How to Make Animal Costumes for Children

If your child wants to be an animal for Halloween or for a costume party, you can make an animal costume yourself by using things you may already have at home. The things you need for this costume are not expensive if you don't already have them, and you can make it in a few short steps.

1. Select the animal costume you want to make. Some animal costumes are easier to make than others, such as a cat, tiger, or bunny rabbit.


2. Purchase a sweat suit for the child that is in the main color of the animal you chose. For example, if he wants to be a white bunny, purchase a white sweat suit.  If the weather is too warm for a sweat suit, you can purchase a t-shirt and leggings to use instead.


3. Add the animal characteristic to the outfit. Cut circles or the shape you need from the color of felt you want to use for the eyes. Once the shape is cut, hot glue the pieces of felt to the fabric. If your child is a cat, for example, you can make a tail by rolling up an old t-shirt and using the hot glue gun to glue the seam together. Fold the ends of the shirt under and glue those also. Make the belly of a cat with the felt and attach it to the shirt. There are many different things you can do, just use your imagination and let your child help you.


4. Purchase a plain headband to be used for the headpiece for the costume. Put ears on the headband by cutting the shapes from the felt, and then hot glue them to the headband. Use pipe cleaners and pompoms, or attach small Styrofoam balls to pipe cleaners to use as an antenna.


5. Put the costume together. Use a safety pin to attach the tail to the shirt or sweatshirt, put the headband on the child’s head, and then paint their face, if desired. You can use simple black eyeliner to draw stripes or whiskers on their face.