The Most Adorable $5 DIY Owl Costume

With a couple of hours and a couple of dollars, I made a cute $5 DIY Owl Costume for one of my 6-year-old daughters. Even better, this is no-sew!

I love finding ways to celebrate the Halloween season with my family while staying on a budget.

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Halloween doesn’t have to be expensive. Just like last year, time and creativity trump money when it comes to costumes.

If you think you’re not creative, you can just copy ideas off the internet like I do. Start by finding some inspiration. I went to Pinterest for ideas, but most of the DIY owl costumes I found required sewing.

I had to make it simpler, so I figured I could use a hot glue gun instead. And felt is really easy to cut and work with.

If your child would prefer another bird, just use different colors that are more vibrant.

How to make an Owl Costume

What is the base of this owl costume?

If I’d had an old shirt of her brother’s, I would have used that, but I bought a grey t-shirt at a thrift store for $1 instead.

I don’t sew, so using a shirt meant I didn’t have to construct anything. You can use a long-sleeved tee or sweatshirt as the basis for many costumes.

How to make the feathers:

I cut a piece of cardboard into a U shape (for feathers) and cut a bunch out of felt. I had some felt already, and I bought a bunch of the .23 sheets at Walmart in owl-y colors.

This technique would work with many kinds of animals; just adapt the shape to whatever animal you’re making–feathers, fur, stripes, etc.

How to attach the feathers to the shirt for this owl costume:

I don’t sew, but I can glue. I glued the feathers in lines–on both the back and front of the shirt. Then I went back over the collar to make it more round.

I couldn’t believe how heavy the shirt was when I was done–at least she’ll be nice and warm on Halloween night!

My daughter wore dark grey leggings (that we already had) for the bottom of the costume. Any dark pants or leggings will do.

Does this costume need a hat or a mask?

My inspiration costumes used masks, but I didn’t want my daughter to have trouble seeing when we’re out trick-or-treating.

I found this fuzzy knitted hat at the thrift store for $1. My daughter and I cut circles out of felt . She chose the buttons from our stash, and we glued them onto the hat with the hot glue gun.

I cut a little beak out of orange felt, too. The hat colors dictated the feather colors for the costume.

Will kids like this DIY Owl Costume?

My daughter absolutely loves this DIY Owl Costume! She wore it to a Halloween party last weekend, and only one feather came loose, so I just glued it back on.

A couple of hours + a couple of dollars = happy mom and happy child. Yippee!

Are you looking for more Halloween costumes?

Halloween always seems to sneak up on us. Before we know it the costumes are needed and I have to pull things together in a hurry.

Instead of rushing out and spending a ton on something that they will only wear for one year…use these ideas to make your own Halloween costumes for the whole family.  You can save some money, look great, and be the star parent!

30 Quick and Easy DIY Halloween Costumes

5 Ways to Save on Halloween Costumes