by E. Tillery

Created on: October 09, 2009

Being the mother of a toddler I'm faced with the same decision every year. Do I spend a lot of money on a Halloween costume she will only wear once or do I use my imagination and make something? This year I've decided to make my daughter's costume. Surprisingly when I started my research I came across a plethora of toddler costumes that can be made in the comfort of your home. I'm going to share the top 5 ideas I found to be interesting, fun and easy to make on a limited budget. They are also costumes that can be worn and/or used again.

1. Baseball Player: You need any baseball team t-shirt with logo and a matching baseball cap. Pair this with a pair of sweatpants and the costume is complete. If you don't have a team t-shirt you can take a plain t-shirt and use fabric paint to write the team name or logo on it. This will produce a fun and sporty baseball player.

2. Littlest Witch: Use any all black outfit in your child's closet. This can consist of a simple black dress, with or without tights or black pants and top. You can purchase a witches hat and play broom at minimal cost and this completes a very simplistic, yet fun witch costume. To spice it up some you can add a touch of black lipstick.

3. Dragon: Take a single color sleeper or one-piece outfit. Pair it with the same color hat/hood if possible. Next you will go to your kitchen and pull out a pack of solid color sponges. They can also be purchased for minimal cost at your local Dollar Store. Cut the sponges into triangle shaped pieces and either stitch or super glue down the center of the hat and outfit. You will have an extremely cute and practical dragon.

4. Train Engineer: Take any pair of dark blue jeans and pair with a blue jean jacket or sweatshirt. You can also use a pair of stripped or solid blue jean overalls and a white long sleeve shirt. Next you will wrap a red bandana around your child's neck. To complete the outfit pair it with a conductor hat or solid blue or white hat and a whistle. This completes a fun toddler costume full of make believe.

A possible addition to this outfit would be to add the train. This too can be done at low or no cost. Take a small box that will fit around your child's waist. Paint the box the color of your choice. Use colored construction paper to add stripes on the side of the train and a train number. You can add black train wheels using construction paper or paper plates that have been painted and then glue to the box. Paint lights on the front of the box. Finally you will attach wide ribbon to the train as suspenders to rest on your child's shoulders.

5. Ballerina: Find a pink outfit. She may have a tutu and leotard from her dress-up box or you can simply use a pink shirt and skirt or tutu. An option might be to add glitter to the skirt for a little something extra. The next thing you will need is a pair of white or pink tights. Pink slippers or ballet shoes, flat shoes or dress-up shoes will be a great addition to her feet. Another option may be to add pink ribbon or silver garland to her hair. Simple supplies will create an enchanting ballerina.

These 5 costume ideas will be sure to please you little one. A lot of the supplies can be found right inside your home or at low cost in the store. Halloween is a great time to use your imagination and an even better time to save money.

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