If you aren't crafty, but still want a unique, funny costume for your child, we have some ideas! Why make your own Halloween costume for a toddler? Let's face it, Halloween costumes are an investment? I mean, we can definitely catch a good deal every now and then, but they are a bit pricey for being only worn a handful of times. Even if my kid loves dress up and might wear them more often, he still grows like a weed! The costume may only be good for a finite amount of time! That being said, I was absolutely set on buying a costume this year. I even did a post on the best toddler Halloween costumes at Spirit Halloween as soon as their stores started opening. I saved up all the Spirit Halloween 20% off coupons that we got in the mail. I also kept my eyes peeled for Target Circle deals where costumes went up to 30% off. I shopped early (heck, it's only September 26 so far). I was ready to get a good deal and save myself the headache of making a costume! But sometimes buying a costume can feel cliche. While we have more options now with online shopping, we are still limited by what's currently on the market, what's in stock in the right size, and what that return policy is. Chances are that whatever costume you purchased, you'll see a few duplicates of them on Halloween trick or treating or at the school's Harvest Festival. Depending on the moment, this wouldn't bother my kids too much. They might think it's cool to be in a popular costume. However, I can also seeing it go the other way and them being frustrated to be in the same costume as so many other kids. I mean, they are kids, we never know what we are going to get in the moment, right? Buying a costume for a toddler really has its advantages and disadvantages. An advantage is definitely the ease of use. Sometimes pulling one together on my own ends up being more work and even more expensive to purchase all the individual components. But buying a complete costume can also be a costly undertaking depending on how much you want to spend. And let's be honest, the mass-produced Halloween costumes today are not exactly quality craftsmanship for what you purchase. In fact, I did indeed purchase a Halloween costume already this year with my 20% off coupon. Teddy was dead-set that he wanted to be a skeleton (see what I did there with the play on words). He had to get a boys' size costume...not a toddler sized costume. The costume was a mass produced one from a popular store. It came with skeleton hand gloves. Unfortunately, while the costume fit fine, the gloves were sized for babies. They definitely weren't going to fit his hands or any Size 6-8 boy. At this point, we had paid a bit more than I'd like for this costume already and a component of the costume was cheaply made and didn't fit. What an investment, right? But what if there were some DIY costumes that required literally no effort? I mean, we are talking no cutting, no gluing, no sewing. There are some really great DIY costumes that don't require a huge investment of time or money. You might not even see these ideas on Pinterest if you Googled "unique Halloween costumes" or "unique toddler Halloween costumes." You can gather the items from the closet or purchase some cheap ones if you are missing something. Here are our ideas for unique, easy, DIY Halloween costumes for toddlers: 1. ForRest GumpYou can really be two versions of Forrest Gump. You can be fancy Forrest Gump in a button up and khakis or you can be running Forrest Gump. (The running version may require some more effort to find a beard.) For our version of Forrest Gump, we pulled out an old pair of khakis. They were a little snug, but still fit. We grabbed a collared shirt (white and blue preferred) and a red baseball cap. Now Forrest's hat wasn't Nike branded. His shirt didn't have the same pattern. And his khakis had a bit more room in them. That's not the point. The point is that we are making our easiest, DIY version of Forrest with what we have. And we, the adults, had a blast dressing him up as this. For props, grab a box of chocolates, a ping pong paddle, or a feather to hold! For running version of Forrest, grab red shorts, a yellow shirt, a fake beard, soccer socks and keep that red hat! Everything we had for this costume, we already had in the closet, so it literally cost us nothing. Try these items:
2. Pugsley Addams |
| |
Try these items:
- Striped Shirt ($7 Target)
- Black Shorts ($5 Target)
- Plastic Rat ($1 Dollar Tree - as long as still in stock! We got ours in early September)
- Soccer Socks ($5 Amazon)
3. Risky Business
This one we have yet to try out, but how easy does this sound? You can borrow one of mom or dad's Oxford shirts. Toss on a pair of Dollar Tree kid sunglasses and throw on some long socks.
Don't forget the candlestick for props! I draw the line at the haircut though!
Don't forget the candlestick for props! I draw the line at the haircut though!
