Q:“There are so many choices for Halloween costumes! I’d prefer to do a homemade costume, rather than buying one. What’s the best way to go about helping my child pick one?”

A:You’re right, there are tons of different costume ideas, from the traditional ghost to the unconventional laundry basket costume. Have fun picking and creating a costume together.

What should I be for Halloween?

A great place to start when trying to come up with costume ideas is at your child’s interests and hobbies. Does your son play with cars and trucks more than anything else? Perhaps your daughter loves tea parties and teddy bears. Maybe it’s dinosaurs, sharks or even the planets that sparks your child’s interest. Whatever the case, use that as a starting point and build your costume around it.

Getting creative

Use your imagination… or your child’s for that matter! If your son is a dinosaur expert, ask him to choose three favorite creatures he might like to be for Halloween. Together, look them up on the Internet, then from the pictures envision the best plan of attack to make the costume. if your child loves butterflies, make this adorable Butterfly Costume .

If you sew, there are tons of patterns available online and in fabric stores. If you aren’t much of a seamstress, or simply don’t have a sewing machine available, hot glue works well on most fabrics.

Sewing not required

Not crazy about working with patterns and fabrics? There are other alternatives, such as cardboard and poster board. A young man who’s into cars and trucks will love ourRace Car Costume made from a cardboard box, spray paint, paper plates and other simple supplies.

There are plenty of costumes that can be put together from items around the house. For example, it’s easy to create a chef’s costume. Borrow one of Daddy’s white button up shirts, make a chef’s hat from white poster board, loan a wooden spoon, whisk and plastic mixing bowl, dust some flour on your child’s face and she’s ready to go.

 Many children are fascinated by the moon and stars above. Turn that interest into our fun and sparkly Universe Costume. We’ve taken soft fabric, rhinestones, glue and felt, and put them all together to make this easy and unique costume.

Maybe your child likes watching old monster movies with dad. If so, dress him us as a classic mummy. Take an old white bed sheet, cut or torn into long strips, and soak it in tea. Let the fabric get a bit tea stained then rinse, squeeze out the excess water and let dry. Wrap your child up in the fabric, use safety pins in various spots as you go to keep the bandages from unraveling.

Little Maggie’s room yells Princess from every corner. Help her bring that fantasy to life with a little creativity. Make a Princess hat from poster board or a sheet of craft foam and some tulle. Tape the end of some tulle to the poster board, then roll up the poster board into a cone shape. Trim the bottom edge of the cone so it is even, and decorate the rim with felt or lace. Use tape or a stapler (make sure the sharp end of the staple is on the outside of the hat) to attach a piece of elastic for a chin strap. Make a fancy skirt by sewing shiny fabric, then covering in complementary tulle (or raid the dress-up box). Finish with a pretty blouse and add some body glitter to her face and a touch of lip gloss.

There are so many costume ideas! Sit with your kids and put your heads together to come up with one they will truly enjoy.

For more great Halloween craft ideas, click here!

Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and her husband live in sunny Nevada with a houseful of kids, dogs and cats.