1. Be a season!

This worked really well for me last year. It’s especially fun for the kids because you get to use face paint! Basically, you get an outfit together (for winter find your favorite boots and a cute sweater, for fall get out the browns, oranges and reds of your wardrobe, spring and summer tend to be more green and sprightly) and then paint depictions of the season on your face and hands! There’s lots of room for creativity here. The final step is finding the right accessories to your get-up. I walked around and found leaves to put on my clothes and hair. Double-sided tape works best for this sort of thing. Take the kids on a nature walk or help them cut out paper flowers or snowflakes.

2. Be a pirate

My husband pulled this off last year very well. For this one you may want to acquire some small items like a toy gun or plastic sword or a cool pirate hat at a local party/costume store. Other than that, find some worn-out jeans and a pirate-y type shirt with a nifty black vest and you should be set! A pirate isn’t necessarily the most original idea but if you do it up right you’ll be sure to get some extra candy!

3. Be a fairy

This is for all of those little girls out there who love the new Tinker Bell stuff that’s been coming out. I totally wish I was six right now, there are so many great options! This one also requires some face-paint and fairy wings but it’s worth it if your little girl (or you) really want to pull of the pretty, mystical look this year.

4. Be a different holiday

Throw everybody for a loop and dress up as the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus for Halloween! Why not? All costumes are fair game on Halloween. I know it might sound funky but trust me, what kid wouldn’t want to dress up as an elf or Santa Claus?

5. Use a box

Cardboard boxes are lying around all over the place. With some magic markers and a dose of creativity, you can have an awesome Halloween costume just with that! You could be a television or a juice box! No matter what you choose, it’ll definitely be original and cheap!

There are plenty of other options for at-home, creative Halloween costumes. The point is to make it fun for the kids and think of costumes you wouldn’t normally see. Witches and ghosts are awesome but it’s also great to have a variety. Get creative, have fun and have a safe Halloween!