Alice in Wonderland Family Costumes

Costume Inspiration

For years now, I’ve had my eye on this amazing vintage fabric, illustrated by Charles Voysey. The fabric features beautiful, classic illustrations of Alice in Wonderland characters. The colors and way in which he depicts the characters is stunning, and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Then I thought–why not make this stunning fabric into our family costumes?! An excuse for my children to dress up as a walrus and card-wearing rabbit was an opportunity much too good to pass up. That’s how these Alice in Wonderland family costumes were born.

How to Recreate Alice in Wonderland Family Costumes

These costumes aren’t exactly what you’d call “simple” or “quick”. That said, they’re stunning, and so worth the time, if you plan ahead. Here’s how to recreate these Alice in Wonderland family costumes:

Walrus

I had my heart set on a walrus costume for either Jasper or Felix this year. Jasper’s getting to that age where he’s a bit more opinionated when it comes to costumes, so since Felix didn’t object, we decided the walrus was best for him. Here’s how to make it:

Hat

First, I have to give credit to the mastermind behind the paper mache, Carrie. The job she did on that paper mache walrus and rabbit was too much! Here’s what to do for the walrus hat:

  1. The paper mache hat is the most important part of this costume. First, make the cardboard understructure, using our photos as a reference. We used gaff tape to stick the cardboard pieces together because it’s amazingly sticky.
  2. Once the pieces are cut and assembled, you can add a few layers of paper mache. To make paper mache, add one part flour to two parts water, mix, then heat in the microwave or on a stovetop until it thickens just a bit. You don’t want it too thick, just enough so it’s not like water anymore.
  3. Once the paste is made, rip up strips of newsprint, dip into the paste, and apply until your walrus is fully coated. Let dry completely (this can take at least a couple days, so plan ahead)!
  4. When your walrus is fully dry, go ahead and paint in the details and add finishing touches, like fur.
  5. To attach the hat to your child’s head, tie a piece of string to either side of the head and tie around your child’s chin.

Walrus outfit

For our walrus outfit, we went the simple route and bought a walrus jumpsuit so we could focus on that paper mache showstopper hat. We found ours here. We also found some clothing (courtesy of my sister!) that was perfect for it–check out your local thrift shops for options.

Rabbit

We decided to have Jasper be the rabbit, thinking he’d be content with the choice if he got to wear an awesome paper mache hat. Well, content is a relative term–at least we could take the photos before he changed into his spider man costume. Ha! Here’s how to make the rabbit portion of our Alice in Wonderland family costumes:

Rabbit hat

  1. First, cut out and assemble the rabbit understructure, using our photos as a reference.
  2. Next, follow the instructions above to add the paper mache to your rabbit understructure. Tip: we found that, once coated in paper mache, the ears started to sag a bit. To help with that, prop a cardboard box up behind the ears to keep them from falling backwards as they dry. Once dry, they’ll stand up fine with the help of the stiff paper mache.
  3. When the paper mache is dry, paint the rabbit and add any embellishments you’d like. We painted some thin, floral wire black and turned it into whiskers.
  4. To attach the hat to your child’s head, tie a piece of string to either side of the head and tie around your child’s chin.

Shirt

The easiest option here is to buy a shirt with puff sleeves for our child. We couldn’t find one that would arrive in time, so we DIY’ed a shirt instead.

Collar

For the collar, we used crepe paper, string or yarn, an embroidery needle and the same technique as for our vintage clown costumes. Easy!

Cards

  1. For the cards, cut eight pieces of cardboard that are each 6 ½” wide and 9 ¾” tall. 
  2. Once they’re cut, paint them all white. We used white house paint and a large brush to speed up this process. We also painted them at the same time as Paul’s cards.
  3. When the paint is dry, use the cricut to cut out the card shapes using the templates. Tape in place on the white paint.
  4. To attach to each other, use ribbon and staples. For attaching the front and back, again, use ribbon and staples.

Feet

For the rabbit feet, all you need is some white faux fur. Tear it down to the size of your child’s shoe and safety pin some elastic on to hold it in place.

Brittany’s Outfit

I’m not sure of the official name of Brittany’s character, since we based the costumes off illustrations instead of the book’s official character names. That said, we’ll call her a knight. Mostly we had to make this costume because the outfit was just incredible. Here’s how to recreate it:

Cardboard Skirt/Hat

  1. Using our photos as a reference, cut out and assemble the shapes for the cardboard torso, skirt, and hat pieces.
  2. Now paint them, using our photos as a reference.
  3. Oh, and that makeup?! Have fun with it.

Pants/Tights

For the pants and tights, we used a mauve pair of sweats, cut off and gathered at the knees, and these golden yellow tights

Blouse

The next element of Brittany’s outfit was the blouse. We needed to find some great puffy sleeves, which we found here. Then we cut out fabric embellishments and appliquéed them on with a simple zig zag stitch around the edge. See our photos for the shapes we used!

Shoes

The shoes needed to be vintage-looking, sort of like pilgrim shoes. Brittany happened to own just the pair already!

Paul’s Outfit

Last outfit of our Alice in Wonderland family costumes to complete was Paul’s. His character was a card man wearing an all-blue outfit/hood. This was a simple costume to figure out! Here’s what we did:

Blue Outfit

For the blue outfit, we bought a simple blue sweatsuit with a hood. We found our’s here and here.

Cards

  1. To make the cards, cut two large pieces of cardboard. They should be the same size, big enough to cover the torso all the way to the shoulders and down to the knees.
  2. After cutting the cardboard down, paint them both white. We used house paint and a roller to speed up the process. Note: if you’d rather, you can also use white foam core or mat board and skip the painting.
  3. Once the paint is dry, cut out the card template pieces on the cricut with black cardstock and glue or tape in place on top of the white paint.
  4. Last, attach the two pieces of cardboard together using ribbon and staples. We also used gaff tape for extra support.

Shoes

The last essential element of Paul’s costume were the shoes. Like Brittany, he needed some classic-looking shoes. We ended up using some simple, black ones Paul already had. We’d also recommend checking your local thrift shop–there are often hidden gems there.

And that’s a wrap! What do you think of our Alice in Wonderland costumes?

More Inspiration

Loved these Alice in Wonderland family costumes and want more costume ideas? See these classic Halloween costumes for kids! Also see our vintage clown costumes, Barbiecore costume, wild things costumes and Campbell’s soup cans. Then check out our blog archives for tons more costume ideas. And see this post for tons of last minute Halloween ideas from our shop!

