Quick Tip
Instead of buying or making costumes, you can also consider hiring them. There are many online as well as brick-and-mortar stores that rent costumes, props, accessories, and wigs. If you want to buy them, check out online sites like fancydress for storybook character costumes.We love books and so do our children. But when faced with the task of dressing up a kid as a book character costume, we are suddenly at a loss of ideas. Whether it is for Halloween or Book Day, dressing up as book characters can be fun. However, finding a book character costume that is cool and resembles the character completely is not easy. You can choose to dress your kid in a character from a classic fairy tale, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Tinkerbell, or opt for a modern story like Pippi Longstocking. While girls can dress up as one of literature's most enchanting female characters such as Dorothy or Alice (from Alice in Wonderland), boys can dress up as pirates from Treasure Island or hobbits from The Lord of the Rings.
To dress up your kid, you need not spend a fortune. Instead, make a homemade costume using some simple craft items. The trick is to be creative and come up with something fun and engaging for your child. This Buzzle article provides a list of book character costume ideas for children that will help inspire your own imagination and ingenuity.
Peter Pan
Created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan is a boy who never grows up and has a nonchalant, devil-may-care attitude. Whether it is flying or having never-ending childhood adventures on the small island of Neverland, Peter Pan is one of the best fairy tale adventure characters of all time. You can dress up your Peter Pan in a green tunic with a rope belt at the waist. Get a green feathered hat, glitter green shoes, and tights, to complete the costume.
Tinker Bell
Another character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, Tinker Bell is a feisty, hot-tempered fairy who is extremely adorable, thanks to her cute pixie looks. She is Peter Pan's beloved fairy friend. You can transform your little angel into a naughty pixie with a green Tinker Bell dress, or wear a green tulle skirt with an organza petal peplum layered over it. Complete this magical costume with green and gold glitter wings.
Dorothy
Dorothy is the protagonist of the children's novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum. Swept away from her Kansas farm home by a cyclone, Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, travel to the City of Emerald to see the Great Oz, who she believes would be able to send her back home. On the way, she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion in different places, and faces many obstacles before reaching Emerald City and meeting the Great Wizard of Oz.
If you are fascinated by the story and want to dress your child up as Dorothy, then the iconic blue gingham dress will transform your child into an innocent Kansas farm girl all set for adventure. A blue and white checkered jumper with attached blouse and red shoes is the perfect costume. Of course, you need pigtails as well to complete the look.
Lulu a.k.a. Ladybug Girl
If you have a toddler who loves her picture books, then she is sure to love the Ladybug Girl series by David Soman and Jacky Davis. It is the story of Lulu, who transforms into a super girl after putting on her ladybug costume. Along with her dog, Bingo, she goes ahead and has tons of adventure. A red tutu dress with ladybug wings and antennae, along with red slipper boots, will transform your little one into a super girl.
Snow White
First published by the Grimm brothers, in 1812, in the first edition of their collection "Grimms' Fairy Tales", Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs recounts the story of the beautiful Snow White who, afraid of her wicked stepmother, seeks refuge with the seven dwarfs. To dress up like Snow White, you need to dress your child in a beautiful blue and golden gown. The dress should have a royal blue bodice and a glittery gold satin skirt along with puffy red satin sleeves with blue overlays. Complete the look with a red cape, a red satin headband, and red ballerina shoes.
Pippi Longstocking
A fictional character in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking is a nine-year-old pigtailed redhead who lives alone in a huge house with a pet monkey, a horse, and a suitcase full of gold. This eccentric character just does whatever she wants to and has lots of fun doing so. To achieve this look, you need a blue jumper, a pair of mismatched colorful stockings, and old shoes. Of course, you need to braid your child's hair like Pippi as well. To get those quirky upturned braids, you would need to use two pipe cleaners or wires twisted upwards.
Little Red Riding Hood
Everyone knows about the Little Red Riding Hood who goes through the woods to meet her grandmother, but comes face to face with the evil wolf. If you want your daughter to dress up as her favorite storybook heroine, then all you need is a long tunic dress along with a red felt cape. For a more detailed look, choose a white puff-sleeved blouse along with a red skirt and white apron. Choose a nice wicker basket, and add a pair of child Alice shoes to the costume to complete the look.
Alice
Written by Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland recounts a fascinating tale about a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole, and finds herself in a fantasy land populated with peculiar creatures. To dress up your little princess as Alice, you would need a blue dress with puff sleeves and a faux white apron attached to the skirt. Accessorize the dress with a black bow headband, white stockings, and black Mary Janes.
The Little Mermaid
This well-known fairy tale by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen tells a touching story of a young mermaid who is willing to give up everything and her life in the sea for the love of a human prince. To bring the fantasy underwater world to life, choose a floor-length dress with a green skirt and a large, silver flare at the bottom.
Angelina Jeanette Mouseling
Created by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig, Angelina Ballerina is a story of a mouseling who loves to dance, and dreams of becoming a famous ballerina. To dress up your little dancing doll as Angelina, choose a pink ballet dress and a headband with pink mouse ears. Pin a red rose at the waist to complete the look.
Long John Silver
If your little boy loves pirates and adventure, then you might consider dressing him up in a pirate costume. Treasure Island, written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, provides the perfect inspiration for a book character costume. To dress up your little guy as an adventurous pirate, you need a pirate hat, vest, white shirt, waist sash, and pants with attached boot tops.
Bilbo Baggins
If you are crazy about J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, then a cute hobbit costume is just perfect for your kid. A Bilbo Baggins costume features green pants and an orange vest over a white shirt. Attach a green cape to complete the look.
Most of these book character costumes are easy and are a perfect solution for last-minute costume worries. You can hire them or make them at home.