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If you've already searched for "Spirit Halloween store near me," or "Spirit Halloween store locator" then you are in good company, because I did too! If your family is like mine, then you might have heard, "But it's only August." Yes, it is only August, but it's really close to the end of August. I also searched for "Open Spirit Halloween stores near me" to narrow down the options even more for those stores that haven't gotten the memo that it's clearly HALLOWEEN time.
It seems like stores are setting out holiday merchandise earlier and earlier, right? If you aren't on the early holiday bandwagon, then you might miss out on the exact costume that your child wants. I learned this the hard way on Teddy's first Halloween. We didn't miss out on the costume, but we missed out on the right size of the costume. Consequently poor Teddy was stuffed into a monkey costume too tight to zip up the back. He stayed in it for a few pictures and then promptly wore just a Halloween onesie for the rest of the night. We had a similar last minute inventory problem last year. I decided I was going to be a Dalmatian dog to accompany Teddy's firefighter costume. I couldn't find Dalmatian anything! I ended up having to velcro black felt onto a white t-shirt to make furry spots.
This year is going to be different. This year I am going to 100% completely conform to when Spirit Halloween says I should start thinking about Halloween. As those Spirit Halloween stores begin popping up in vacant grocery store strip malls, I am going to know exactly what I'm going to buy. My husband can send me all the Spirit Halloween store memes he can find and it won’t stop me from stepping foot into those stores and exploring what I can find.
One word of advice I’ve learned through is that if you purchase something off their website, their return policy is a little dicey. One year, I purchased a blue monster costume for Teddy. He was so adamant that he wanted to be a blue monster. Naturally, I couldn’t find it in the store because most of the inventory had been picked over - and we were still over a month away! (Blue monsters must have been a popular ticket item that year). Anyway, I had to order the blue monster toddler costume from Spirit and their website. First of all, you usually get free shipping with orders over $40. Most of their toddler costumes are conveniently priced below that, so you’ll be splurging for another Halloween item if you’re only needing a toddler costume. Once the blue monster costume came though, Teddy wouldn’t try it on. I’m not sure if he was afraid of it or just was never in the mood (kids, right?), but I held onto the costume in hopes that as Halloween approached, he’d have a change of heart. I didn’t want to know what type of meltdown would greet me if I had decided to get rid of the blue monster costume too quickly. Anyway, we got pretty close to Halloween and Teddy still was having nothing to do with this blue monster costume. My sister-in-law had purchased him a cute little dinosaur costume that he’d wear, so I figured it was time to return the blue furry monster. When I went to return it though, Spirit’s Halloween policy was 30 days from shipping date. Well, this was during a period when there was delay in the mail. The delay ate up about a week and a half of my 30 days. A fickle toddler ate up the rest of the time. Consequently, we were stuck with one furry monster costume for Halloween that year. Resigned to the fact that I had wasted $40+ on this purchase, I threw the blue furry monster costume into the back of Teddy’s closet. When Halloween rolled around and it was time to put on his costume, Teddy’s very first question to me was, “Where’s my monster costume?” I couldn’t believe my eras. The kid who had screamed incoherently any time I showed him the costume was now asking for it - and better yet - asking to wear it! He ended up being the cutest little blue furry monster that year for Halloween. He also ended up doing a wardrobe change and turning into a dinosaur halfway through the night. That was all just fine with me. It meant more cute Halloween pictures for this mom.
What’s the moral of that story? One, look at the return policy for Spirit Halloween (or really any store) when buying items for children. The other moral of the story is that children have their own minds. You don’t need me to tell you that. Children can be some of the most stubborn people on the planet and, to me, that is so admirable because they must really know what they want (or don’t want). Some Halloween costumes are trendy because that’s what is popular in the moment and some are just clever and cute and that’s ok. The important thing to remember when picking a Halloween costume is that it’s a fun holiday. It doesn’t matter what your child is dressed up to be, what matters are the memories that you created together building up to Halloween and on Halloween itself.
I always say that the build-up to the holidays is so much better than the holiday itself. The holiday goes by SO FAST. Think about Halloween, my kids last trick-or-treating maybe an hour and a half at most. Then it’s completely over. However, the build up to Halloween lasts weeks! I like my kids to help me decorate and, of course, visit the costume store like Spirit Halloween to get ideas of what they might like to be. It doesn’t mean we are going to buy that exact costume, I tell them, it just means we are getting some really great ideas and getting excited for the holiday.
