Halloween Costume Roundup
Since starting this website I've shared the girls' Halloween costumes sometimes the year we did it but, more often, the following October.
Those posts began not long after Zoey came along when I found the perfect costume for Ada, upgraded it a little, and then customized a matching onesie for Zoey. Over the years, I’ve sometimes gone all out while other times I've kept things simpler and always within their vision. More recently, time has felt more fleeting, and we’ve leaned toward simpler ideas... but as my kids grow and become more independent, I can already see them taking over and adding their own epic touches to their costumes.
This year, while writing last year’s Halloween post (coming soon!), I realized I wanted to look back at all our past creations. But adding them all there would’ve been way too much (and a little off-topic). So instead, I decided to create this Halloween Costume Roundup... a single place to gather all our costumes throughout the years plus add any future ones as they go live.
Quick aside: If you prefer you can see see all the costumes in chronological order or even all the costumes mixed in with other Halloween-related stuff like pumpkin explosions (volcano style) to a footprint ghost sign and even a cheese ball pumpkin!
Sewing-Heavy Costumes
Projects where my sewing machine did most of the work... from handmade leggings and dresses to fully custom designs. These are the years I went all in on fabric, thread, and late-night creativity.
Kyra
A mix of store-bought and handmade.... the hat was hardly used but the rest became everyday favorites long after Halloween.
Kyra
After last years Jack-o-lantern Zoey wanted a pumpkin with "no face" costume. Can you spot her in the pumpkin patch?
Kyra
A red outfit, some quick DIY touches, and a tiny firefighter kit turned Zoey into the cutest firetruck sidekick. That spray-bottle extinguisher? It became a favorite toy for years.
Kyra
I completely loved how this came together. I only wish I'd tucked it into her regular wardrobe instead of the dress-up bin.
Kyra
I combined knit fabric, our favorite clothing patterns, and an educational skeleton printable to create this costume! My biggest regret is the pelvis on the shirt and pants didn't fully overlap!
Kyra
I absolutely loved Zoey's black cat costume. Both the homemade tail and store-bought ears are still being pulled out for costumes.
Kyra
This is my absolute favorite Ada costume! I'm so happy I pulled off the iconic jacket and hat... plus it made her easy to spot.
Creative Builds & Crafts
Costumes that leaned more on crafting, sketching, or reimagining materials than on sewing... a mix of glue guns, cardboard, and pure imagination.
Kyra
By far my absolute favorite Zoey costume and took long enough that I split this into several posts!
Kyra
I took a simple onesie and traced a coloring page on the butt and sketched out the face on the front with fabric markers to make the girls match and turn Zoey into Koko.
Costco Finds & Simple Buys
The easy wins: store-bought costumes with a few personal tweaks, add-ons, or accessories that made them uniquely ours.
Kyra
This costume started with Costco and was upgraded and worn for years!
Kyra
Both Elsa, with her 3D printed crown, and Rainbow Unicorn turned out adorable.
Store-Assembled Magic!
Outfits pulled together from what we had or found... sometimes as simple as mixing and matching while sometimes upgraded with a quick handmade detail.
Kyra
A store-assembled princess look that sparkled... simple to put together, but such a hit that year.
Kyra
I wasn't sure where to post this. The hair made the character! But it was mainly assembled with a touch of crafting.
Accessories & Add-Ons
Extra pieces and DIY details that helped pull everything together from custom tails to glowing props and handmade jewelry.
Side note: I linked to a how to video for a glowing lasso of truth in the above Wonder Woman post.
Kyra
Years ago I added a floral light to an amazing Chuggington hat we found at the local kid's consignment shop to take it the extra mile!
Kyra
This tail was the result of a spool of two inch fur trim, a bit of shaping wire, and plush elastic. Simple but surprisingly durable.
Kyra
In case you're looking for a specific shape this pendant was simply wire folded into a triangle, masking tape, and yellow acrylic paint sewn to 1/4 inch elastic.
Hair & Final Touches
The finishing details that completed the look... clever hairstyles, last-minute bobby-pin hacks, and the occasional historical updo.
Side note: if you're looking for how to buns and the like check out the Ada Lovelace recreation above.
Kyra
I used pipe cleaners, a black clip, googly eyes, ponytails, and some bobby pins to make the most adorable spider before picking the kids up from school (elementary) and all the kids loved it!
I love looking at all the awesome costumes over the years and had to create an overview post to make it easier to find them. Please let me know in the comments if you use any of these ideas and, like always, I hope you’re having a great day
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