--- title: "Build a costume from the closet" published: "2026-10-17" updated: "2026-10-17" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "1 hour" cost: "$0–$5" ages: "3 to 12" where: "Somewhere you can spread out clothes and cardboard, near a mirror." topics: ["indoor"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=closet-costume-build" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/closet-costume-build/" --- # Build a costume from the closet > The best costumes are the ones kids make. Raid the closets, sketch it, build it with tape and cardboard. One hour, no store. ## What you need - Old clothes, hats, scarves and sheets (have) - Cardboard boxes (have) - Tape, safety pins and markers (have) - Scissors (Dad's for cardboard) (have) - Scrap paper and a pencil for the sketch (have) - Reflective tape (the $5), if they'll wear it after dark (have / $5) ## Before you start - **See and walk.** CPSC and AAP say costumes should be bright, short enough not to trip on, with hats tied so they can't slip over the eyes. No long trailing sheets. - **Soft props.** CPSC says swords and similar props should be soft and flexible. Use thin cardboard or foam with no points and the edges taped, or a rolled-paper sword. No sticks. - **Paint over masks.** AAP says non-toxic makeup is safer than a mask; test it on a small patch of skin first. If you cut eyeholes, make them big. - **Keep it away from flames.** CPSC warns against flimsy materials and big, baggy sleeves near candles. Use battery lights in pumpkins. For bought pieces, wigs and masks, look for "flame resistant" on the label (AAP and CPSC). ## Steps 1. **Pick the idea** (Kid) Ask, "What do you want to be?" Anything goes: a robot, a cat, a mail carrier, a cereal box. If they're stuck, give three choices you know you can make. 2. **Sketch it** (Kid) They draw the costume on paper: what's on the head, the body, the feet, and what they carry. Circle the one thing that makes it obvious, like ears, a box with buttons, or a cape. 3. **Raid the closets** (Together) Ten minutes, everybody's closets. Pull anything in the right colors: a gray hoodie, a scarf, a hat, an old sheet, a box from the garage. Lay it out on the floor in the shape of a person. 4. **Build the key piece** (Together) You cut the cardboard; they draw, color and tape. Ears go on a headband, buttons on a box, a logo on a T-shirt with tape or marker on old clothes. Pin with safety pins, not staples. 5. **Walk test** (Kid) Full costume on. They walk across the room, go up and down a step, turn their head both ways and raise their arms. Fix anything that trips, slips or blocks their eyes. 6. **Name it and photo it** (Together) Give the costume a name and take a photo by the door. Add reflective tape if they'll wear it after dark. ## If it stalls - If they want a character you can't make, make the one thing that says it: a cape, a hat, ears. - If it's falling apart, double-sided tape and safety pins fix most of it. - If two kids want the same costume, make it a pair: robot and robot repair crew. ## Variations - **Ages 3–5:** One piece is a costume: ears on a headband, or a cape from a pillowcase. They color it; you do the rest. - **Ages 6–9:** The full build. They tape and color, you cut, they do the walk test. - **Ages 10–12:** They plan and build it alone with a budget of $0. You're the cardboard cutter on call. ## Sources - **Costume safety.** CPSC says to choose costumes bright enough to be visible, short enough to prevent tripping, with hats and scarves tied so they don't slip over eyes; to use makeup rather than a loose mask, or a mask with eyeholes large enough for full vision; to use soft, flexible props; and to avoid flimsy materials and big, baggy sleeves near flames. (checked 2026-10-17) - **Makeup and visibility.** AAP says non-toxic makeup and decorative hats are safer than masks, to test makeup on a small patch of skin first, to add reflective tape to costumes and bags, and to avoid long or sharp swords, canes or sticks. (checked 2026-10-17)