Half-Homemade Halloween Box Costumes in Parents Magazine

If you're looking for a unique Halloween costume this year, and especially you'd like to make it yourself but not put tooooooo much time into it, check out this story I worked on for Parents magazine's October issue (on the newsstand now) or on their site here. I love working with the editors over there and the concept they came up with is brilliant: all the outfits utilize a store-bought costume base with a decorated cardboard box container. For example, this bird-in-a-birdhouse costume's wings are from The Land of Nod. Instructions are on the Parents site here.

Cutest mouse-in-cheese! Instructions via Parents here. I tested these on my little neighbors and this is the one they fought over wearing! Everybody wanted to be the cheese, who knew?

Maybe you already have an animal costume like this lion or giraffe? Make a cardboard circus wagon to wheel your wild one around! 

Baby presidential debaters! This idea came from a mom, Megan Jeyifo, who dressed up her twins as President and VP last year. 

Coolest construction worker! Instructions and a link to buy the construction vest and hat set here.

Have you ever dressed up a store-bought costume? Save those cardboard boxes!