I did it, I did it!
I made my own Halloween costume for the first time. Well, not MY costume, Buddy’s.
We had a heck of a time this year coming up with a costume for Buddy this year. He — and I know this will be shocking — originally asked about being a dinosaur, but sadly all the dinosaur costumes I could find were for 3-year-old boys, not second graders. So I started thinking about the other things he really likes and, of course, LEGOs jumped to mind.
“How about being a LEGO brick?” I asked him. And his eyes lit up.
Now the hard part — how the heck was I actually going to make this thing?
Actually, it was easier than I thought. The only reason it was somewhat stressful is that we characteristically left it to the last minute. Like I was still adding another coat of spray paint Halloween morning.
But I think it worked out well, no?
You really only need five items to get started:
- Box
- Duct tape
- Spray paint
- Paper mache boxes for the LEGO “knobs”
- Super glue
1. Before jumping into what we did, let’s talk about the box for a minute. Not only do you need to find a box big enough for your child, but definitely aim for one of those nondescript brown boxes without any text or designs. I can’t stress that last part enough. Dr. G. brought home an Apple monitor box from work, which had to be deconstructed to fit Buddy, but once I did the first coat of paint I realized, Crap, you can totally see the Apple insignia through the paint.
Did I mention this was on Wednesday night?
So I kept adding coat after coat, adding in a coat of regular old red tempera craft paint (which I was shocked to find I had laying around) in between. Finally, finally on Friday night — Halloween — we got to the point where you couldn’t really make out the Apple symbol.
Also, in terms of configuring the box, make sure you have one open end at the bottom for your child’s legs, and don’t forget about arm holes and a neck hole. This is where the duct tape comes in handy.
2. Also, a note about the LEGO “knobs” (is that even what they’re called?!). If you have a Michael’s or AC Moore near you, check out the aisle where they have small paper mache boxes (usually in shapes like hearts, along with round and rectangular shapes). I grabbed eight of the mini, 1″ size boxes WITH TOPS.
As soon as you get home, super glue the covers on to the box. We discovered that having a larger flat surface made it easier to glue the knobs on to the box. Makes sense, right?
3. Once you’ve gathered all your materials and configured your box, paint away! We used glossy red spray paint, which I think worked well, since it gave the costume the plastic sheen of a LEGO brick. Don’t forget all the nooks and crannies of the knobs.
4. Once the paint is dry, use your super glue again and glue the knobs on to the box. I started running out of glue towards the end and had to skimp a bit, so make sure you have a good supply before you start.
5. I put Buddy in a red hooded sweatshirt, just thinking it would keep him warm, but in retrospect having a hood the same color as his shirt and the LEGO brick worked really well and made it seem more uniform.
That’s it! I am the most uncrafty person I know and even I could do this. And I will say Buddy got LOTS of compliments while we were trick-or-treating because he was something that was not easily recognizable, but unique in a sea of superheroes and scary creatures.
So there you have it! Go ahead and pin away for next Halloween 😉
Do you make your child’s Halloween costumes each year?
Jennifer says
What a fun costume! My son was a traffic light one year and he made his costume out of a box, too! He used colored duct tape to cover the box and make the lights – it was super easy and he looked great!
Jenny Rapson says
Wow, I am impressed. I have never made any of my kids’ costumes – but I think I could do that! Super cute and great instructions!
Lori Popkewitz Alper says
I LOVE this costume! So creative. I’m truly impressed-and it looks pretty simple. I have three boys and now I’m wishing I did this in three different colors.
Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? says
What a super cute Lego brick costume. I’ve never made them for my girls. We have so many hand-me-down costumes and dresses, they just go through the pile!