I used to never buy costumes. I would always make them or thrift them, but now as a super busy mom, sometimes buying them just is so much easier. Whether you are making them or buying them, we can ALL use the inspiration of some 2023 toddler Halloween costume ideas. Immediately after this, you might just join me in searching for "Spirit Halloween store locator!" (On your WAZE app of course so you can get there the quickest route possible.
It seems like stores are setting out holiday merchandise earlier and earlier, right? If you aren't on the early holiday bandwagon, then you might miss out on the exact costume that your child wants. I learned this the hard way on Teddy's first Halloween. We didn't miss out on the costume, but we missed out on the right size of the costume. Consequently poor Teddy was stuffed into a monkey costume too tight to zip up the back. He stayed in it for a few pictures and then promptly wore just a Halloween onesie for the rest of the night. We had a similar last minute inventory problem last year. I decided I was going to be a Dalmatian dog to accompany Teddy's firefighter costume. I couldn't find Dalmatian anything! I ended up having to velcro black felt onto a white t-shirt to make furry spots.
This year is going to be different. This year I am going to 100% completely conform to when Spirit Halloween says I should start thinking about Halloween. As those Spirit Halloween stores begin popping up in vacant grocery store strip malls, I am going to know exactly what I'm going to buy. My husband can send me all the Spirit Halloween store memes he can find and it won’t stop me from stepping foot into those stores and exploring what I can find.
One word of advice I’ve learned through is that if you purchase something off their website, their return policy is a little dicey. One year, I purchased a blue monster costume for Teddy. He was so adamant that he wanted to be a blue monster. Naturally, I couldn’t find it in the store because most of the inventory had been picked over - and we were still over a month away! (Blue monsters must have been a popular ticket item that year). Anyway, I had to order the blue monster toddler costume from Spirit and their website. First of all, you usually get free shipping with orders over $40. Most of their toddler costumes are conveniently priced below that, so you’ll be splurging for another Halloween item if you’re only needing a toddler costume. Once the blue monster costume came though, Teddy wouldn’t try it on. I’m not sure if he was afraid of it or just was never in the mood (kids, right?), but I held onto the costume in hopes that as Halloween approached, he’d have a change of heart. I didn’t want to know what type of meltdown would greet me if I had decided to get rid of the blue monster costume too quickly. Anyway, we got pretty close to Halloween and Teddy still was having nothing to do with this blue monster costume. My sister-in-law had purchased him a cute little dinosaur costume that he’d wear, so I figured it was time to return the blue furry monster. When I went to return it though, Spirit’s Halloween policy was 30 days from shipping date. Well, this was during a period when there was delay in the mail. The delay ate up about a week and a half of my 30 days. A fickle toddler ate up the rest of the time. Consequently, we were stuck with one furry monster costume for Halloween that year. Resigned to the fact that I had wasted $40+ on this purchase, I threw the blue furry monster costume into the back of Teddy’s closet. When Halloween rolled around and it was time to put on his costume, Teddy’s very first question to me was, “Where’s my monster costume?” I couldn’t believe my eras. The kid who had screamed incoherently any time I showed him the costume was now asking for it - and better yet - asking to wear it! He ended up being the cutest little blue furry monster that year for Halloween. He also ended up doing a wardrobe change and turning into a dinosaur halfway through the night. That was all just fine with me. It meant more cute Halloween pictures for this mom.
What’s the moral of that story? One, look at the return policy for Spirit Halloween (or really any store) when buying items for children. The other moral of the story is that children have their own minds. You don’t need me to tell you that. Children can be some of the most stubborn people on the planet and, to me, that is so admirable because they must really know what they want (or don’t want). Some Halloween costumes are trendy because that’s what is popular in the moment and some are just clever and cute and that’s ok. The important thing to remember when picking a Halloween costume is that it’s a fun holiday. It doesn’t matter what your child is dressed up to be, what matters are the memories that you created together building up to Halloween and on Halloween itself.