Easy Halloween Ideas From Our Shop

My Ideal Halloween

My ideal Halloween is playfully spooky, crafty, and (above all) easy, and there’s no such thing as too many easy Halloween ideas. If you’re looking for a fun, simple way to celebrate the season without turning your home into a Spirit Halloween storefront, read on for easy Halloween ideas!

Easy Halloween Decorations

This Haunted House makes a perfect Halloween centerpiece and conversation starter. You’ll make it from recycled cardboard boxes, which is a win for Planet Earth, and it’s beautiful enough to come back year after year, which is a win for you! Check out our blog post on it here.

Cardboard Haunted House for recycled holiday decor

Garlands are another classic when it comes to Halloween decor. Try this fun new Halloween garland featuring the Halloween shapes you’ve been missing. If you love the spooky aspect of Halloween, check out this Vampire Teeth Garland. It’s creepy without being too macabre, and oh so easy.

DIY vampire teeth garland

Another slightly spooky and impeccably easy decor idea is this wooden transfer plaque template! I’m all for riding the line between pretty and creepy at Halloween, and these really fit the bill. Find the tutorial here.

wooden cross sections of branches with spiders and bugs transferred onto them hanging from maroon ribbons.

This painted pumpkin face template makes for such a fun, easy DIY! Give your porch some whimsy this Halloween by painting these sweet characters on your pumpkins. Read the tutorial here and get painting!

painted pastel pumpkin faces against a pink background

How many times can you say “pretty paper pumpkin project?” Whatever your answer, you should check out this template for rainbow paper pumpkins, along with this tutorial blog post. These make a beautiful, refined, seasonal table setting, they’ll look great for all of Autumn, not jus Halloween. A Thanksgiving comeback, anyone?

orange, gold, and yellow paper pumpkins on a table setting.

If you’re in a pinch and looking for quick decorations, don’t forget this post about last minute Halloween decor!

Easy Halloween Costume Ideas

There’s something to be said for a super intricate, detailed costume for sure. But even if you don’t have the time and energy to become a perfectly accurate storm trooper, dressing up doesn’t have to be out of your reach. Lots of our costume templates just require some simple clothing, some paper, and a prop or two. No professional costuming degree necessary!

Our Ruth Bader Ginsberg collar is maybe our simplest costume for adults. Just cut it out (a cricut or other cutting machine is helpful here), put it over a dark dress, and pull your hair back. Voilà! You’re ready to advocate for your sisters.

A white paper lace collar on a black background.

If you’ve been a Lars reader for more than about a minute you’ll know that I love flowers. So of course I wanted to dress up as a bouquet! Ha! Practice making some paper flowers for this Sweet Pea Paper Flower Bouquet costume (and read the tutorial here).

Brittany wearing a bouquet costume with paper flowers and a white paper wrapper against a green backdrop

Group costumes are always so fun, so pair your bouquet costume with greenhouse garb for a friend! This greenhouse costume uses cardboard and iron-on flowers, and is sure to turn heads. You can find the tutorial here. Speaking of group costumes, you really don’t want to miss our Andy Warhol Campbell’s soup can team costumes, or our Wild Things costumes. They’re some of my favorites, and they’re great for any size group!

a white woman with brown hair wears a green dress with iron on flowers, a greenhouse hat, and yellow clogs. She's holding flowers and a watering can.

Family Costume

Another cute Halloween costume for a pair of friends would be our beehive and picnic costumes. Both use an iron-on technique to make easy halloween costumes that are as cute as a bug. Find the tutorials here.

Brittany wears a gingham red dress with ants ironed onto it and holds a rattan picnic bag. a white woman wearing a yellow dress with iron-on bees, black gloves, a bee headband, and black shoes stands in front of a blue background.

This constellation costume with iron-on stars is absolutely dazzling. Honestly, you might as well break it out all year round because it’s that beautiful.

a blonde woman wearing an off-the-shoulder black jumpsuit with silvers stars all over it, sparkly makeup, and a spangled headband against a periwinkle background

For a subtle Halloween look, just print off our Pumpkin Crown and wear warm autumn tones.

Printable Pumpkin Crown

Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids

Brand new this year are our classic Halloween costumes for kids! We give you options for a witch, bat, and pumpkin. Not only are they simple to make in a pinch, they’re adorable and you’ll be glad you tried them out. One of our most glamorous costumes with templates in the shop is our sun, cloud and rainbow set. This makes a great baby and mom costume, because you can add sun rays to a baby bonnet. I love how our model matched the baby’s outfit to her sling! With this costume you can invest as much or as little as you want. Just want the Sun and Rainbow headpiece? No problem. What about the Cloud Bag and Cloud Earrings? Done. Just want a sunny baby bonnet pattern? Your wish is our command. Make the costume just how you like it with this tutorial.

Rainbow costumeRainbow and sun mommy and me costume

This Giving Tree costume is another easy Halloween idea that you could make in a flash. And who doesn’t want to reference a classic children’s book in their costume? Find the tutorial here.

A mom wearing a green outfit with leaves and holding a felt apple bag stands next to her child in red overalls. They're dressed as the Giving Tree.

If you have a gaggle of children to costume, consider our Three Blind Mice baby costume pattern or our Crayon Hat template. Both are simple to put together and oh so sweet. For more kids costume ideas, see this post!

3 blind mice diy costume for kidsFour kids wearing crayon halloween costumes in orange, red, blue, and green.

Halloween Party Supplies

Even though gathering in big groups for Halloween parties is starting to look less and less likely (again 😔), you can still throw a Halloween party for your family, roommates, or pod! This Halloween Party Suite includes printable invitations, placemats, party tags, and place cards. Talk about easy Halloween ideas!

Halloween themed place cards.

Paper party goods with a halloween theme on a black background. They're orange, yellow, black, white, navy, and peach.

And for a party favor, try these printable poppers or printable Halloween candy gift boxes.

Halloween party poppersPrintable Halloween Candy Gift Box

These Halloween coupons make a fun halloween activity for your family. They’re a great way for parents to get their kids to relinquish some candy in return for fun activities.

halloween coupons in pink, red, blue, and black.

These illustrated Halloween cards are another great party favor because you can attach them to treat bags, trade them, send them as cards, or just hang them up.

Printable Halloween Cards

If your party is more freaky than funky, you might like this elegant invitation and Halloween dinner menu.

black and white illustrated halloween party invitation in a black decorative hadn surrounded by foliage and fruitsBlack and floral printable halloween menu

Party Food

Real talk here: what’s a party without cake? Use these printables and templates to make your Halloween cake extra fancy. The Spooky Town printable cake topper set is quaint and just a bit creepy, while this Black Birds cake topper is decidedly Hitchcock-approved. Red velvet cake makes it even more dramatic!

a colorful, cute printable cake topper set on a cake."The Birds" Cake Topper

If your fall party isn’t so Halloween-specific (or even if it is!) this Fall Leaf cake topper will add elegance and fun to the celebration.

