Many kids, particularly older ones, want to dress up in scary or gruesome costumes. These are fun to create and leave plenty of room for error. Be sure to also check out our recipe for realistic looking fake blood!

Mummy
white sweatsuit
white sheets or gauze
tea bags

Tear white sheets into long strips. Gauze will look the most realistic but sheets work just as well. Wash and dry the pieces once or twice using plenty of bleach. Afterward, soak the pieces in watered down tea to stain slightly. Allow the strips to dry, then rub a little dirt on them for the finishing touch. Children can wear white clothing underneath their bandages. Give everything a dried out, dead look by applying plenty of baby powder to the sheets. Wrap each body part separately, secure the ends with white or clear medical tape. Apply light-colored make-up where skin is showing. To give it a rotting effect, smudge dark make-up around the eyes, mouth, along fingers, under fingernails, and so on. Using make up and fake blood, scars and a few gash marks. You can also use spirit gum or eyelash adhesive to stick a few tattered strips of gauze to the cheeks.

Witch
black sweatshirt
black skirt
cape or black material or shawl
witch's hat
broom
black shoes
white calf socks (dyeing green is optional)
red tape or craft paint
black lipstick
black nail polish

If weather is on the cold side, have child wear black or green tights under outfit. A cape can be fashioned easily from black material or a black sheet. Put socks on, then wrap red tape around from bottom to top, to create a striped sock effect. Socks can be dyed green first if you prefer. You may also use craft paint for the stripes, but tape is faster and easier. Carry broom and wear witch's hat. Paint face green and add dark smudges around eyes and mouth. Use black lipstick and nail polish to finish the look. Adding a wart is optional! Click here for step-by-step witch make-up instructions.

Vampire
black satin or black material for cape
black suit coat or sweatshirt
white shirt
black pants
black shoes
red scarf or neckerchief (red material strip will work)
fake fangs

After child is dressed, tie red material around neck as a neckerchief. Slick child's hair back, paint face white. Put teeth in then apply fake blood around corners of mouth. Smudge dark circles around eyes. Carefully tie cape around neck.

Devil
red sweatsuit (hood optional)
red satin or material for cape (can be fashioned from sheet)
red or black shoes
plastic or cardboard pitchfork
plastic headband
horns cut from white posterboard

Make a pitchfork out of cardboard and spray paint red, or purchase a plastic one. Glue horns on to headband. Tie on cape, paint face and hands red. Use black paint to create a mustache and goatee, smudge dark marks near cheek bones and eyes.

Frankenstein
old green coat
ripped shirt
black pants
large black boots

Slick hair upward with gel and hairspray. Black hair paint is a plus. Paint face green and add scars and stitch marks. Walk with arms extended and legs completely straight. Note: If you can find a cardboard cylinder that you can cut to fit your child's head, create the flat head from Frankenstein by painting it black!

Pumpkin
orange, green or brown hooded sweatsuit
large orange pumpkin leaf bag
newspaper
silk leaves

Cut arm holes and head hole in the pumpkin bag. Have the child put the bag on and stuff it with newspapers. Seal it at the bottom with tape. Attach silk leaves around shoulders and neck. For infants: Use an orange onesie and a piece of green felt. After child is dressed, cut the green felt in a circle. Take another piece of felt and make a small stem, glue it on top of the circle with a glue gun. Attach a piece of elastic and put on baby as a hat.

Skeleton
black sweatpants
black turtleneck
bones, cut out of white contact paper
white gloves

To create the bones, draw out three or four ribs for each side of rib cage, draw out simple limbs, no need to get extravagant. Apply to clothing. Paint face white and apply dark smudges around eyes, nose and mouth. If you don't have gloves, paint hands white. Variation: Add bones to sweatsuit using white felt or fabric paint. Click here for step-by-step skeleton make-up instructions.

Ghost
old white sheet
scissors

Probably the easiest costume on Earth! Simply cut holes for eyes and arms and you are all set. To add a little whimsy, you can finish it off with a top hat.

Accident Victim
old clothes
black fabric paint
crutches
gauze
bandages or strips of white material
sling

Put some black fabric paint onto one of your car's tires. Place the clothing just near the tire and run them over a few times to create great looking tire marks. When paint is dry, rub clothes in dirt a little. Wrap head in bandages or white material. Wrap one arm and one leg as well. Apply make up to include scars, blood, bruises, and any other gore you like. Put some blood and mud in hair and let it dry. Put arm in sling and walk with one or two crutches. Variation: This is a great costume for a child in a wheelchair!

Road Kill
gray sweatsuit (hood optional)
white tape
old stuffed animal

Cut 2 inch pieces of white tape and run up shirt as the center of a highway. Cut up stuffed animal and pin various parts to the shirt. Use dirt or mud and fake blood to "decorate" the stuffed animal.

Grim Reaper
oversized black hooded sweatsuit
black material, enough to cover whole body
black shoes
scythe, made from cardboard and aluminum foil

Fashion a scythe from cardboard. Wrap the blade in aluminum foil. Paint child's face white and smudge black around eyes, nose, and mouth. After child is dressed, wrap black material around like a cape, but encompass the whole body. Close with safety pins. Hood should have been oversized so that much of the face will be hidden.

 

Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and her husband live in southeastern Wisconsin. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine. Subscribe to her free weekly kid's craft newsletter, Busy Little Hands, by sending any email message to kidscrafts-on@mail-list.com.