I always say that the build-up to the holidays is so much better than the holiday itself. The holiday goes by SO FAST. Think about Halloween, my kids last trick-or-treating maybe an hour and a half at most. Then it’s completely over. However, the build up to Halloween lasts weeks! I like my kids to help me decorate and, of course, visit the costume store like Spirit Halloween to get ideas of what they might like to be. It doesn’t mean we are going to buy that exact costume, I tell them, it just means we are getting some really great ideas and getting excited for the holiday.
I used to never buy costumes. I would always make them or thrift them, but now as a super busy mom, sometimes buying them just is so much easier. Whether you are making them or buying them, we can ALL use the inspiration of some 2023 toddler Halloween costume ideas. Immediately after this, you might just join me in searching for "Spirit Halloween store locator!" (On your WAZE app of course so you can get there the quickest route possible.
1. Bluey and Bingo tODDLER halloween Costumes
We obviously love Bluey in our household. I think the little girl costumes are so cute. I love that they don't have the full character head on their hood and they aren't a full, sweat-inducing furry jumpsuit. Did you know, by the way, that Bluey and Bingo are girl dogs? I had no idea until I googled that question (like apparently most of America.) That being said, neither of my boys would hesitate to dress up as either Bluey or Bingo. Speaking of, do you see the cute matching Bingo shoes they found for the ad? Of course, not included and the costume itself is just under that free shipping deal at $39.99.
2. Ghost Spider Toddler Halloween Costume + Spider Man Toddler Halloween Costume
If I were a girl mom, I would love the addition of Ghost Spider. It's the equivalent to the pink Power Ranger when I was growing up. Finally girls can be super heroes too! Whether you have a girl or a boy, the spider man and ghost spider costumes are a hit. I love the padding on our neighborhood Spidey and the boot covers on both of these.
3. Wednesday Addams Toddler Costume and Pugsley Addams Toddler Costume
Sorry boys, Mom is obsessed with this cute toddler Wednesday Addams costume at Spirit Halloween. It's such a dichotomy from Wednesday to the current Barbie craze. I haven't decided which side I fall on because I just love them both so much! I totally found Wednesday and had her up here by herself only to find Pugsley too! The boys can get in on the Addams Family resurgence. It's such a fun way to be creepy but cute!
4. The Little Mermaid Toddler Costumes
The Little Mermaid is bound to be a popular costume this year with the new movie. Like usual, I am tickled that there are more than one options to get in on the Little Mermaid craze. We LOVE the Little Mermaid here - especially Ursula. Maybe we can get an Ursula costume soon too?
5. Beetlejuice, beetlejuice, beetlejuice (Toddler Halloween Costumes)
Oh my goodness, these costumes are amazing! With the new Beetlejuice movie coming out, I feel a new Beetlejuice mania coming on. Remember when Beetlejuice used to be a huge staple at Universal Studios? He was EVERYWHERE! There was a Beetlejuice show at the park and cartoon on TV.
This is a continuation post of all things Bluey's birthday!
Invitations
What's a Bluey birthday without invitations? I am basically obsessed with this "new" way of doing invitations. This is definitely a trend I am late hearing about. Canva invitations? Here's the deal...Etsy has all sorts of pre-made themed invitations that you can download. You open them on a free Canva account and can edit the details that pertain to you. The ones I did for Teddy aren't on Etsy anymore, but there are so many to choose from. There are even video ones! This was helpful because I could simply send the invite to friends and family. We could also print out the invitations for his friends at school whose contact info I didn't have yet.
Balloons!
If you've ever made a balloon arch, you know they are some serious work. If you've ever made a balloon arch without a balloon machine, congratulations, you're as crazy as me! I didn't even know they made these balloon machines. I got one on a whim on Amazon Prime Day. Oh my goodness, it is AMAZING! My fingers still hurt from tying balloons, but not as badly as they used to!
Next, you really have to commit to the Bluey color scheme. We bought TWO balloon arch packages - one for the balloon number and one for the arch.
Package 1:
Package 1:
My problem with balloon arches is that they always fall from the ceiling when I try to put them up, so I had this really great idea of how to create a balloon arch backdrop for pictures. I got this clothing rack from Ikea for $9.99 and got some zip ties from Dollar Tree and tied my balloon arch on the clothing rack. It worked perfectly!