DIY fall leaf cake topper

More Inspiration

Looking for more cards, costumes, and decor? Search for Halloween on our blog! You’ll be blown away by the years of great, easy Halloween ideas and DIYs. If you’re interested in many of these ideas (who wouldn’t be!?), you can check out our E-Book, The Halloween that Lars Made. It’s a one-stop shop for easy Halloween ideas, DIYs, and projects. Also, for more festive ideas check out this post on how to get into the Halloween spirit this year!

Vintage Clown Costumes

Classic Costumes with a Twist

I love the idea of a good, classic Halloween costume, especially with a vintage twist. If you haven’t noticed, I have a thing for antiques and all things vintage, so it comes as no surprise that Halloween would be affected by that love of old things. That’s where these vintage clown costumes come in! A good group costume is one that gives you plenty of options for characters and expanding your group, and a vintage clown just seemed like the perfect choice. I mean, the face makeup potential alone had me sold, and then add in the costumes?! I was giddy.

The best part about these costumes is that we already had the outfits, we just had to add the embellishments. Easy! Here’s how to recreate our vintage clown costumes for yourselves:

How to Make a Vintage Clown Costume

Hats

Making clown hats is super simple. All you need is a piece of poster board and this template and you’re set! Here’s what to do:

  1. First, use our template to cut out the half circle shape. 
  2. Next, roll the half circle up into a cone shape, adjusting to the width of your head. Tape in place.
  3. Now all that’s left is to add the embellishments! We used a variety (see our photos for reference), like hearts, pom poms of different sizes, and rick rack. We referenced actual photos from vintage circuses for our clown hats so they’d look extra authentic.

Pom Poms

We had some spare pom poms lying around from past projects, and we also have a pom maker. To make your own, reference this and this post.

To add them to the hats, we glued them on. For the outfits, we attached them using safety pins. 

Face Makeup

This was one of my favorite parts of the whole vintage clown costume. It made all the difference in how the costumes felt and the vibe we were going for! Again, we referenced actual vintage clown photos for inspiration, then went crazy and had fun doing our own twist on the originals. See our photos for help if you’re struggling with face makeup design ideas!

Well, that’s a wrap! What do you think of our vintage clown costumes? Are you going to don your own clown outfits this Halloween? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

Collars

Another element that really makes these clown costumes is the collar. We used a variety of materials and a variety of colors to spice things up. Here’s what to do:

  1. For the tulle collar, use yarn to sew a loose basting stitch along 4 yards of tulle. Pull it in to gather and tie it in a bow at the back. Tip: for a fuller look, fold the tulle over a couple times before gathering, then make sure to catch all the folded layers in your gathered stitches.
  2. Next is a crepe paper collar. Fold the crepe paper like an accordion, then thread yarn through with an embroidery needle until it’s as long and full as you’d like. Tie in a bow in the back.
  3. Now for the paper collars. For this, accordion fold pieces of card stock together, gluing with the addition of each new piece of card stock. Glue the two ends together when it’s long enough. Then hole punch the folds and thread elastic through. Tie the elastic at the end, making sure it’s loose enough to fit over your head.
  4. Done!

More Inspiration

For more Halloween costume ideas, check out our Campbell’s soup team costumes from last year! Also see our Wild Things costumes, Rainbow team costumes, and Mommy and Me costume ideas from years past. Then visit our archives for tons more costume inspiration! Interested in more pom pom projects? Click here.

Barbiecore Costume Ideas

Costume of the Century

I love a good pop culture costume. Remember Jasper as Jared Leto? It turns out the Met Gala is too perfect of a pop culture feast to pass up. Well, the feast of the century presented itself earlier this year and Barbiecore made its debut. I mean, what better way to usher in the new Barbie movie than with a show-stopping Barbiecore costume?

We mixed and matched a few different outfits, and loved how they turned out. Oh, and we couldn’t have done it without our amazing model, Hannah! She even brought her own pink outfit to add to the mix, which was PERFECT.

Barbiecore from Around the Web

Since most of you are probably thinking about making a Barbiecore costume a reality, we decided to help out a bit. We scoured the internet for Barbiecore items worthy of a costume. The good news is that there is a lot of potential out there! Here are some options we found that just might be perfect for a Barbiecore costume of the century:

More Inspiration

Loved this Barbiecore costume and need more costume inspiration? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. See this roundup of our best cardboard costumes, and also check out these Mommy and me costumes! Then step over to our blog archives for tons more costume ideas and Halloween content. And don’t forget about our Halloween shop for tons more Halloween ideas!

Classic Halloween Costumes

Witch, Bat and Pumpkin

One of the main requisites of these classic Halloween costumes is simplicity. Of course we love a good elaborate Halloween costume, but sometimes there’s just not time for that. We purposefully designed these three Halloween costumes with that in mind. Some of them do require a bit of sewing, but just simple, straight lines that even the most beginner of sewists can handle. And if you’re not ready for sewing? You’re in luck. Our bat costume can be made with safety pins and staples alone, no sewing required.

Comfy and Cozy

One Halloween back in elementary school, I decided I wanted to be a crayon. I made this amazing costume out of a rolled up piece of poster board, decorated it and wore it to school. The only problem was that I didn’t think about sitting down or moving. I was a little robot all day, tottering around in this big tube that wouldn’t allow me to sit down or run around and play. Eventually I just took it off and people had to guess what I was based on my little sweatsuit alone. Not a dream for a child who loved the costume aspect of Halloween.

I’ve since learned from my crayon Halloween costume experience. We designed these three classic Halloween costumes with your child’s mobility in mind! They can bend, jump and play freely, all while being clearly identifiable as a witch, bat or pumpkin. That said, here’s how to make all three of our classic Halloween costumes:

How to Make a Witch Costume

Materials:

Witch templates, Black poster board, Black fabric (we used a linen/viscose blend–it has the look of linen, but is much cheaper), Black ribbon (1” and ½” wide), a knobbly stick, twine, and raffia.

Hat

  1. Using the hat template, cut out the hat in black poster board.
  2. Next, roll up the half circle so it’s a cone. The rounded edge will be the bottom edge of the cone.
  3. Now, use a pair of scissors to clip the bottom of the hat all the way around with ½” cuts.
  4. Fold the cuts out and tape or glue the rim of the hat onto them, so they’re hidden underneath.
  5. Last, tie the 1” wide black ribbon around the hat into a bow.

