When I was younger, my parents got creative a LOT. As the oldest of three girls (and we’re pretty close in age), my parents were trying to feed us, clothe us and keep a roof over our heads on one income.

But they were so good at it. We may have gone without some things, but we never knew. One of the times that my mother’s creativity really came out was during Halloween. My sisters and I had some of the coolest costumes, and they cost a ton less than the basic store-bought costumes (plus, you never saw anyone else in the same look!). We loved playing dress up during Halloween, getting our costumes together, our Halloween hairstyles and the works. Here are a few of my favorite Halloween costume ideas, along with how to do them:

Bunch of Grapes: My sister rocked this costume when she was four… it was so much fun and totally cute (although the clothing pieces were easier to find in the 80′s… you may have to dye your own if you can’t get the right bits!). What you need:

1. Purple shirt


2. Purple pants


3. Balloons (preferably purple, too)


4. Safety Pins

You can go with green or red as different color options… we chose purple. This Halloween costume idea doesn’t even really need a step-by-step; it’s so easy that the four-year-old could almost do it themselves (of course, you need adult supervision for the safety pins!). Have the child put on the shirt and pants, blow up the balloons and pin to the clothing. Voila!

This next costume is my personal favorite. I wore this when I was six or so (the same year my sister wore her grapes costume). It’s all kinds of fabulous… or, at least it was when I was six!

Candy Buttons: Easy, but does require a day or two to get ready. What you need:

1. Poster Board


2. Styrofoam Balls (cut in half)


3. Spray paint (bright, fun “candy” colors)


4. Hole Puncher


5. Glue

6. String

Ahead of time, lightly spray the halved Styrofoam balls (spray them too closely and they’ll disintegrate) with colors in a gradient-style (make them look as close to Candy Buttons as possible. If the paint from one gets on the other, all the better!) until they’re all coated. Let them dry for 24 hours. After this period, use glue (whether you use basic glue or a hot glue gun is up to you… basic glue is safer and less likely to melt the Styrofoam, though) to put them on the poster board. Let those dry, then punch holes in the top of the poster board. Loop the string through it and either lace it around the neck or make it sandwich-board style with two poster boards. I will say that the second option is harder when it comes to playing Halloween games or

Some other great sites to help you figure out your ideal homemade Halloween costume: Robyn’s FYI, About.com, and our fabulous Halloween Guide (where you can learn how to make a quick and easy beard, as well as other fun homemade Halloween costume ideas!).