I did it — my first semi-DIY Halloween costumes, and they turned out great. I didn’t sew a single stitch, and the results were way easier than I expected.
Clara wanted to be Jessie, the cowgirl from Toy Story, and Burger was Slinky Dog, also from Toy Story. For Clara’s costume I gathered a few simple supplies:
- a cowgirl hat from a local Halloween shop
- red yarn and white duct tape
- flared jeans from Old Navy
The first step was creating Jessie’s long braid using red yarn. I braided the yarn and attached it to the hat with white duct tape. The inside looks messy, but the outside is neat and Clara loves it — the braid even helps the slightly-too-large hat fit better.
I found cowgirl-style boots at Old Navy on sale so they’ll be useful beyond Halloween. I also picked up a white button-down from the boys’ section that she can wear after the holiday. To make the jeans look Jessie-inspired, I cut white duct tape into cow-spot shapes and applied them to the jeans. Because the tape is removable, the jeans, shirt, and boots can all be worn normally after Halloween until she outgrows them.
Burger’s Slinky Dog costume was quick and inexpensive. I bought a small amount of brown felt, cut it into a strip that wraps around his torso, and attached velcro at each side so it secures under his ribcage. For the slinky body I used two yards of silver trim. Rather than sewing, I fastened the trim to the felt with safety pins on the outside so nothing pokes Burger. It stayed in place well enough without stitching, which saved time since he isn’t a fan of wearing costumes for long.
My favorite little touch was adding gold fringe to the bottom of Clara’s flared jeans. She loves how they shake when she walks. I pinned the trim on with safety pins so it’s removable — an inexpensive, reversible detail that turns the jeans into something special for Halloween and everyday wear afterward.
Here’s the back view of Clara’s Jessie braid — the long yarn braid looks adorable. It’s such a fun, low-effort way to get the Jessie look without needing to style real hair.
I also made a simple belt for Clara using woven leather-look trim. I secured it with a clear, fillable plastic pin that I filled with yellow paper and a felt star, then attached with a safety pin. It keeps the trim together like a belt and cost only a few dollars to create.
Clara’s favorite Jessie move so far is sliding her legs out on the floor in her boots — she’s having a blast pretending to be the cowgirl. These little, inexpensive details brought the character to life and gave her confidence to play and pose.
Have you tried DIY costumes this year? I used simple, budget-friendly materials like white duct tape, felt, trim, and safety pins to create looks that are removable and wearable after Halloween. DIY can be quick, affordable, and fun, especially when pieces are chosen so they’ll get more use beyond one night.
I’ve also made other costumes in previous years and had a blast doing it. Wishing you a safe and happy Halloween — I’d love to hear what your kids (or you!) are dressing up as this year.
