By Andrea Pyros

www.RetailMeNot.com

Are you missing the crafty gene? We feel you. It’s not easy being a parent who can’t stitch, sew, mend or do whatever else it is you’re supposed to be doing with fabric. But that doesn’t mean your children can’t wear a homemade costume this Halloween. With a little felt, a glue gun, paint and some cardboard boxes, your child can be whatever he or she wants. We asked around and found eight no-sew ideas to get you started. But talk to your kids about what they love, too. You might come up with an even cooler idea together.

Wii Remote

If your child is big into video games, this is a fun and attention-getting idea. Open up a cardboard box, so it’s a large, long, narrow rectangle in the middle, and cut out a circle where your kid’s head will go. Paint the cardboard white on the front and back. For the front, glue four squares of blue foil paper ($16.95 for 24 sheets on Amazon) at the bottom and write “A” with indelible ink on a circular plastic Tupperware-style lid. Glue the A button on the box. Then use your marker to design the rest of the buttons and write “Wii” along the bottom of the costume.

Thing One and Thing Two

This is always popular for families with twins, but even non-twin siblings can get into dressing up as these two playful, troublemaking beasties from the Dr. Seuss classic The Cat in the Hat. Buy each kid red sweats or leggings and a red turtleneck. Cut two pieces of white felt into circles and write “THING 1” on one and “THING 2” on the other. Glue the circles to the front of the shirts. Buy the brightest blue wig you can find, such as this Lil’ Club Kid hairpiece ($12.95) from CostumeKingdom, and your kids can have lots of good fun that is funny.

Buttered Toast

When our friend was young, she won a contest for this cool costume her mom made. Take one plain brown grocery bag, and in the bottom, cut out a hole large enough for your child’s head to fit through. Cut two holes on the sides of the bag that will function as armholes. Set the bag aside. Cut out a wavy-edge square from a piece of yellow poster board and paste it on the front of the bag. Voila! Your kid is now a piece of buttered toast.

Zookeeper

This is a good one for animal lovers. Pick up a button-down khaki shirt and a pair of khaki cargo pants for your kid. Or better yet, use what they already own and buy a safari hat ($1.29) from CenturyNovelty. Write “Zookeeper” on the front with a thick marker. Then get a Wild Republic rubber snake ($13.99) from Wayfair to drape around your child’s shoulders, and your kids are ready to scare the neighbors.

Kitty Cat

Get black felt from a craft store, cut out a long rectangle and roll it into a fat tube for the tail. Next, glue down the seam and safety pin it to the back of a pair of black leggings. For ears, cut out two triangles of the same fabric (double it up if you need it to be stiffer) and glue them to a black headband ($7.99) from TanoJewelry. You can glue on little pink triangles for the insides of the ears. Find a black, long-sleeved shirt and let your kids pick out their shoes. For the finishing touches, use a couple of catnip mice ($2.10 for a three-pack) from PetStore.com as an accessory and black eyeliner ($1.99 for two) from Walgreens for whiskers and a nose.

Greek God

Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series is huge with kids, and fans of the book series will love the idea of playing Zeus for a day. Make a toga out of a white sheet and purchase a white wig and beard ($29.97) from Amazon. Trim the beard until it’s the right length and style, and the costume is done. A lightning bolt cut from cardboard and covered in aluminum foil is the perfect accessory.

Sporty Car

Cut the top and bottom flaps off a jumbo-size diaper box and spray-paint it whatever color your kid wants her car. Use the extra cardboard to make a license plate. Get a pair of suspenders from the Suspender Store to hold the car up around her waist. Buy an REI honker horn ($5) to carry around, and she’ll be ready to roll.

Hot Air Balloon

A second option for the box attached by suspenders is a cute hot air balloon. Paint your cardboard box brown. On the day of Halloween, purchase a dozen (or more!) helium-filled balloons and glue them carefully onto the box. Let dry, and it’s up, up and away!

Andrea Pyros, a freelance writer and mother of two who lives in New York's Hudson Valley, writes for coupon site www.RetailMeNot.com. Distibuted by McClatchy Information Services.