Finding Halloween costumes can be trying, both for adults and children. The store bought costumes are too costly and too flimsy; kids rip them and adults invest too much in them. However, homemade costumes take too much time and sewing and end up costing quite a bit as well. However, there are a few kid-friendly costumes that can be made from items in your home. You'll find that for an adult or child's costume you won't need to spend a fortune or search the town for the pieces for these costumes.
Police Officer
A police officer outfit can be found in someone's dresser drawer. Pull together a pair of dark dress pants and a dark button down shirt to match to create the perfect police uniform. Cut a star from a piece of lightweight cardboard and cover it with aluminum foil; add a safety pin to the back and you have a badge. The only thing that you need to purchase is the hat from the costume shop.
S.W.A.T.
For the more daring public servant, try a S.W.A.T. costume. Start with a dark grey or black sweatsuit. Then, gather a fishing vest. Add some knee pads and protective goggles. (Look in the workshop for the knee pads and goggles or try the sporting goods bin.) Put on a pair of cheap stretchy gloves with the fingers cut off. If you have a dark colored batting helmet without logos, that looks great, but a black face mask will serve for head gear as well. Last, using colored duct tape make the letters 'SWAT' on the back of the vest and add the officer's last name to the front of the vest with the tape and a Sharpie. A few stripes can be added to the arms and legs and squad names can also be added. Last, paint black smudges on the cheekbones for the big moment.
Firefighter
A fireman's costume can easily be made with some colored duct tape and a raincoat. Gather some black sweatpants and a yellow or black raincoat. Use yellow or black tape to create stripes along the bottom of the coat and around the cuffs. The tape can then be used to create letters across the back of the coat to represent the fire company name. Slip some rain boots on, add a cardboard and aluminum foil badge (like the one for the policeman), and cut two feet off a leaky garden hose (to carry as a prop) to finish the costume. Again, the only item needed is a hat from the costume shop (if you don't already have one in the toy bin.)
Delivery Person
As package delivery at home becomes more popular, so does the deliveryman/woman costume. A pair of tan overalls and a plain tan baseball cap creates the perfect UPS or FedEx driver costume. Add the letters UPS or FedEx to the front pocket and back of the overalls with electrical tape. If overalls aren't available, as they might be hard to find for children, use a brown sweatsuit. Wrap a box in brown paper and tie it with a plain string after adding an oversized label and some other postal logos. If you can get a free Priority Mail box from the post office, that would work wonderfully.
About The Author: Kelly Ann Butterbaugh is a freelance writer who regularly contributes to a variety of magazines and has written a history book for middle readers. Visit her website for writing help, lesson plans, history fun, or work for hire at http://www.kellybutterbaugh.com
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