This Halloween, let your little ones build a strong connection with the wild with these DIY animal costume ideas for both last-minute and hobby prep. These costumes are super comfortable and range from toddlers to older kids, helping them learn more about the animal kingdom and their favorite beast.
This list also has helpful guides explaining how to recreate each animal costume with printable provisions for free where required.
Animal world is full of diverse range of handmade costume themes that a whole family can try. In this collection you will find the most cherished animal costume ideas from farm-themed to wild, birds to mammals, reptiles to bugs, fish to extinct animals and much more.
Remaking these costumes with the help of little ones will help you teach them about animal anatomy. Moreover, it will be the best solution for when you want to serve one costume to both siblings as most of them are completely gender-neutral.
We have compiled this list keeping in mind the comfort, ease of making with moderate detailing and most importantly adorability. Now, let's dive into this curation:
Black Sheep Halloween Costume
Transform your toddler into a cute black sheep with this simple yet adorable and comfy costume idea. With beginner-friendly difficulty, all you need are four main supplies: a bag of batting, black pajamas, felt for the ears, and a stocking cap.
The process involves gluing batting to the pajamas for that fluffy sheep look, and attaching felt ears to the cap. Pattie Wilkinson suggests this costume can also serve as a cozy outfit for any costume-themed event.
How to Make a Rooster Costume
Here is a tutorial to make a realistic rooster costume that is straightforward enough for beginners. To create this costume, you need a hooded vest, feather boas for the body, red and yellow felt for the comb and feet. Also have a plastic container for the detachable tail.
The designer suggests using a glue gun for assembly and explains that the costume is great for Halloween or any dress-up occasion. Plus, the rooster butt is detachable, making the outfit versatile.
Three Easy DIY Halloween Costumes
Craft 3 simple animal costumes for kids with this small collection. Start with basic solid color leggings and t-shirts as your base. Create a cute spider costume using stuffed tights pinned to a long sleeve black tee shirt for extra limbs.
For a bold lion mane, attach twisty balloons with Glue Dots to a yellow hoodie; this approach can also morph into a charming flower costume with the right colors. Alternatively, craft frog eyes by Velcroing ping pong balls to a green hat, a fun accessory that can also suit monster or alien outfits.
These no-sew, easy-to-put-together costumes make use of common household items for a quick Halloween fix.
Flamingo Halloween Costume
Transform your little one into a fluffy flamingo with this simple and adorable DIY costume. It is perfect for last-minute preparations. All you need is a pink hoodie, three pink boas, and some construction paper for the beak. You may already have these at home or can easily find at local stores.
This flamingo costume, requiring just a couple of hours to assemble, is excellent for summer or off-course for Halloween.
Sew an Easy Parrot Costume
Make this parrot costume if you want a colorful and detailed outfit for a girl this Halloween. With a simple design appropriate for novice sewers, you only need a handful of supplies: felt in many colors, fleece for the hat, elastic, and a hot glue gun.
Crystal's guide walks you through crafting fluffy wings and a playful hat. This costume is not just for October festivities; it doubles as a fun addition to your child's dress-up collection.
Make an Elephant Costume
This adorable DIY Elephant Costume is the perfect no-stress solution for a memorable Halloween. Crafted with just a gray sweatsuit and matching felt, this project is budget-friendly. You won't need to sew a stitch, as each piece of the costume, from the ears down to the toes, can be secured with a hot-glue gun.
In under an hour, you can create this cozy elephant suit.
DIY Llama Balloon Costume
This llama balloon costume is the clever use of party balloons. It is much easy to make. You will need only essential supplies such as white heart-shaped and 5” balloons, 160Q balloons (white and pink), scissors, and a free printable llama face. While the creation process involves several steps, it's manageable with careful attention to the accompanying instructions. With very lightweight, it is perfect for toddlers.
Easy DIY Fox Costume
Craft an easy and simple Fox Costume that ensures comfort like regular wears with this guide. The essentials? A white shirt and leggings, white tennis shoes, faux fur, a headband — and not to forget the color mix.
The complete look is charmingly capped off with the crafting of a soft, bushy tail and perky, fuzzy ears. Dive in with straightforward instructions!
Make an Octopus Costume
This costume is for ages 3 and up and transforms your little one into a sea creature with softness all around. It is not too complex to make. The main supplies include a blue long-sleeve shirt, blue pants, blue shoes, and a couple of blue hats.
Some additional felt, fabric, and fiberfill, along with sewing, bring coziness. Adults should keep a watchful eye since these handmade costumes require supervision for safety.
SharkCostume
Have fun in Halloween or winter with a Simple Shark Costume featuring a distinctive dorsal fin. Easy to craft, this costume mainly requires a grey hooded sweatshirt and matching sweatpants.
Moreover, you'll need sweatpants for fabric, white and black felt for sharp teeth and beady eyes, and plastic canvas to give the fin its shape. Padding adds a 3D effect to the fins. Ideal for chilly trick-or-treating, it combines warmth with the thrill of dressing up.
Make an Easy Butterfly Costume
Create a beautiful Easy Butterfly Costume with no sewing required, perfect for all ages. You can make it from either fleece or felt, materials that are simple to handle, cut, and adhere without fraying.
Key supplies include black fleece or felt for the base, colorful felt for decorative patterns, fabric glue, and elastic or ribbon for wearing. The process involves drawing the wing pattern, cutting out the shapes, and gluing them together. Not only is this costume visually stunning, but it also offers warmth and durability.
DIY Axolotl Halloween Costume
What is even beautiful than an axolotl. With this project, turn your girl into a cute axolotl. It just involves a pink hoodie and joggers as the base, along with dark and light pink felt for the external gills and tail. A bit of batting to give volume to the gills.
The construction process includes cutting, sewing, and using Clear Gel Tacky Glue for final touches like the cute, wide-set eyes. The costume's design ensures it's also comfy enough for your child to wear while cosplay.
Moth Costume
Try this Moth costume if your little one wants alot of attention in Halloween. You'll need just a few supplies: feathers, large circle sunglasses, a furry jacket, and a tie-dyed sheet. Start by tie-dying a white sheet in blue, then attach two elastic loops to its top corners for your fingers, creating wings.
Cinch the sheet’s middle with elastic and pin it to the furry jacket. Add the finishing touch by pinning feathers into your hair, or onto a beret, and putting on the large sunglasses. It is perfect for little ones.
How to Make a Kid's Dinosaur Costume
Making a kid's dinosaur costume is an easy and rewarding project with Martha Stewart's guide. It will transform a child into a cute dinosaur using just four main supplies: a green tarp, a green ski hood, press-on nails, and a rope. Beginners will find the difficulty level manageable, as the project primarily involves cutting, folding, and gluing — no advanced skills are required.