Dress

  1. First, cut out the front and back of the dress, using the template provided. You can shrink or enlarge the template based on your child’s size.
  2. Next, hem the bottom and sides of both the front and back.
  3. Now, for both front and back, fold the top over twice and sew down to make a casing. Insert a ribbon into each casing, leaving enough slack on each side to tie bows.
  4. Last, sew ribbon onto the sides, as shown in the photos. There should be one on each side of the front and back so they can tie together.

Broom

  1. The broom is simple! To make it, bundle the raffia around one end of the stick and bind in place with some twine.
  2. Done!

To embellish the costume, wear a simple black dress, black tights and black boots or mary janes.

How to Make a Bat Costume

Materials:

Bat templates, Faux fur, Black ribbon (1” and ½” wide), Black cardstock, cardboard box (use an old shipping box), black and white acrylic paint, black webbing strap, adjustable strap hardware (optional), Stapler/staples, glue stick, Scissors, craft knife.

Body

  1. For the body, cut out the template shape for both front and back.
  2. Then, add ribbon to the top two corners of front and back.
  3. Now add ribbon to the sides of both front and back (they should be positioned to tie at the waist). To add ribbon, you can either sew or safety-pin the ribbon on. It’s your preference!

Wings

  1. First, cut out two of the wings template. They should mirror each other. Tape them together at the center and wherever else you need, if you’re using multiple pieces of cardboard put together.
  2. Next, paint the wings on both sides as shown in the photos. Let the paint dry before moving on to the next step.
  3. Last, staple on straps. If desired, you can make them adjustable, as we did. To see how to make them adjustable, see this tutorial.

Feet

  1. First, cut out the feet template using cardboard. Curve the ends of the claws over a bit.
  2. Next, paint the feet as shown in the photos.
  3. When the paint is dry, attach the feet to the shoes with ribbon, elastic, or tape.

Ears

  1. For the ears, cut out two of the ear templates.
  2. Next, fold them together at the slit at the base and tape in place.
  3. Last, cut a length of 1” black ribbon (long enough to tie around your head like a headband) and staple the ears on it.

Nose

  1. Use the nose template provided to cut out the nose pieces. Use the craft knife for the nostril holes.
  2. Next fold the rectangular piece with narrow accordion folds.
  3. Now cut slits along one edge of the rectangular piece you just folded.
  4. Next, fold the slits out and curve the rectangle around the front nose piece and glue in place.
  5. Last, cut off the excess and shape the nose to your face, then tape in place on your face. If you don’t want to tape, you can also tie the nose around your head with string.

How to Make a Pumpkin Costume

Materials

Pumpkin template, Orange linen/viscose fabric, Black fabric scraps or felt (we used scraps from the witch’s outfit), Green ribbon, Orange cardstock, brown cardstock, green pipe cleaners, scotch tape, scissors, and string

Pumpkin

  1. First, cut out the front and back of the pumpkin costume using the template provided. Remember, you can make it smaller or larger depending on the size of your child.
  2. Next, as with the witch, hem the bottom and both sides of front and back, then make a casing for the top edge.
  3. Now feed a ribbon through the top casings of both front and back, leaving some excess at each end to tie bows.
  4. You’ll also need to sew ribbon to the front and back at the waist, with enough slack to tie.
  5. For the face, cut out the template provided in black fabric. 
  6. Then, fold over and iron each piece so the raw edges are hidden, then pin and sew in place. If you don’t want to fold over and iron each piece, you can use felt or something else that won’t fray.
  7. We sewed our face on the pumpkin, but you can also glue it if you don’t want to sew.

Hat

  1. For the hat, cut out the template pieces provided (the “c” shape should be cut out in orange, and the rectangle in brown).
  2. Follow the step photos to see how to assemble. Tape the pieces together to secure.
  3. Now wrap pipe cleaner around a pencil to make a spiral, then poke one end into the pumpkin hat and tape on the inside. We added about four pipe cleaner vines to our pumpkin hat.
  4. Last, tape a piece of string to each side of the hat so it can tie around your child’s chin.
  5. Done!

What did you think of these classic Halloween costumes? Will you use them in a pinch? Drop your comments below!

More Inspiration

Did you love these classic Halloween costumes? You might be interested in our other Halloween costumes! Check out our wild things costumes, mommy and me costumes, and best cardboard costumes. For even more costume inspiration, check out this list of our top 15 favorite costumes! Also see influential women costumes, these costumes made from everyday supplies, and these paper costumes. Short on time? Check out these three last minute Halloween costumes! Looking for a real showstopper? Don’t miss our Tortured Artists, Frida Kahlo, or Medusa costumes.

Mommy and Me Halloween Costumes

Mommy and Me Halloween Costumes

It turns out we have quite a few mommy and me Halloween costumes we’ve made over the years. Here are some of my favorites:

Rainbow and sun mommy and me costume

Picasso and Painting

Russian nesting doll mommy and baby costumeArtist and palette mommy and baby costume

Mushroom and garden gnome baby and mommy costume

Stork and package mommy and baby costume

Other Parent/Child Costumes

While these aren’t strictly mommy and me Halloween costumes, they definitely could be. Also make them into daddy and me, siblings or just whole family costumes! I love that the following costumes are all based off of books, too! What’s your child’s favorite book? Use your imagination and make your own costume based off of one of their favs. 

A mom wearing a paper flower costume and a daughter dressed as a mouse pose in their costumes

A mom wearing a green outfit with leaves and holding a felt apple bag stands next to her child in red overalls. They're dressed as the Giving Tree.

Group Costumes

These group costumes work great for friends, family, siblings, grandparents, you name it. Do you need multiple matching costumes? Here are our favorites.

family costume where the wild things are

Family Costume

Baby/Kid Costumes

Sometimes mommy and me Halloween costumes are more accurately just baby/kid costumes with mommy tagging along. If you’re more interested in dressing up your little one than yourself this year, we’ve got you covered. Because we all know there’s nothing cuter and more hilarious than your kid dressed up as, say…Jared Leto and his head or a viking. Sometimes those costumes just stand alone.

Oscar Tribute baby costumes

More Inspiration

Loved this mommy and me Halloween costumes post and want more? For more costume inspiration, check out this list of our top 15 favorite costumes! Also see influential women costumes, these costumes made from everyday supplies, and these paper costumes. Short on time? Check out these three last minute Halloween costumes! Looking for a real showstopper? Don’t miss our Tortured Artists, Frida Kahlo, or Medusa costumes.

Best Cardboard Costumes

Cardboard Halloween Costumes

Cardboard is one of my favorite materials to use for Halloween costumes. It’s incredibly versatile, easy to use, cheap, and most people have loads of it on hand! I know I have way too many Amazon boxes lying around. Well, this is the perfect way to recycle those old boxes and give them a new life! Here are some of the best cardboard costumes from years past.

