DIY Halloween Costumes: Add a Personal Touch with Dress It Up Buttons

Halloween is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to start planning those creative costumes. Whether you're dressing up for a spooky party, heading out for trick-or-treating, or simply getting into the festive spirit, why not take your DIY costume to the next level? With our whimsical and themed buttons, you can add that extra touch of magic to make your outfit truly stand out.

From witches to pumpkins, pirates to ghosts, there are endless possibilities when you have the right embellishments on hand. Here’s how to get started on crafting your own unique Halloween costume, with a little help from the team at Dress It Up!

1. Witch Hat Glam

The classic witch costume never goes out of style, but you can put your own spin on it by adding some sparkly flair to your hat and accessories. Start with a basic black hat and dress it up by gluing on shimmering stars or crescent moon buttons from our Halloween Collection. You can even create a matching belt or wand using the same button accents. Add a pop of color with some glow-in-the-dark buttons for an eerie glow when the lights go low.

Pro tip: Mix glittery or metallic buttons with traditional black and orange hues to give your witch ensemble a trendy twist.

2. Pumpkin Patch Perfection

Want to transform into the cutest pumpkin in the patch? Begin with a simple orange dress or shirt and pants. Sew or glue on Dress It Up’s pumpkin-themed buttons in various sizes and shades of orange and green for a playful, 3D look. These pumpkin buttons can be arranged on the front of the costume to mimic a jack-o’-lantern's face or scatter them all over to create a patchy effect. For a finishing touch, pair your outfit with a green headband featuring some vine or leaf buttons.

Pro tip: Mix in buttons shaped like leaves, vines, or even spooky spiders to give your pumpkin costume a unique and textured look.

3. Pirate’s Treasure

Ahoy, matey! Set sail on a sea of creativity with a DIY pirate costume. Start with a plain white shirt, black pants, and a pirate hat. To make it your own, add our Pirates embellishments along the shirt’s cuffs and neckline for a treasure-filled look. Create a "treasure map" by adding buttons in the shape of anchors, skulls, and crossbones to a sash or bandana for that extra pirate flair.

Pro tip: For a fun accessory, use our pirate-themed buttons to make a custom eyepatch or belt buckle that’s sure to make you the fiercest pirate at any Halloween gathering.

4. Beetlejuice: The Ghost with the Most

Beetlejuice is making a comeback in 2024, and your child can channel this mischievous spirit with a DIY costume. Start with a black-and-white striped suit, and add spooky-themed buttons like skulls, skeletons, or glow-in-the-dark shapes from Dress It Up. Place buttons along the lapels and cuffs to enhance the ghostly aesthetic. You can also create a fun accessory like a “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” book bag, using small buttons to add texture and style.

Pro tip: Use our Fright Night or Itty Bitty Crawlers buttons to create a creepy bow tie or decorate shoes to complete the Beetlejuice vibe.

5. Fashion Icon

With the success of the Barbie movie, kids everywhere want to dress up as their favorite doll. Start with a glam, pink outfit that screams fashionista! Decorate it with glittery buttons to add sparkle and dimension. Choose heart, star, or flower buttons to place along the dress or jacket, and create a matching headband or bracelet using the same buttons for a chic, coordinated look.

Pro tip: Use our Fancy Rhinestone Round embellishments or choose from several pink glittery options to mimic Barbie’s iconic accessories, like necklaces, handbags, or shoes.

6. Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Perfection

Create a roaring dinosaur-themed Halloween costume using our dinosaur-themed buttons for a unique and creative touch! Start with a simple green hoodie or t-shirt and attach our dino buttons along the sleeves and back to resemble a dinosaur’s spine. You can also use the buttons to embellish a headband with felt spikes, creating a fun and eye-catching accessory. These colorful buttons add a playful pop and bring the costume to life, making it perfect for a prehistoric Halloween look that stands out from the crowd!

Pro tip: For extra flair, use our dinosaur-themed buttons create fun accessories like wristbands, belts or directly embellish costumes for extra flair.

7. Pop Star Glam: Sparkle and Shine

Every little pop star needs to shine, and you can help your child rock their stage-ready costume with some sparkle. Start with a dazzling outfit, whether it’s a glittery jumpsuit or a colorful skirt and top, and add musical note buttons, microphone buttons, and heart-shaped buttons to give the look extra star power. You can also create a fun microphone prop using buttons as embellishments for that extra stage-worthy vibe.

Pro tip: Incorporate Silver Hearts Assortment or our mini bead mix on shoes, sunglasses, or jackets to add that pop-star glam to the outfit.

8. Moana: Island Adventure

Bring the magic of the islands to life with a Moana costume! Begin with a tropical, beachy outfit in shades of orange, red, and yellow. Use our beach-inspired buttons—like seashells, flowers, or waves—to adorn the costume and create that island feel. You can sew buttons along the hem of Moana’s skirt or use them to decorate her necklace and bracelets.

Pro tip: Add Dress It Up’s Moana embellishments to a trick or treat bag to complete the Moana theme.

9. The Nightmare Before Christmas: Jack Skellington or Sally

For kids who love Tim Burton’s whimsical yet spooky world, a DIY Jack Skellington or Sally costume is a perfect choice. For Jack, you can use our Bewitching Bats buttons to enhance his iconic pinstripe suit, and add some glow-in-the-dark buttons for a spooky twist.

For Sally, make her patchwork dress or enhance one from your Halloween costume shop by using our Sew Cute Spools and Scissors buttons to imitate her sewn-together appearance.

Pro tip: Use our Nightmare Before Christmas buttons to add to accessories, or sew onto a jacket.

Ready to Make Your Halloween Costume One-of-a-Kind?

Adding buttons to your DIY costume is easy! You can either sew them on for a more permanent fixture, or snip off the loops of embellishments with scissors and use hot glue for a quicker project. If you're attaching buttons to delicate fabrics like tulle or lace, consider using fabric glue to avoid damaging the material. And don’t forget to layer different sizes and colors to create a more dynamic look!

With our wide range of themed buttons, you can easily transform any Halloween costume from ordinary to extraordinary. Whether you’re going for cute, spooky, or glam, adding a few well-placed buttons will ensure your costume is the talk of the party.