I made the mistake of making a large Number 1 for Cal's first birthday. Since then, I've forever doomed myself to making large balloon number props for every birthday party. I find some super "easy" templates on Etsy, get some thick poster board from the Dollar Tree and set to work!
More Decorations
Final Result
A lot of kids have this surgery, so it shouldn't be that bad, right? Pretty routine? Teddy had his tonsils and adenoids removed a few weeks ago. I wouldn't say it was a rough experience, but I would say it wasn't quite how I expected it to be. Cal had an ear infection at the time. I think Teddy must have had an infection going into the surgery or right after the surgery because he needed an antibiotic to kick his high fevers. That definitely complicated our experience and his recovery. I don't think I was prepared for the magnitude of this surgery.
Maybe because of his unique situation, my experience is not common, but there are a few simple things I wish I had known/did beforehand.
1. Stock up on the kids Tylenol and Motrin - We had to alternate these every 3 hours for a few days. Luckily, my mother in law happened to get us some large packs at Sam's Club a few weeks before. Otherwise, I would have been scrambling to find these with the shortages that have been going on. Also - I couldn't leave Teddy and he was in no condition to go anywhere, so that would have been tough! He also had to take the medicine consistently through the night or else his fevers would get high again. The doctors explained to me that the body goes through trauma with the surgery and responds with a fever. I think Teddy's were higher than average because of a competing infection, but any child patient is recommended the alternating dosage of Tylenol and Motrin for a couple days - per my doctor. Of course, always listen to your doctor's advice before administering any medicine and if you have questions make sure to call them!
2. Stock up on the soft foods, popsicles and drinks - Teddy loves his orange juice, but he technically couldn't drink it because the acidity could burn his newly cut throat. I had to find other things he would drink. The first day wasn't bad. I don't think he was in much pain because he was eating popsicles like they were going out of style. That attitude slowly disappeared. I had Robbie running out to get different types of drinks - Pediatlyte, Gatorade, etc - to find something he'd drink. I am thankful I stocked up on the soft foods and got fun things he doesn't usually eat like Spaghetti-Os and character Mac and Cheese so eating could be fun. We tried so many different drinks and eventually let him drink watered down orange juice because it was the only thing he'd take and he needed fluids more than anything. Just make sure you have an arsenal built of these reserves should your child be picky like mine!
3. Track their drinking - This is the NUMBER ONE thing I wish someone told me. The doctor kept saying to make sure he was drinking, but I never knew how much was enough. Eventually, I just had him trying to drink about 1/4 cup of fluids every hour and this really helped me track to make sure he was taking fluids. The number one complication of this surgery is dehydration and was petrified the entire time that Teddy wasn't drinking enough until I started really paying attention to it. One of my husband's friend's just had a child admitted to the hospital for dehydration after removing his tonsils. It happens and I think it's more common than we probably hear.
4. Incentive for drinking and taking medicine - We ended up doing a sticker chart for every time he took a drink and every time he took his medicine. He didn't even earn a prize. He just liked putting on the stickers and tracking his progress. This really helped cut down on the pushback we got. We also tried to think of fun ways to get him to take his medicine - like cute cups. Try to avoid straws. We used straws every now and then and didn't have an issue, but apparently you should try to avoid them.
5. Talk through it with your child - Teddy and I watched a lot of shows and read some books on hospitals and doctors to help prepare him for his visit. He knew he was going to change into a hospital gown. He brought his special doggy toy with him. He knew he was going to have to put on a funny mask and breathe some things in and he would sleep during the surgery. Coming out of the anesthesia was tough for him. He was confused, scared, and didn't know what to expect. That's one part I wish I talked to him more about. Once we got home, he was fine, but it was definitely jarring for him to wake up in a different environment.
6. Relax! Screen time and relaxation is a must. We blew up the air mattress and made a little bed for him in the family room to encourage rest! I didn't realize how much he would need me after this surgery. Making sure I was home and available for a week was crucial. He couldn't go to school for at least a week per his doctor and no big physical activity for 2 weeks. He needed lots of snuggles and he had a hard time when I had to leave the house even for a little bit. I think it was more traumatic on him than I expected. Find some low-key activities that you can do together! Even though he was miserable, I loved every snuggle I got during this period of time.