Where the Wild Things Are

We made our beloved Where the Wild Things Are family costume just last year. This costume was, arguably, my favorite costume yet. It’s amazing! It’s the perfect family costume for many different family sizes, too–just keep adding wild things and you’re all set whether there are three or ten of you when the wild rumpus starts.

family costume wild things

Jasper Viking Costume

This Jasper viking costume was one I will not be forgetting in a hurry. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to see their two year old in full viking garb, ship included?

Campbell’s Soup Cans

Another one of my favorite cardboard costumes was our group costume from last year. Campbell’s soup cans! Not only is this one simple, it looks amazing when finished. Again, it’s great because it’s suitable for any size group.

Family Costume

DIY Hippie Costume

Feeling chill and wanting to channel those hippie vibes? Try this DIY Hippie Costume! It’s cute, simple and straightforward. Perfect if you don’t have a lot of time but want to look like you tried this Halloween.

Mommy and Me Sun Rainbow

Have a newborn this Halloween? You’ll probably love this Mommy and Me Sun Rainbow, especially if that little one is a little ray of sunshine like newborns tend to be. Enjoy the stage and take it to the next level with a costume to compliment it perfectly.

Rainbow and sun mommy and me costume

Picasso and Painting

I just got back from France, and while I was there I went to the Picasso museum. I learned so much! That said, this Picasso and Painting seems extra fitting! Plus, as a bonus, it’s full of color, which is a must for me.

Picasso and Painting

Greenhouse Costume

The greenhouse costume featured in our easy cricut costumes post is the perfect choice if you have a cricut maker and some spare cardboard lying around!

Green house Halloween costume

Jimmy Fallon Costumes

I have to say, I love these Jimmy Fallon costumes. They’re a great way to use up that extra cardboard. In my opinion they’re some of the best cardboard costumes you can choose from! Oh, and speaking of Jimmy Fallon, have you read “Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada”? If so, you’ll love this costume.

Book Costumes

If you have kids, you’ll definitely want to take a look at these book costumes. They’re some of the best cardboard costumes for parents and children to wear together! Try If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus, and Chrysanthemum (one of my personal favorites).

 

A mom wearing a paper flower costume and a daughter dressed as a mouse pose in their costumesCopenhagen Row House Costume

Last, but one of the best cardboard costumes out there is this Copenhagen Row House costume. It’s ideal because it’s made almost exclusively out of cardboard! So if simple is your jam, look no further. Transport yourself (and everyone around you) to Copenhagen, while you’re at it!

More Inspiration

We hope you enjoyed this post on some of our best cardboard costumes! Interested in more cardboard content? Try these eight crafts to do with leftover cardboard. Looking for more costume ideas? Check out this list we compiled last year! Oh, and don’t forget to peruse our shop for lots of easy Halloween ideas!

Camp Lars: Summer Activities for Kids

Crafts

Crafts are at the top of our list of summer activities for kids. We’re all about crafts! So obviously we made some with kids in mind. And don’t limit yourself to this list! See our blog archives for more craft ideas. There are plenty we left off the list that your kids would love to try. Some are advanced enough that older kids will enjoy them more, but don’t fret. There are plenty for all ages to enjoy.

Here are our picks for best crafts for kids:

Matisse Felt Board

DIY block printing stamping art with potato

Courses

Another must-have on our list of summer activities for kids are our courses. Since your kids are out of school, it’s the perfect time to try a fun, easy course to keep their brains in gear! Our Great Artists courses are designed to get kids thinking creatively. They get to learn about different artists, with lots of great kids crafts to compliment what they’re learning. 

Another course that’s great for older kids is our Learn to Draw Flowers course. This course will teach your kids all about 31 different types of flowers and how to draw them. Once they’ve nailed this course they can move onto some of our other crafts, like these nesting eggs or our classic nesting dolls (here are the plain wooden nesting dolls to paint). 

Art Supplies

These art supplies made for kids are the perfect compliment to the courses we just mentioned! Not only are they a great way to keep your kids busy this summer, they’re also an important developmental resource to boost your children’s creativity and kick their imaginations into action.

Here are some options from our shop we love:

Other Kids Toys/Activities

Our shop is full of other summer activities for kids! From puzzles to bug hunting kits, we have something for every type of child, so take a look and see what suits your child’s fancy. 

Eeboo kids toys

back to school stickers on notebooks

 

For the Littlest Ones

We didn’t want to leave the littlest ones out of our list of summer activities for kids! While your older kiddos are off on a bug hunt or playing with puzzles, here are some things that are cozy and fun for even those who can’t walk yet. 

cute gifts for baby

Colorful, geometric paper shapes hang from a mobile in a green room.

Home Decor for Kids

Last but not least is our print shop. Summer activity, you ask? Hear me out: we have a shop full of kid-friendly art just waiting to be put to use somewhere in your home. Are your kids old enough to help decorate? Enlist them! What better way to decorate your child’s room than with art they love to look at? Even if your kiddos are too little to pick out their own art, consider it a great opportunity to decorate your baby’s nursery.

A print of a girl reading in a garden surrounded by trees, grass, and flowers against a golden background.

Four illustrations from fairytales hung above a child's kitchen toy set.

 

cheap art for kid's rooms

We hope we’ve given you some good ideas to keep your kids happy and busy this summer! Now we want to hear from you: what summer activities are your kids doing this summer? And what other kids crafts and activities would you like to see from us? Let us know in the comments below!

Eight Crafts to do with Leftover Cardboard

Papier-mâché Vase

First on our list of crafts to do with leftover cardboard is this Papier-mâché Vase we made recently. It’s the perfect way to use up some cardboard and make something lovely at the same time. I think we can all agree a beautifully-painted papier-mâché vase looks better than a pile of cardboard in the corner.

DIY Cardboard Cactus

A DIY cardboard cactus is another great option if you’re looking for easy home decor! Of course some paper plants had to make it in here somewhere. The best part about paper plants? You can’t kill them. And these cacti? They’re helping keep our planet just a little bit cleaner.

2D Cardboard Vases

There’s no shortage of cardboard vases for you to peruse on our list of crafts to do with leftover cardboard. It seems that cardboard is just the perfect material for an easy DIY vase! These ones are lovely 2D options that are as cute as they are simple. I love how easily customizable they are with a simple coat of paint!

