my kids and I already have the theme picked out for this year and now I have to find the costumes for it 🙂 Our local children’s museum actually has a costume swap that they do and I have found some good options in the past at Once upon a child consignment store.