Something that all children will need for a variety of reasons is a costume--for Halloween, school plays, Christmas pageants, parades and costume parties. It seems a waste--especially when children are small--to purchase costumes they will grow out of in a matter of months. Good costumes are expensive and can rarely be used for any other purpose. The best solution is to make a costume yourself.
A popular Christmas costume for a child is a star. This could also make a good Halloween costume for a toddler.
Video of the Day
Video of the Day
Star Costumes
The simplest star costume is made of poster board or cardboard. Cut the poster or cardboard into a star shape so that the top point of the star begins beneath the chin and the bottom point ends high enough so the child can walk. You will need to cut out two stars--one for the front and one for the back. Paint the stars with silver, gold or red and green metallic paint for a Christmas costume. You could also cover the stars with aluminum foil. Some stores even sell specialty foils in gold and other metallic colors.
Paint or cover the stars so they are a solid color, then add decorations. You could outline the star in glitter or paint smaller stars, Christmas trees, candy canes and snowflakes on it in metallic paint. For a very fancy costume, outline both stars in ribbon or tinsel fringe. If your child is a bit older, you could even tape battery-powered lights around the stars' edges.
Fasten the stars to each other by stapling or gluing thick elastic string to the top rays for shoulder straps. You may want to attach the bottom rays to each other the same way so the star is more stable. If you have no elastic string, use yarn, twine or even nylon rope. The straps should simply be sturdy and leave room so your child can move and breathe.
Underneath the star, your child should wear clothing that complements the paint colors. A grey, white or yellow sweater and tights would match a silver or gold background. If it is very cold and your child is going to be outside, match the colors of the star to the child's winter coat or snowsuit. Black garments under the costume would draw more attention to the star itself.
Little girl stars may like a little glitter makeup on their cheeks or some glitter in their hair. Little boys or girls might enjoy face paint that matches their costume along with water-soluble colored hair gel.