We had a blast making our easy shark costume which inspired making this adorable cardboard octopus one. The instructions are basically the same and it’s an easy costume you can customize in size with your child’s favorite color and creature!
Easy Octopus Cardboard Costume – Materials:
– Cardboard
– Paint, we used red, black and white Tempera paints
– Paint brushes
– Cutter (Xacto knife) or scissors
– Pencil
Instructions:
Step 1. Look up octopus images online (search for octopus clip art) and find one you like. We opted for this cute octopus mage. Using the image as inspiration, sketch out your octopus on a flat piece of cardboard. Figure out how large you want to make it depending on your child’s size. Cut out a center hole where your child’s arm will go through.
Step 2. Cut out the cardboard octopus shape.
Step 3. Paint over the octopus (we chose red, but you can use any color). Give it at least two coats. This is a great time to involve the kids in helping make their costume! Allow to dry completely.
Step 4. You should see the pencil marks after you paint over the octopus. If you don’t, you can go over the faint lines again with pencil. Paint the eyes, mouth and nose. Add white painted spots over the red body. You’re done!
There you go. A super easy costume you can really customize to any shape or creature. Check out our shark version!
What are your favorite handmade costumes for kids? Take a look at more creative cardboard Halloween costumes!
Agnes Hsu is a mom of three and has been inspiring parents and kids to get creative with easy activities and family friendly recipes for over 10 years. She shares her love for creative play and kids food to her 2MM+ followers online. Agnes' commitment to playful learning and kindness has not only raised funds for charity but also earned features in prestigious nationwide publications.