Easy, cute and cheap DIY costume ideas for Halloween

By Katie Visconti

Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014 | 2 a.m.

Halloween is scary enough with horror movies and spooky superstitions. You shouldn’t also have to fear spending $50 on a costume for your child.

These seven DIY costumes will make your kid the star of the class party — without breaking your budget. Just head to the nearest hobby shop, department store or big box retailer to pick up a few necessary items.

The Spelling Bee

What you need:

• Long-sleeved black shirt

• Yellow duct tape

• Set of wings and bug antennae

• Adhesive letters

To make the costume:

• Attach strips of duct tape to the shirt to make long, evenly spaced horizontal stripes.

• Stick adhesive letters all over the shirt in whatever design you’d like. You can spell words or place letters randomly.

• Glue a few letters to the antennae.

• Stand back and see how adorable your child looks.

Undercover Superman

What you need:

• Superman T-shirt

• White button-up

• Tie

• Glasses

• Black pants

To make the costume:

• Have your little hero wear the Superman shirt under the white button-up and leave the first three or four buttons undone. Put the tie on loosely, add the glasses and black pants, and your miniature Clark Kent is ready to go.

Aerobic baby

What you need:

• Neon tights

• T-shirt

• Onesie or leotard

• Sweatband

To make the costume:

• Cut the neck of the T-shirt to make it hang off the shoulder. Cut the shirt short to make it a crop top, and layer it over the onesie and tights. Add the sweatband, turn on some Olivia Newton-John, and your baby is ready to go.

French painter

• What you need:

• Black beret

• Black long-sleeved shirt

• Cardboard

• Paint

• Black eyeliner

To make the costume:

• Cut a piece of cardboard into the shape of a painter’s palette. Paint it white, let it dry, then paint swatches of five or six colors on it.

• Give your son or daughter a paintbrush, and voila, you’ve created a masterpiece.

• For extra French flair, draw a fake mustache on your tot using black eyeliner.

UPS delivery driver

What you need:

• Packing box with UPS label

• Brown shorts

• Brown T-shirt

To make the costume:

• Dress your kid in brown. For added cuteness, have your son or daughter use the box instead of a trick-or-treat bag.

Where's Waldo? (or Wenda?)

What you need:

• Striped red and white shirt

• Red and white beanie

• Old 3-D movie glasses

To make the costume

• This costume requires minimal effort and can make for a fun activity any time of the year. Just dress your child in stripes, a beanie and glasses, and he or she will be ready for trick-or-treating — ­or a game of hide and seek.

Scuba diver

What you need:

• Goggles

• Snorkel

• Bathing suit or boardshorts and rash guard

• Water shoes

• Two 2-liter soda bottles

• Black elastic

• Black tape

• Hot glue gun

• Spray paint

To make the costume:

• To make an oxygen tank, spray-paint two empty 2-liter soda bottles silver. Once they’re dry, wrap two strips of black tape around the bottom to hold them together. Then use a hot glue gun to glue two pieces of black elastic to the tops and bottoms of the bottles to create backpack straps.

• Dress your kid in a swimsuit, throw on the snorkel and goggles, and you’re ready to go.