Some people turn up their noses at the thought of a homemade Halloween costume, but some of my favorite childhood memories are of making creative costumes with my mom. I think it’s a lot more fun and a lot less expensive to do it yourself. And you don’t have to be an expert seamstress to create a great costume. There are a few things you can do to get started:

Raid your closets. You’ll be amazed at what kind of costumes you can make out of your old clothes and accessories. A too small pair of pants, a shirt buttoned wrong, and a pair of old glasses with some duct tape in the middle and you’ve got the perfect nerd costume – just add a pocket protector! Or you can use a bandana and a vest and you have the beginnings of a pirate or gypsy costume.

Collect cardboard boxes. Cardboard boxes can be cut, painted, and folded to be added to a variety of costumes – butterfly wings, a fire truck, a jack-in-the-box, and much more.

Don’t forget your art supplies. Black foam sheets can be cut into circles and added to a white sweat suit to make the perfect Dalmatian. Pompoms can be used as a bunny tail or decorations on a clown costume. Yarn can be used to create any kind of hair you need (like the red Raggedy Ann hair I used in my favorite costume as a kid!).

Accessorize. Even if you choose to buy part of your child’s costume, you can still have fun making creative accessories together. A little cardboard, ribbon, and glue and glitter are perfect for making a magic wand. Red jewels glued to an old pair of shoes make the perfect pair of ruby slippers. There’s no end to where your creativity can take you!