10 DIY Cardboard Costumes

If you’re in the market for an easy, inexpensive Halloween costume, cardboard boxes are key! You can turn a cardboard box into almost anything including food, games, animals and vehicles! Best part? All you need is a cardboard box, hot glue gun, and paint. Check out this list of 10 DIY cardboard costumes to get your brain brewing for Halloween 2021.

10 DIY Cardboard Costumes

Cardboard costumes are so fun to make and the main material-cardboard- is usually free! You will want to invest in a good box cutter, a hot glue gun, and a few paint and paint brushes to make these 10 DIY cardboard costumes.

1. Oreo Cookies

Turn cardboard and black poster board into an Oreo Cookie. Add another Oreo for a double stuffed Oreo couples costume. Oh and don’t forget the milk headbands!

2. Cassete tape

Bring back your inner 90’s with a cassette tape costume. Two rectangular pieces of cardboard and straps from a reusable bag make this costume super simple to recreate.

3. Book character costumes

If you’re a parent, I’m sure you recognize the little pigeon from Mo Willems books. The chicken was the main character from my son’t favorite book as a pre schooler, Interrupting Chicken. The point is you can turn any book character into a costume with a box cutter, cardboard, and paint!

4. DIY Flower costume

My daughter wanted to be a flower for Halloween, so I could not resist making myself a seed package costume!

5. Tetris

This Tetris group costume is perfect for an 80’s costume party! Save those boxes and hot glue them together to create your favorite childhood video game.

6. Tractor

Who knew cardboard diaper boxes were so useful for costume making? He’s holding the John Deer toy tractor is costume is modeled after!

7. Cardboard box train

You can also turn a diaper box into a train costume. Use a paper plate for the front and plastic cup with cotton balls coming up to mimic a smoke stack.

8. Tandem bike

This couple turned a cardboard refrigerator box into a tandem bike! Clever!

9. Shark costume

This shark costume proves cardboard can be cut and painted to look like any animal! Simply add handles on the back side of the cardboard to hold the creature in place.

10. Soda can

The soda can pop top is a combination of card board and silver Duct Tape. It is attached to a plastic headband with hot glue and looks surprisingly realistic, don’t you think?