5 DIY Kids’ Halloween Costumes (That Won’t Break The Bank!)

It’s that spooky time of year again and we’re pulling out all the stops when it comes to our Halloween costumes.  Dressing to impress doesn’t have to cost the earth and it’s amazing what you can achieve with a little styling, what’s already in your wardrobe and a few props!

It’s no secret that we love the opportunity to coordinate outfits with the kids. You can be certain that we’re looking for the best events in town to spotlight our show-stopping creative ensembles. This year, wear your costumes to Island Shangri-La for a weekend full of Halloween fun and stand a chance to win some amazing prizes, including a grand prize worth over $100,000! Now, as much as we want to claim these great prizes for ourselves, in the interest of fair competition we’d like you Sassy Mamas to bring your A-game as you walk your family along the glitz and glamour of the Orange Carpet. So we’d like to help brainstorm a few DIY kids’ Halloween costume ideas… 

Sassy Mama Tip: Don’t forget to consider your choice of face mask with your Halloween costume! You might like to keep it on theme or add a few artistic touches.

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DIY Halloween Costume — Butterfly

It’s amazing what you can do with a little facepaint and carefully selected clothing items! For this DIY Halloween costume you’ll need:

• Bright and colourful clothes
• Butterfly wings — pick these up from costume shops or get crafty with your kids by making your own following these instructions
• Face paint — This is where this costume comes together! Use bright colours and geometric patterns to complement your wings

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DIY Halloween Costume — Bank Robbers

We love that both these DIY costume ideas are gender-neutral and can be adapted for all family members (perfect to enter the Best Family Team category at the Island Shangri-La Best Dressed Contest).

The Bank Robber is the ultimate easy-to-achieve Halloween costume! All you need is:

• A black and white striped t-shirt
• A beanie/ wool hat
• An eye-mask — make your own using felt or cardboard with elastic attached

Sassy Mama Tip: Complete the look by drawing $$$ on a canvas bag (this could double as their trick-or-treat bag!). For a family version, parents could dress as police officers trying to catch their little thieves!

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DIY Halloween Costume — Skeletons

With just a few strategic snips of the scissors and you’ve got yourself a junior skeleton! You’ll need:

• A white undershirt
• An old black t-shirt — We suggest marking out the rib holes using tailor’s chalk before making your cuts
• Black and white facepaint — Start with a white base covering the entire face, followed by a black around the entire eyes and nose. Finish it off with black lines for the teeth

Sassy Mama Tip: You could also use fabric paint to draw your own skeleton on black clothing!

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DIY Halloween Costume — Pirates

Another fun costume to match your mini. To achieve this look you’ll need:

• Blue and white striped t-shirt
• Blue square scarf — Simply fold your scarf diagonally to create a large triangle, drape it around the neck and secure with a white ribbon (or tie in a knot)
• Pirate hat — Head to the costume shops or market lanes to pick up a hat (and maybe a sword!), or get crafty by making your own
• Black eyeliner/ facepaint — Add a few scars to the face and arms and you’re ready to go

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DIY Halloween Costume — Day Of The Dead

Off the success of Disney’s Coco, adding some colour to your skeletons is becoming a popular way to add a bright touch to your kids’ Halloween costumes. Get the look:

• Colourful clothes
• Flower necklaces — Pick these up from the market lanes
• Props — Balloons with marker skull drawings (be prepared with backups in case of breakages), mini hats (made out of paper cups and plates with a few pompoms) and other photo props of your choice.

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Halloween Best Dressed Contest At Island Shangri-La

Let’s talk prizes! There are seven categories in this year’s contest — Best Family Team, People’s Choice (judged by the most likes on Instagram), Most Original, Most Creative, Best Dressed Villain and Most Huggable (kids category). 

The Grand Prize for Best Overall Costume is valued at over $100,000 and includes the ultimate Christmas staycation with a 2-night stay in Island Shangri-La’s Presidential Suite, an exclusive in-suite dinner curated by Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky for up to eight guests (OMG amazing!), lunch at the Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant Summer Palace, $1,000 spending credits at the hotel’s Christmas Market, Christmas amenities and customised stockings, a Santa Sweet Shop experience as well as daily breakfast and a round-trip limousine transfer.

Other prizes include stays at Shangri-La Singapore (a tried and tested Sassy Mama favourite!) and Shangri-La Bangkok, as well as Christmas staycations at Island Shangri-La and Kowloon Shangri-la, dining and shopping vouchers. 

When: Saturday, 29 October; 3pm to 7pm including the award ceremony; remember to pop into the hotel lobby before 6pm to enter the contest!
How Much: Free to enter

Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2877 3838, Instagram: @islandshangrila, [email protected], www.shangri-la.com/hongkong/islandshangrila/best-dressed-contest