2D Cardboard Vase

Recycled Cardboard Sun

Speaking of keeping our planet clean and beautiful, why not try this Recycled cardboard sun? We made it in honor of Earth Day, but really, isn’t every day Earth Day if we love her? It’s also the perfect summer craft to do when kids are bored–a win win.

make a cardboard sun with recycled materials

Geometric Cardboard Piece Tower

Another great craft to do with cardboard boxes and kids is this geometric cardboard piece tower. We based it off this Bauhaus inspired mobile (which you could easily turn into another cardboard project). We love that it’s simple and fun for kids to do, and it doubles as a great puzzle to keep them busy when they’re done making it.

DIY Painted Cardboard Vases

Next on our list of crafts to do with leftover cardboard are these DIY painted cardboard vases. We painted them to match our lovely blue porcelain inspired tablescape, but you can paint them to match anything you’d like!

Jasper’s Viking Cardboard Box Costume

A real show stopper on our list of crafts to do with leftover cardboard is the iconic viking cardboard box costume. Now we know it’s not Halloween, but what kid doesn’t like an excuse to dress up, much less like a viking?! You could make it into a viking themed birthday party, or just do it for fun. Turns out it’s a great way to keep kids busy during those looong summer months before school starts again!

Papier-mâché Rainbow Vase

Another vase to add to your repertoire from our list of crafts to do with leftover cardboard is this lovely papier-mâché rainbow vase. We love that you can use it for your paper flowers, or as a desk organizer for pens, markers, and anything else you need to keep out of the way.

Paper Mâché Rainbow Vase

Bonus: Recycled Egg Carton Vases

Now we know egg cartons aren’t technically recycled cardboard boxes, but these egg carton vases are a great way to recycle your egg cartons, while you’re at it! Because egg cartons do no good in a landfill, either. Wouldn’t you rather have a lovely vase?

Which of these recycled cardboard crafts is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

 

 

Easter Activities for Kids

Easter Baskets

Every child needs an Easter basket! It’s one of our favorite Easter activities for kids. But have they ever been able to help make one themselves? For older kids, this Rope Easter Basket is a great option that requires absolutely no sewing. Just twist and glue and you’re done!

Our Paper Easter Basket is a perfect option for kiddos who aren’t quite up to the rope Easter basket level yet, but still want to try their hand at making an Easter basket. Just print, cut and assemble and you’re ready for that Easter egg hunt.

Paper Easter baskets filled with paper grass and plastic eggs against a pink and green background

What to Put In Your Easter Basket

A fun activity that doubles as the perfect addition to your child’s Easter basket, try these carrot treat boxes! Fill them with treats and they also double as party favors for a spring or Easter themed party.

If you’re in need of other things to fill your child’s Easter basket with, here’s a post all about activity-filled Easter baskets. And here’s an Easter basket choose your own adventure! All out of time? These last minute Easter printables are sure to save the day.

Printable Easter Gift coupons to put in sugar-free easter eggs

Egg-centric Activities

It wouldn’t be Easter without some egg-centric Easter activities to keep your little ones busy. The bonus is that these activities appeal to adults and kids alike!

Egg Dying

Egg dying is a classic Easter activity for kids. We have lots of egg dying ideas for you to choose from, like our Naturally dyed Easter egg tree or our Easter Egg runner tablescape. For something a little more in-depth (ideal for older kids), these Ukrainian Pysanky Eggs, Nesting Easter eggs, pressed flower eggs and Botanical Easter eggs are stunning, and you can use to redecorate with for years to come.

Once you’ve dyed your eggs, you’ll need a way to display them. Try our Easter egg holders!

Slip a few of the lovely eggs you’ve dyed (or painted) into the grass for an Easter egg hunt. Let your kids find them using one of the Easter baskets above or this carrot shoulder bag!

orange fabric carrot bag full of paper flowers on a blue and white striped background.

Spring Birthday Activities

While not restricted to just a birthday activity, this Easter Scavenger Hunt with anagram balloons is a great one to add to the list if your child has a birthday at this time of year! And of course, no birthday required for a fun Easter scavenger hunt.

Speaking of spring birthdays, this Easter Tablescape Party Suite is the perfect way to celebrate. The best part is all you have to do is print and cut and you’re all done!

Easter printable tablescape with flowers and rabbits and a floral garland.

Coloring Pages

Another great option if you’re looking for good Easter activities for kids is coloring. Try our Ukrainian Easter Coloring Pages or our Easter coloring pages. If your child loves to color, you’ll also definitely want to check out this Flowers coloring book, as well as the rest of our coloring pages and books in the shop!

Dress-up and Play

What kid doesn’t like a little dress up? It’s a perfect Easter activity for kids. For the littlest of them all, this Baby bunny bonnet is adorable, not to mention a great way to keep their tiny scalps from getting sunburnt. For toddlers and children of all ages, these DIY bunny ears, Bunny party hats, and Easter printable crowns are fun and festive.

Need more activities? These Easter egg coupons will give you endless ideas of activities to do with your kids this Easter! Bonus: you can put them in their Easter eggs to avoid a sugar rush and keep them excited all the same.

You also won’t want to miss our springtime activity kit, or our springtime printable activity pack, which includes spring-themed coloring pages and paper dolls for your kids to have fun with.

Baby Animals

What child doesn’t love a cute animal? Even better, what about a bunny in honor of Easter? Make your own or buy one from our shop and keep your kids happily playing all afternoon!

From our shop, here’s a template for our DIY sewn bunny, or this Floppy bunny doll, if you’re not in the mood to sew.

Here are some more options to peruse:

Gardening

Have a budding gardener on your hands? Help them plant some lovely spring flowers! It’s a great way to capitalize on that warmer weather. Here are some supplies to get you started:

Budding Chef

Is your child interested in learning to cook? We have the perfect Easter treat and activity to try: Resurrection rolls for Palm Sunday!

Don’t forget the kitchen essentials for your kids to use:

More Inspiration

Need more ideas for things to do this Easter? Try this post on Easter crafts, or these Easter decor ideas. Happy crafting!

 

 

What Iris Apfel Can Teach Us

Iris Apfel June Book Club Artwork

Who Is Iris Apfel?

Iris Apfel is one of the most iconic women in the history of fashion. This isn’t the first time we’ve mentioned her! Here’s another post where we share some of our musings about Iris. Self-proclaimed “geriatric starlet,” Iris Apfel started as an interior designer with an innate interest in fashion. She really became known when her noteworthy wardrobe made its way into an exhibition at the Met. From there, her career as a fashion icon blossomed.

She didn’t stop there! At age 98, she signed a modeling contract with IMG, blowing all former female model stereotypes out of the water. She even came out with her own sunglasses line a few days before her 100th birthday! From interior design, to transforming the definition of modeling, to her eclectic and show-stopping style, to simply living a full life, Iris Apfel can teach us so much.

