Homemade Halloween Costumes From Cardboard Boxes: 12 Ideas

A cardboard box is the most versatile material for homemade Halloween costumes. It is free, easy to cut and paint, and it turns into almost anything with a rectangular shape. The hard part is not the decorating but the wearing: a box that is too big, too heavy or cut with tiny armholes will be abandoned by the second house. This guide covers how to build a box that fits, then twelve ideas to make with it.

How to build a wearable box

1. Size it. The box should be a little wider than the wearer's shoulders and reach from the shoulders to about mid-thigh, so they can still walk and climb steps.
2. Cut the openings. Remove the bottom flaps, cut a head hole in the top and armholes in the sides. Make the armholes larger than you think; arms need room to swing.
3. Add straps. Thread wide ribbon or webbing through two pairs of holes in the top so the box hangs from the shoulders instead of resting on them.
4. Pad the edges. Glue strips of felt or foam along the inside of the head hole and armholes.
5. Prime, then paint. A coat of white paint covers printing on the box so colors look bright. Let each coat dry fully.
6. Test it. Have the wearer walk, turn, sit in a chair and go through a doorway. Trim anything that catches.

An adult should do all the cutting with a craft knife and handle the hot glue. Keep head boxes for photos only: the FDA recommends makeup and hats rather than masks that can obscure vision, and a box over the head blocks the view even more.

Twelve cardboard box costume ideas

Our main list of 25 easy DIY Halloween costumes already covers the robot, race car, vending machine, building block and dice. Here are twelve more.

1. Gumball machine: a red box for the base and a round window on the front filled with colorful paper circles; wear a red hat as the top.
2. Washing machine: a white box with a round "door" of clear plastic, a few socks glued inside and painted dials across the top.
3. Mailbox: a blue box with a painted slot, a few paper envelopes sticking out and a red flag that swings on a paper fastener.
4. Traffic light: a tall black box with red, yellow and green paper plates; add battery tea lights behind tissue paper for a glow.
5. Television set: cut a screen opening so the wearer's face appears inside, and paint knobs and antennae on top.
6. Camera: a black box with a round lens made from a paper cup or tube and a flash cube on top.
7. Rocket jetpack: two paper towel tubes painted silver, glued to a small box and worn as a backpack, with felt flames at the bottom.
8. Knight's armor: a box painted silver for the breastplate with a coat of arms on the front, a cardboard shield and a foam sword.
9. Fish tank: a box with a clear plastic front, blue tissue paper water, paper fish on threads and a gravel line of painted dots.
10. Milk carton: a white box with a peaked roof cut from the top flaps and a hand-lettered label.
11. Treasure chest: a brown box painted with wood grain and gold bands, with paper "coins" and beads spilling from the top.
12. Skyscraper: a tall gray box covered with rows of yellow window squares; friends can be a whole city skyline.

Materials that make cardboard look finished

Material	Use
Acrylic or house paint	Solid color that covers printed boxes
Duct tape in colors	Quick edges, stripes and strong seams
Paper plates and cups	Buttons, dials, lenses and lights
Clear plastic sheet	Windows and screens
Bottle caps	Buttons and knobs
Reflective tape	Visibility for trick-or-treating

Comfort and safety tips

• Watch the weight. Use the lightest box that works and avoid gluing on heavy objects.
• Dress warmly underneath. Plan the box to fit over a sweater or light jacket on a cold night.
• Check the width against car doors and front doors before you finish.
• Keep the wearer's feet visible so they can see steps and curbs.
• Add reflective tape to dark boxes, as the FDA's Halloween tips suggest for costumes.
• Keep away from candles and jack-o'-lanterns. Cardboard burns easily.

Easy homemade Halloween costumes for groups

Cardboard is ideal for groups because boxes can be matched. A row of skyscrapers makes a skyline, a set of traffic lights and a car makes a street, and a mailbox can bring friends dressed as letters. For a softer option that fits under a coat, try our no-sew costumes, and for children's costumes that survive the whole evening, see our DIY Halloween costumes for kids.