Donning a creative and quirky Halloween costume is an eagerly anticipated event for kids each year, but it can be stressful for parents who don’t rate their DIY skills and/or don’t want to spend a ton of money on a pre-made costume. If you’re one of them, you might want to consider DIYing a cat costume because these are so easy and inexpensive to knock together, even at short notice.
You can craft a cat costume with black clothing items your child already has, then spruce it up with a few basic materials—many of which you can find around your home—and a bit of face paint if desired. If you’re ready to get stuck in, here are five DIY kids’ cat costume tutorials and plans.
The 5 DIY Kids Cat Costumes for Halloween They’ll Love
1. Cute Cat Costume by Kidspot
| Materials: | Black card/foam board, black Alice band, glue, scissors, pencil, black polar fleece or similar fabric, cotton wool, face paints, cat ear printable (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If the idea of DIY gets you a bit stressed, we think this tutorial by Kidspot is a perfect, no-nonsense tutorial to follow for a cute and simple cat costume your kid will love. It shows you how to craft the ears and tail with basic, easy-to-find items like glue, black card, an Alice band, cotton wool, and polar fleece for the tail. If you don’t have polar fleece, you can just use any black, soft material you have available.
For the costume itself, all you need is a black T-shirt and pants, and the look is finished off with some face paint for the whiskers. For the ears, you can either use a free printable template or simply draw your own.
2. DIY Cat Costume by 5minutesformom
| Materials: | Black jacket/sweatshirt, black fabric, old scarf or similar furry material, black mittens, black leggings/pants, pink fabric, sewing materials/hot glue, gun, scissors/roller cutter, card, Alice band |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
This DIY cat costume by 5Minutesformom is ideal for those who want a costume with extras like fluffy patches. What we like about this tutorial is that it can be adapted to your skill level. If you don’t have a sewing machine or basic sewing skills, you can just use hot glue instead for a no-sew option.
The costume itself is made from a black jacket and black jeggings, but you can also use a black sweater or turtleneck or black pants in lieu of the jeggings—whatever you have available. The creator cut up a grey and white fluffy scarf for the tummy patch, ankle warmers, wrist bands, tail tip, and ear headband.
3. Kids Cat Costume by Primary
| Materials: | Black or white top, black tutu/pants, black crew socks (3 pack), headband, black glitter felt, scissors, hot glue, eyeliner |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Primary.com has shared this simple DIY cat costume that’s put together with a basic black or white top and a tutu (these can be replaced with pants or leggings if preferred). The material list calls for a black tutu, but you could certainly change up the color for a bit of pizzazz and a nice contrast.
The headband is covered with glittery black felt for a sparkly touch, though again, you can go with whatever you have to hand. No sewing is required for this costume—everything is put together with hot glue.
4. DIY Cat Costume by Do It Yourself Divas
| Materials: | Wire hanger, fluffy boa, hot glue, elastic, black tulle, felt, satin-like fabric, thread and needle, hair clips, felt, hot glue, scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
This DIY cat costume by Do It Yourself Divas is a little more intricate to put together than the others on this list because the tutu is made from scratch with black tulle and a stretchy fabric band. If you’re up for the challenge, you may want to do the same. However, if you want to save time or don’t feel confident making your own, you could just use a ready-mate tutu or pair of black pants.
The end result is a “fluffy” look, as the tutu is big and ruffled and the tail and ears are made with feathery fabric. Anything fluffy-textured will do.
5. Black Cat Egg Carton Costume by The Craft Train
| Materials: | Egg cartons, 2 black or white pipe cleaners, black and pink acrylic paint, piece of thin elastic, 2 bobby pins, scissors, hole punch, black pantyhose, piece of ribbon, black clothes |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If you’ve got an egg carton lying around, you can repurpose it into this cat’s nose and ears ensemble with a lick of black and pink paint, pipe cleaners, a hole punch, and some elastic. The tail is made by braiding pantyhose and tying it off with a ribbon, and the costume itself simply consists of black clothes like t-shirts, leggings, or pants.
We love the simplicity of this costume and how there’s no sewing involved. It’s also nice and easy to paint—this could be a job the kids will enjoy.
Final Thoughts
These plans are all fantastic, but you don’t need to follow them to the letter or use the exact same items. Instead, you can use them as inspiration to craft your own unique design using your child’s favorite clothes, colors, and accessories to give it a personal touch.
To sum up, as long as you’ve got a t-shirt and either a tutu, pair of pants, or leggings/jeggings and a few simple items like a headband, cardboard, and/or black fabric, you’re good to go!
- See Also: Japanese Cat Costumes
Featured Image Credit: anastasiaromb, Shutterstock
The 5 DIY Kids Cat Costumes for Halloween They’ll Love