Embracing Maximalism in an Age of Minimalism

We are living in an age of minimalism. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not always against minimalism. When done correctly it can be lovely. The problem is that it’s become an overwhelming default that squashes so many opportunities for creative expression. If you’re interested more of my thoughts on neutrals and default colors, read this post. Anyway, I’m not here today to focus on minimalism. I’m here to talk about Iris Apfel, who is an example of totally owning gorgeous maximalism. Iris Apfel can teach us so. much. Here’s how she can help us embrace maximalism when minimalism is so overwhelmingly present.

What Iris Apfel Can Teach Us

Don’t Fear Patterns and Colors!

I remember buying clothes with my mom as a kid. She’d always offer up the same advice: “pick something that will go with everything!” There’s a myth that’s been circulating for many years that neutral solids match better than colors and patterns. My mom’s not alone. Many people stick almost solely to neutrals, not because they don’t like color or pattern, but because they feel intimidated. Which is totally understandable! Neutrals are, admittedly, easy.

But are they satisfying? Iris Apfel sure shows us that there are many, many examples of bold color and pattern combinations that look exquisite together. They’re less common because it’s intimidating to jump into so much color and pattern, but maybe that’s what makes them so wonderful. So to those wanting to incorporate more patterns and colors into their lives but feeling intimidated, remember that Iris would tell you to go for it! You can do it, just be confident in those bold choices and don’t let others dissuade you. As Iris would say, “When you don’t dress like everyone else then you don’t have to think like everyone else.”

The Bolder the Better

Speaking of bold choices, is anything every really too much for Iris Apfel? Probably not. She teaches us that, rather than airing on the side of caution when it comes to your wardrobe, go big or go home! She would probably put it just that candidly, too.

She’s the perfect example of really diving into colors and patterns and showing us that bolder really is better, in her case. After all, she did say, “color can raise the dead.” When you own bold patterns and colors like Iris Apfel, they are striking, completely show-stopping, and do much more than any combination of neutrals could to. So be all in! The key is to be decisive and intentional. A half-hearted effort just doesn’t produce the Iris Apfel effect.

Mix and Match!

Another one of my mom’s common statements was something along the lines of “don’t wear multiple patterns together, they don’t go.” Well Iris Apfel would most likely say the exact opposite: Why opt for a neutral that goes with everything when you can go for a wild, wacky combo? And who says multiple patterns can’t compliment each other exquisitely?

Rather than always going for black because it will match everything in your wardrobe, try branching out. Unlikely combinations can sometimes be best.

Speaking of unlikely combinations, don’t fear mixing high and low fashions. Iris Apfel was famous for shamelessly mixing designer brands with flea market finds, and patterns, colors and textures of all different eras. The eclectic mix became her signature, and she knowingly broke all rules and conventions. Isn’t the saying something like “learn the rules so you can break them?”

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize

Don’t let me finish out this list of what Iris Apfel can teach us without including accessories. Iris’s iconic glasses, boas, and bold bangles with forever be remembered. Nothing is too thick, chunky, or big for her. Accessories can do wonders for an outfit that feels like it needs a little something to be complete.

And again, Iris Apfel audaciously merged antiquity with modernity with striking success.

Dress for Yourself, Not to be Stared At

Above all, fashion is and should be very personal. It’s all about you, or it should be. As Iris says, “I don’t dress to be stared at, I dress for myself.” Iris has us convinced that fashion should be fun, and it’s the most fun when it feels true to YOU. Ultimately, “The important thing is to be comfortable so you can get on with your life.”

In the Shop

If you’re looking for something to remind you of Iris Apfel, check out our shop! Nothing helps with inspiration like seeing Iris Apfel’s face every time you open your book and see this bookmark. Or looking up at the wall by your desk and seeing this print! If you’re wanting to prep for the holiday season early this year, we’d recommend this Iris Apfel ornament.

More Inspiration

Loved this post on what Iris Apfel can teach us and want to be inspired by other amazing women? Check out our Becoming series, where we highlight female creatives and how they became who they are! You can also be inspired by these in the mood for posts, where we draw style and design inspiration from artists, creatives, and things we love throughout history.

One last note before you go: Iris Apfel has collaborated with H&M to release a new collection this spring 2022–STAY TUNED! I’m positive we’ll have more to say where that came from.

 

 

 

 

Family Costume Reveal

Where the Wild Things Are Family Halloween Costume

I just realized that this is our first family Halloween costume we’ve done with our kids. I always just highlighted Jasper–that was fine enough for me. But once Jasper started really acting like Max from Wild Things I knew we had to do this costume as a family. Gwen from our team took on the challenge and SHE NAILED IT! Seriously so good. We had a lot of hands on it too since I’m still in baby survival mode ;).

family costume wild things

Where the Wild Things are Max Costume Idea

This part of our family costume is so simple. Seriously, it hardly takes any time at all, so if you’re in a pinch, this is a great option: cute, cozy, and simple.

First things first, you’ll need a white jumpsuit. Easy. This is a good option if you need help finding one. We added in some more visible buttons like the illustration as well as a tail.

wild things max costume

You’ll also need: 

  • Faux fur like this (for the tail and crown)
  • A crown. For ours, we used Jasper’s flower lane crown. We would highly recommend! They are durable, comfortable, and adjustable and you can use them for birthdays and more. If you’re interested, you can find them here.
  • Hot glue, safety pin, or clip (to attach the tail)

Instructions for DIY Max Costume

  1. First, cut the length of the faux fur rope needed for Max’s head circumference. Tie in a knot. (crown should fit snugly inside)
  2. Then cut another piece of faux fur rope for the tail (estimate length as needed). Hot glue, pin, or clip the faux fur tail in place.
  3. Done! So easy, right?

max from where the wild things aremax and wild things costumes

Baby Wild Thing Halloween Costume

Baby’s costume was super simple because we started with a simple furry onesie base and worked it out from there.

wild things costume for baby

You will need:

  • Furry jumpsuit with hood (we used one like this)
  • Cardboard
  • Horn template from our shop
  • Masking tape
  • Acrylic paint (we used white and gray)
  • Hot glue
  • Scissors
  • Face paint (we used black for his little nose)

where the wild things are baby costumecardboard foot claws

DIY Cardboard Horns and feet for Wild Things Halloween Costume

where the wild things are papier mache mask

  1. For the horns, cut out two sets of our template, found here.
  2. Print out the templates.
  3. Trace the templates onto cardboard, then cut out the templates as indicated.
  4. Slide the two separate pieces into the corresponding slots, then wrap completely with masking tape so the cardboard is covered. Wrap as if you’re wrapping a mummy, so the tape is nice and flat, no bumps or wrinkles (this will make painting them a lot easier later!)where the wild things are webbed feet cardboard
  5. Paint the horns your desired color/pattern/texture! We did kind of a gradient to mimic the original illustrations in the book.
  6. For the feet, print out the template (found here), then trace it onto cardboard and cut out.
  7. Paint the feet however you want! We chose gray for the claws and white for the rest, then added some texture.
  8. Wait for the paint to dry, then use hot glue to attach the horns and claws to the furry jumpsuit.
  9. Ta da!

