The Cardboard Box Costume: Infinite Possibilities

Dressing up and crafting your own costume is a great teaching tool for children. The activity inspires creative play, problem solving, personal expression, and fun! To encourage this educational and emotional exploration, we think you only need one basic item: The box!

Superficially, it’s nothing more than a cardboard cube. But in reality, it’s a hiding space, a car, a laundry machine, a hot air balloon…. A box is infinite in its possibilities. Ask your children what they want to be and have them draw it. Go on a scavenger hunt around the house — everyday basics, old clothes, and art supplies are all they need to bring their imaginative costume to life.

To celebrate the endless learning opportunities the box represents, we’ve rounded up our favorite cardboard box costumes that are perfect for Halloween or a Saturday afternoon. We hope they leave you inspired to upcycle your boxes into something eco-friendly and magical.

1. Misha Lulu’s Alice in Wonderland captures the imagination and silly nonsense of the famous storybook character.

[caption id="attachment_7079" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Alice Cardboard Box Costume by Karen for Misha Lulu[/caption]

2. Bring your box to life with this DIY Frankenstein costume from Scholastic Parent & Child.

[caption id="attachment_7101" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Monster Cardboard Box Costume from Scholastic Parent & Child[/caption]

3. Special Delivery from Studio DIY. This air mail costume proves you don't need specialty supplies to create something sweet.

[caption id="attachment_7083" align="aligncenter" width="600"] DIY Air Mail Costume by Studio DIY[/caption]

4. Handmade Charlotte shares 10 DIY Cardboard & Paper Masks for Halloween. We went wild for this cardboard lion's head created by Iglo & Indi for an editorial shoot.

[caption id="attachment_7096" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image and mask by Iglo & Indi[/caption]

5. Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day cleverly creates homemade Halloween costumes that are always a hit. We say, "Oui, oui!" to channeling France at home.

[caption id="attachment_7089" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Eiffel Tower Costume by Jordan Ferney | Image by Sarah Hebenstreit for Oh Happy Day[/caption]

6. Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons always makes homemade costumes and this cardboard shark is a definite catch.

[caption id="attachment_7098" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Cardboard Box Shark Costume by Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons[/caption]

7. Adults can get in on the creative action with this eco chic gown crafted by Strode College and featured in Inhabitots' 8 DIY Costumes That Are Outside the Box.

[caption id="attachment_7093" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Strode College Cardboard Gown via Inhabitots[/caption]

Have you made a costume repurposing a cardboard box? We'd love to see it, so share your creativity in the comments below! And check out our Halloween Pinterest board for additional inspiration.