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Field card 173

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.

Dad Field Manual editors · Drafted with AI help · Published Oct 17, 2026

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Time
1 hour
Cost
$0–$5
Ages
3 to 12
Where
Living room floor

01What you need

  • Old clothes, hats, scarves and sheetsHave
  • Cardboard boxesHave
  • Tape, safety pins and markersHave
  • Scissors (Dad's for cardboard)Have
  • Scrap paper and a pencil for the sketchHave
  • Reflective tape (the $5), if they'll wear it after darkHave / $5

Where: Somewhere you can spread out clothes and cardboard, near a mirror.

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).

02Steps

  1. Pick the idea

    KidAsk, "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

    KidThey 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

    TogetherTen 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

    TogetherYou 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

    KidFull 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

    TogetherGive the costume a name and take a photo by the door. Add reflective tape if they'll wear it after dark.

03If 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.

04Variations

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.

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05Sources

  • 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. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Checked Oct 17, 2026
  • 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. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) Checked Oct 17, 2026

Filed under: Indoor & Rainy Day

Dad Field Manual · Field card 173 · Indoor & Rainy Day

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.

Time
1 hour
Cost
$0–$5
Ages
3 to 12
Where
Living room floor

What you need

  • Old clothes, hats, scarves and sheets
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Tape, safety pins and markers
  • Scissors (Dad's for cardboard)
  • Scrap paper and a pencil for the sketch
  • Reflective tape (the $5), if they'll wear it after dark

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 picks what to be. Stuck? Offer three you can make.
  2. Sketch it. Kid sketches head, body, feet and prop. Circle the one thing that makes it obvious.
  3. Raid the closets. Ten-minute closet raid. Lay the pieces out on the floor in the shape of a person.
  4. Build the key piece. Dad cuts cardboard. Kid draws, colors and tapes. Safety pins, not staples.
  5. Walk test. Walk, a step, look both ways, arms up. Fix anything that trips or blocks eyes.
  6. Name it and photo it. Name it, photo it, add reflective tape for 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.
Costume name
key piece
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date

dadfieldmanual.com/plans/closet-costume-build · Sources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)