wild things papier mache mask costumewhere the wild things are scales costume

Adult Where The Wild Things Are costumes

The adult wild things costumes were definitely the most time intensive of the family costumes, but are also showstoppers. So worth it. For these, you’ll need:wild things costume with big masks

  • Cardboard (plenty of it! You’ll use it for the masks and feet)
  • Newspaper, 1 part flour, 5 parts water, 2 Tbsp salt, and a pot for the paper mache
  • Scissors
  • Black faux fur like this
  • orange/brown yarn like this
  • Two baseball caps
  • Twine
  • Acrylic paint
  • Yellow sweatsuit set (something like this and this)
  • Brown hoodless sweatshirt
  • Gray sweats
  • Yellow felt
  • cream/white felt
  • Hot glue
  • Floral wire (we used 22 gauge)
  • Styrofoam balls for eyes (3in diameter balls are a good size)
  • Elastic (¾ or 1 in width is good)

wild things costume masks

Instructions

Prepping the masks

  1. Cut out two large circles of cardboard, one for each mask. Make one slightly larger than the other.
  2. Cut three, evenly-spaced slits in the top third section of the cardboard circles
  3. Overlap each of the slits with each other slightly, then hot glue. This will give the mask a little dimension.
  4. Cut off the bottom third of each of the circles(these will be the mouths)
  5. For the teeth, cut out roughly ten triangles (just estimate the size) for the smaller, yellow wild thing, and 14 for the bigger, horned wild thing.
  6. Next, glue the teeth onto the bottom of the top third section, underlapping them slightly. Leave a few inches of space on each side of the teeth. Do this with both masks.
  7. Then, hot glue the bottom section of both masks back on, bending the top third around so the bottom section underlaps slightly and gives the sides and bottom a little depth.how to make a papier mache mask
  8. For the horns on the bigger wild thing, you can use the same template used for the baby wild thing (found here) and just make them bigger.
  9. For the eyes, poke wire through the styrofoam balls and loop back through to secure. Then poke the wire through the cardboard and twist in the back to secure.
  10. For the nose, take one styrofoam ball (for the center of the nose) and do the same thing you did with the eyes, placing it where the nose should go. Then, for each nostril, shave off the bottom as needed (roughly one third) to let the balls settle down on each side of the nose center. Secure with wire.
  11. Now, crumple/fold some pieces of newspaper and build them up around the top and bottoms of the eyes. These are the eyelids.

Now you’re ready to do the paper mache!

how to make a papier mache mask wild thingsPaper mache

Prepping the paste/newspaper

  1. Cut a bunch of long, thin strips of newspaper. It’s nice to have them cut in advance so you don’t have to do this with sticky hands later. Cut as many as you think you’ll need to cover both masks adequately in a couple layers.
  2. Boil 4 parts water. In separate bowl, whisk 1 part warm water with one part flour. Try to get out any lumps. If you live in a humid place, add a few tablespoons of salt to prevent mold growth. 
  3. Once the flour mixture is done, slowly stir into the boiling water. Mix it in well, then let boil for a few minutes. If it seems a little thick, you can add water, and if it seems thin, you can add flour.
  4. Now you’re ready to apply the glue!where the wild things are bird costume with long hair

Glueing the masks

  1. First, take a strip of newspaper and dip it into the paste. Coat the paper completely, sliding your fingers over the paper so the paper is covered in a thin layer of the paste. 
  2. The next step is to apply the sticky newspaper to the mask! (Note: you make want to use gloves for this step, it can get pretty messy)
  3. Keep applying the newspaper pieces until the mask is covered (cover the teeth, too!). Tip: Make sure to place them randomly, rather than going the same direction the whole time. The paper mache will hold better this way.
  4. Remember to cover the horns with paper mache, too! Wrap them like a mummy, using the same wrapping technique as for the baby wild thing horns.
  5. Let dry COMPLETELY before moving on to the next steps.

Painting

Once you’ve applied two or so coats and they’re dry, you’ll be ready to paint! Note: it usually takes at least a day or two for the paper mache to dry (faster in dry, hot climates, and slower in cold, humid climates).

papier mache maskFinishing touches

  1. Now for the fun part: paint the masks! Use ours as a reference for colors, and we’d also recommend looking at the original illustrations if you need more help figuring out how to paint them.
  2. After the paint is dry, you can cut out strips of the faux fur and hot glue them all around the bigger wild thing’s head. Cut strips of yarn and hot glue them onto the smaller wild thing’s head. To make the yarn look like it’s parted in the middle, you can fold the strips of yarn in half and glue the folded sections to the middle where the part is.where the wild things are with long hair
  3. Now, poke two eye holes below the nose (they will look like nostrils). You want to be able to see while wearing this thing!
  4. The next step is to hot glue the baseball caps inside the masks. Place them so the back of the hat is just above the eye holes. This should make it so you can see when the hat is on your head.
  5. If you would like, you can also hot glue a couple of pieces of twine to the back of the mask that you can tie around your head for extra stability.
  6. The masks are done! Whew!

family costume where the wild things arePrepping the adult clothing

Prepping the adult outfits of the family costume is simple:

  1. Cut out a bunch of yellow, felt strips. Hot glue them onto the brown sweatshirt.
  2. For the pants, cut out a bunch of strips that are flat on one side and have a row of triangles on the other (see photos of the costumes for details). Hot glue these on in rows.
  3. Last is the feet. For these, cut out cardboard feet using our templates (found here)
  4. Next, paint the claws on the yellow wild thing. We did white for the claws and the rest a bit textured with yellow, gray and brown.
  5. Glue a yellow piece of felt onto the main template for the smaller, yellow wild thing. For the bigger wild thing, glue gray felt onto the feet, then more white felt cut the same way the pants are.
  6. When the paint is dry, hot glue a strip of elastic to each corner of the backs of the feet to make loops like stirrups (the loops will attach around the backs of the heels and help keep the feet on over your shoes). 

That’s a wrap! Let the wild rumpus start!

If you loved this costume tutorial and would like to find more great family costume ideas, check out these other posts: Mom and Baby Costumes, Group Halloween Costumes, and Last Minute DIY Costumes, Jasper’s Viking Costume