Creative Doll in a Box Costume: A Unique Halloween Outfit Idea

Ordering many of my essentials online means I am collecting boxes, so this year it only seemed natural to reuse some of them and create a “Boxtume!” We decided on creating a doll in a box costume using materials we already had lying around our home and make use of whatever came naturally for a kids costume idea – isn’t this cute kids costume adorable!?

My daughter loves wearing princess costumes daily, so Halloween must be made extra-special this year to truly stand out.

My goal has been to develop my daughter’s DIY attitude. For instance, I encourage her to make homemade tiaras instead of purchasing ones and customize plain costumes into something truly original – that’s why my suggestion that she DIY her Halloween costume was exciting to her!

Why This Costume Works
She had the idea to be a “Doll in a Box” for Halloween. At first, I imagined an old cardboard box with cutouts for arms and legs – however after playing around with this concept a bit, we created an adorable costume (dubbed a “Boxtume”) which could be worn to parties, trick or treating events, school events and photo sessions! Even better as photo props!

While spray painting provides the fastest project timeline, children can also use acrylic or poster paint for a similar effect. They could also decorate their box in pink wrapping paper for added effect! It is best that an adult is responsible for cutting the box; however children may help outline where this should happen and trim any rough edges with scissors afterwards.

All these materials can be found on Amazon – and their boxes can even be used as part of your costume creation!

Disassemble and lay flat your box onto an area suitable for spray painting.

Spray an even coat of pink spray paint over the box and allow to dry for at least two hours, (I did mine outdoors for two hours, before moving it inside my shed for overnight off-gassing.)

Attach handles using duct tape or cut handles from your box if desired; we didn’t find this necessary. Alternatively, create two holes in the back and use a belt through them around your child’s waist to help support and hold up the boxtume! We even saw one doll wearing this method with an optional backpack!

My daughter was thrilled with her creative Halloween costume and cannot wait to show it off at her school’s Halloween party next week.