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Some adorable costumes have come to light using little more than a cardboard
box, some paint, and lots of imagination. Here are several ideas to choose from.
Happy Halloween!
All of the costumes listed here use a cardboard box.
Robot
- 1 large box
- 1 small box
- gray hooded sweatsuit
- silver spray paint
- gray, white, or black gloves
- silver face paint
- markers
- 4 plastic milk jug lids
- aluminum foil
Seal one end of box with silver duct tape. Leave other end open. Do this with
both boxes. Spray paint silver, let dry. When dry, cut circle out of small box so
when placed on child's head, the hole will be there for his/her face. Cut open
ends off or fold inside box. Follow above instructions for large box, then cut
holes for arms. Wrap milk jug lids in aluminum foil, then glue lids on box in
front, along bottom as control knobs. use markers (or paint if you prefer) to
draw horizontal lines across the front of the box for effect. Paint face silver.
Race Car
- large box
- red spray paint
- yarn
- black spray paint
- 5 paper plates
- black marker
- 4 yellow plastic milk jug lids (other colors will do as well)
- 1 red plastic milk jug lid for horn
- red construction paper
- white construction paper
- craft glue
Fold sides of box in on both ends. Attach yarn to go from front of box to
back of box and rest over child's shoulders. To attach, poke holes with a
pen or screwdriver into the box, then run yarn through and tie off. Spray
paint box red. Let dry. Spray paint the paper plates black. Let dry. Glue
4 of the 5 paper plates onto the box as wheels. Glue the plastic milk jug
lids on to the plates as hub caps. Take last plate and cut out a steering
wheel. Glue red plastic milk jug lid onto last plate as the horn. Glue plate
to box. Cut tail lights from red construction paper, glue on. Cut headlights
from white construction paper, glue on. Draw a grill on front with black marker.
Refrigerator
- large box
- marker
- small trinket type toys
- post it notes
- empty box of cereal
- white spray paint
Fold top of box closed, leave bottom open. Paint box white and allow to dry..
Cut hole out of top for head and holes for arms out the sides. Use marker to
draw a handle on fridge. Use different small trinket toys as magnets, glue on.
Stick a couple of post it notes on with messages such as "Don't forget to walk
the dog!" and "Pick up dry cleaning". Added effect, glue a box of cereal on the
shoulder of the costume.
Christmas/Birthday Present
- large box
- wrapping paper
- large bow
- shiny ribbon
Tape up one end of box, fold in sides of other end. Wrap box up in wrapping paper.
Tape or glue ribbon around the box and adorn with a bow!
Jack In The Box
- large box
- plastic headband
- blue felt
- red felt
- green felt
- orange felt
- 4 white pompoms
- craft glue
- red spray paint
- gold craft paint
- sponge
- toilet paper roll
- 2 paper towel rolls
Tape up one end of box, fold in sides of other end. Spray paint the box and
the paper towel and toilet paper rolls with red spray paint. Let dry. Cut out
tall triangles from the different colored felts. Roll into cones and glue closed.
Glue pompoms on top of cones. Glue cones to headband. Hopefully, the cones
will be tall enough to flop over like a jester's hat. Cut appropriate holes for
head and arms. Glue paper towel and toilet paper rolls together to form the
crank, glue to the side of the box. Decorate the box with gold craft paint by
sponging paint on in various places or along the border.
Dice
- large box
- white spray paint
- black craft paint or marker
- OR
- black construction paper
Tape up one end of box, fold in sides of other end. Spray paint the box white.
Let dry. Then, either cut big circles from black construction paper, or paint the
black spots on your "dice".
Television
- large box
- small box (hair color size)
- black spray paint
- red craft paint
- 2 dowels from clothes hangers
- aluminum foil
- magazine picture of Barney (or football game, or whatever fits age)
- 2 plastic milk jug lids
Tape up one end of box, fold in sides of other end. Cut holes for arms and
head. Completely close the small box and spray paint completely black.
When dry, use red paint to paint cable box channel number on small box.
Glue small box to top of large box where shoulder will be. Wrap dowels in
aluminum foil, poke holes in top of "TV" and insert dowels for antennas. Use
a black marker to draw a picture tube on front. Glue magazine picture onto
TV screen. Glue milk jug lids on as knobs.
X-ray Machine
- large box
- white spray paint
- paper skeleton decoration, torso only
- craft glue
- 2 plastic milk jug lids
Tape up one end of box, fold in sides of other end. Spray paint box white, let dry.
Cut holes for arms and head. Paint a black rectangle on the front, and the words:
"Caution: X-RAY IN USE". Use the torso of a life-size paper skeleton decoration as
the image on the black rectangle (the screen). Glue the milk jug lids on the front
as control knobs.
Popcorn Box
- large box
- white spray paint
- red paint
- black paint
- paint brush
- yellow posterboard
- craft glue
- red posterboard
Tape up one end of box, fold in sides of other end. Spray paint box
white, let dry. Cut holes for arms and head. When dry, paint red stripes
vertically on box. Using paint brush, paint the word POPCORN in black
across the front of the box. Cut large popcorn pieces out of yellow poster
board. Glue along top edge of box. Cut a couple of strips of red posterboard,
enough to go around the top edge of the box, covering the very bottoms
of the popcorn. This will give the appearance of the popcorn being inside
the box rather than floating on the outside.
Lego
- large box
- spray paint in a bright primary color
- 6 empty margarine or butter tubs
- shoe box
- small plastic cups
- face paint
Tape up one end of box, fold in sides of other end. Spray paint box and
let dry. Cut holes for arms and head. Paint empty butter tubs same color
as the box. Glue the six butter tubs to the front of the box, 2 vertical rows,
3 in each row, closed end out. To create a matching hat, take a shoe box
and spray paint it to match your costume. Glue small plastic cups (also
painted) upside down to the bottom of the shoe box. Place the shoe box
on your head. Paint your face the same color as your costume.
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