DIY: 4 Halloween Costumes For Infants & Toddlers That Are Simple To Make

I love babies. And I love it when mothers bring their babies to my door on Halloween night. Yes, I know the parents eat the candy, but I have so much fun seeing the kids all dressed up that I often give them extra.

Let's face it, it isn't easy coming up with ideas for toddler Halloween costumes.

If you plan on taking your infant or toddler out this Halloween, don't spend money on a costume. There are many great ideas for homemade costumes. And the best part: they can each be made with little or no money.

At first, we had a hard time deciding on costumes for my grandsons. Following are some of the baby and toddler Halloween costume ideas we came up with. They were a hit -- and easy to make too!

#1 Jailbird Costume

I know you don't want your son or daughter to be a "real" jailbird, but they won't remember this. And an infant or toddler jailbird such an easy costume to make.

All you need is a one-piece pajama or jumpsuit with horizontal stripes.

This is how we dressed my oldest grandson when he was 7 months old. Everyone thought it was a cute idea. The only time a jailbird is welcome in the neighborhood is on Halloween night!

#2 Infant Ghost Costume

If you have an infant who will be dressing up this Halloween, consider turning the little one into a baby ghost.

All you need is a white bunting bag. Sew large googly eyes on the hood of the bunting bag and a small orange pompom for the nose.

This is how we dressed my youngest grandson when he went trick or treating with his brother at the age of 3-1/2 months. He was the hit of the neighborhood.

#3 Toddler Cow Costume

Toddlers love to dress in animal Halloween costumes, and a cow costume is simple to make. I am not a sewer and if I can make this costume, anyone can.

Buy a white sweatsuit and hat. Cut Holstein cow spots out of black felt. Use a needle and thread to baste them to the sweatsuit. (Basting makes it simple to remove the spots after Halloween.) Once this is done, cut 2 triangles out of black or white felt for the ears, and sew them onto the hat.

Now it's time to make the tail. Use black yard strands between 12" and 15" in length. Braid them to within about 3" of the end and then let the strands hang down to resemble a cow's tail. Sew the tail to the back of the sweatsuit pants.

When you dress your toddler in his cow costume on Halloween night, put one black and one white sock on him. If your child has both black and white shoes, place them on the foot with the opposite colored sock.

This is the costume I made for my oldest grandson for his second Halloween. He loved it so much that he wore it around the house for weeks.

#4 Toddler Pirate Costume

Every kid wants to be a pirate -- whether a girl or a boy -- and this pirate Halloween costume is as easy as pie to make.

Dress your child in black sweatsuit pants, a white shirt and red socks.

On Halloween night, right before heading out the door, tie a red bandana around your child's head. Use a little makeup to create a mustache, and your child is ready to go out trick-or-treating.

When my grandsons wore this costume, we instructed them to say, "Ahoy Matey! Trick or Treat!"