**PRO TIP** Make sure you can call your doctor 24/7 or a doctor on call. We were SO LUCKY with our doctor's office because of the struggles Teddy had. We utilized this A LOT and they were happy that we called. I didn't think we'd ever need to call the doctor at 3 AM, but WE DID and I was so grateful that we could.
Maybe because of his unique situation, my experience is not common, but there are a few simple things I wish I had known/did beforehand.
1. Stock up on the kids Tylenol and Motrin - We had to alternate these every 3 hours for a few days. Luckily, my mother in law happened to get us some large packs at Sam's Club a few weeks before. Otherwise, I would have been scrambling to find these with the shortages that have been going on. Also - I couldn't leave Teddy and he was in no condition to go anywhere, so that would have been tough! He also had to take the medicine consistently through the night or else his fevers would get high again. The doctors explained to me that the body goes through trauma with the surgery and responds with a fever. I think Teddy's were higher than average because of a competing infection, but any child patient is recommended the alternating dosage of Tylenol and Motrin for a couple days - per my doctor. Of course, always listen to your doctor's advice before administering any medicine and if you have questions make sure to call them!
2. Stock up on the soft foods, popsicles and drinks - Teddy loves his orange juice, but he technically couldn't drink it because the acidity could burn his newly cut throat. I had to find other things he would drink. The first day wasn't bad. I don't think he was in much pain because he was eating popsicles like they were going out of style. That attitude slowly disappeared. I had Robbie running out to get different types of drinks - Pediatlyte, Gatorade, etc - to find something he'd drink. I am thankful I stocked up on the soft foods and got fun things he doesn't usually eat like Spaghetti-Os and character Mac and Cheese so eating could be fun. We tried so many different drinks and eventually let him drink watered down orange juice because it was the only thing he'd take and he needed fluids more than anything. Just make sure you have an arsenal built of these reserves should your child be picky like mine!
3. Track their drinking - This is the NUMBER ONE thing I wish someone told me. The doctor kept saying to make sure he was drinking, but I never knew how much was enough. Eventually, I just had him trying to drink about 1/4 cup of fluids every hour and this really helped me track to make sure he was taking fluids. The number one complication of this surgery is dehydration and was petrified the entire time that Teddy wasn't drinking enough until I started really paying attention to it. One of my husband's friend's just had a child admitted to the hospital for dehydration after removing his tonsils. It happens and I think it's more common than we probably hear.
4. Incentive for drinking and taking medicine - We ended up doing a sticker chart for every time he took a drink and every time he took his medicine. He didn't even earn a prize. He just liked putting on the stickers and tracking his progress. This really helped cut down on the pushback we got. We also tried to think of fun ways to get him to take his medicine - like cute cups. Try to avoid straws. We used straws every now and then and didn't have an issue, but apparently you should try to avoid them.
5. Talk through it with your child - Teddy and I watched a lot of shows and read some books on hospitals and doctors to help prepare him for his visit. He knew he was going to change into a hospital gown. He brought his special doggy toy with him. He knew he was going to have to put on a funny mask and breathe some things in and he would sleep during the surgery. Coming out of the anesthesia was tough for him. He was confused, scared, and didn't know what to expect. That's one part I wish I talked to him more about. Once we got home, he was fine, but it was definitely jarring for him to wake up in a different environment.
6. Relax! Screen time and relaxation is a must. We blew up the air mattress and made a little bed for him in the family room to encourage rest! I didn't realize how much he would need me after this surgery. Making sure I was home and available for a week was crucial. He couldn't go to school for at least a week per his doctor and no big physical activity for 2 weeks. He needed lots of snuggles and he had a hard time when I had to leave the house even for a little bit. I think it was more traumatic on him than I expected. Find some low-key activities that you can do together! Even though he was miserable, I loved every snuggle I got during this period of time.
**PRO TIP** Make sure you can call your doctor 24/7 or a doctor on call. We were SO LUCKY with our doctor's office because of the struggles Teddy had. We utilized this A LOT and they were happy that we called. I didn't think we'd ever need to call the doctor at 3 AM, but WE DID and I was so grateful that we could.
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