Probably the most stressful time of the year for any school parent is the lead up to Book Week or World Book Day. First your child needs to decide what character they want to dress up as {and hopefully they don't change their mind a million times} then you start frantically scouring shops like Spotlight for premade costumes or craft pieces to make DIY costumes. Book week can be exhausting and overwhelming for parents....
But it doesn't have to be! I've put together a huge list of easy book character costumes for girls and boys, with DIY instructions and links to premade costumes, to make your Book Week or World Book Day run a lot smoother. As a bonus you could reuse them as Halloween costumes too.
 |
| Image: @elliewhittakerstudio |
WHAT IS BOOK WEEK?
If this is your child's first year of school you may not have heard of book week before, so let me give you a quick run down. Book week is a week dedicated to the celebration of children's books and authors.
Book week celebrations usually include book related displays and activities throughout the week, with the main event being a whole school parade where children dress up as a book character, with prizes for the best costumes. Book week celebrations are a great way to encourage children to love reading, and bring stories to life outside of books with hands-on literary activities.
In Australia, book week is celebrated in August at schools, kindergartens and childcare centres across the country. In 2024 book week is August 17-23. Each year a specific theme is set by The Children's Book Council of Australia, the 2024 book week theme is Reading is Magic. The 2023 book week theme was Read Grow Inspire.
America have 2 weeks dedicated to book week, one in May and one in November. The 2024 book weeks are May 6-12 and November 4-10. The theme is set by the Children's Book Council's charitable program Every Child a Reader, the 2024 book week theme is No Rules. Just Read.
 |
| Every Child A Reader |
Book week theme's are deliberately broad and can be interpreted in numerous ways to allow for a wide range of literary costumes. A lot of schools aren't strict on students sticking to the annual theme, so don't worry if the character your child wants to dress up as doesn't fall within the theme.
If you're a teacher looking for book costume ideas for your year level, check out my post of group costume ideas for teachers. They're great for Halloween too.
WHAT IS WORLD BOOK DAY AND WHEN IS IT?
World Book Day, now also referred to as World Book & Copyright Day, was established on April 23rd 1995 by UNESCO. The date was chosen as William Shakespeare and many other prominent authors have all died on April 23rd. Like Book Week, World Book Day is a day of celebration to honour books and authors of the past and to highlight the importance of access to books.
In most countries it's celebrated annually on April 23rd, however in the UK it's celebrated on the first Thursday in March. The next UK World Book Day will be Thursday 7th March 2024. You can find out more about the history of World Book Day in the United Kingdom here.
EASY KIDS BOOK CHARACTER COSTUME IDEAS
Remember you don't need to go all out creating the most fabulous homemade costume, but if you want to by all means go ahead. This post includes heaps of easy Reading is Magic book week character costume ideas that can be replicated as a DIY costume, or in some cases purchased as premade costumes online at Spotlight or Amazon AU and there's lots on Amazon if you're celebrating World Book Day instead.
So whether you're super prepared and planning weeks ahead of time, or looking for a really easy last minute idea, you'll find something in this list.
Tips to make Book Week & World Book Day easier
- Decide on a character early. Get your child to pick out what character they want to be at least one month out from book week or world book day, because it can very easily sneak up on you.
- Make sure you have the book. If you don't either buy a copy, borrow it from a library, or print out a full page image of the cover as kids will usually have to have the book during the parade.
- Decide if you're going to do a DIY costume or buy one. This can be very dependant on whether there is a premade costume for the character. If you're going to make one put together a list of everything you'll need.
- Get creating! If DIYing a costume start collecting the fabric or items you'll need for the outfit asap - craft shops, thrift stores, dollar stores and department stores are all great places to look.
- Try on the costume before the parade. Make sure you try on the finished costume prior to the parade to ensure it fits well and no pieces or props are coming loose.
Bonus tip - cardboard is your best friend! If you can't find the perfect costume and need a quick fix, draw the face, book cover or whole life size image of the character onto cardboard and wear it as a sandwich board costume.
Classic Children's Book Character Costumes
Anne Shirley - Anne of Green Gables
Anne Shirley is the protagonist of the famous 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. Set in the late 1800's Anne is an orphan who's sent by mistake to live with elderly siblings to help run their farm. The book and it's sequels follow Anne's life living with the Cuthbert's, making friendships, attending school and growing up in Green Gables.
To make a DIY Anne of Green Gables costume you'll need an Edwardian style floral dress with puff sleeves as shown above. Add a straw hat, hair in braids and mary jane style shoes with high socks to complete the look. Alternatively you could use a white puff sleeve blouse layered under a blue pinafore dress with black boots. If you're having trouble finding a dress there are pioneer floral dresses here.
Mae - Florette
 |
| Image: @kyliegregson |
When Mae moves from the country to the city she longs for a lush green garden instead of bustling streets and small spaces. Eventually she discovers Florette a place exactly as she imagined. She takes a sprout and is able to grow her own garden.
To make a DIY Mae costume you'll need a white t-shirt, denim or blue short overalls, brown shoes and a sprout for her to carry. You can use any type of plant leaves for the sprout as it's not specified what type of plant it was in the book.
Fern - Charlottes Web
 |
| Image: Emma Steendam |
Charlotte's Web is a classic children's book studied by almost every school child at some point throughout their schooling. Fern is a young farm girl who begs her father to let her take care of the runt pig from their litter of piglets. Fern looks after Wilbur until he's sold to her uncle's farm.
To make a DIY Fern costume you'll need a plaid button up shirt, a pair of overalls, some boots and plaited hair. If you have a stuffed pig and spider toy you can add them too like Emma did above.
\
Some Pig - Charlotte's Web
 |
| Image: Oh So Busy Mum |
If you want a really simple, cost effective and no sew costume, send the kids as Charlotte's actual web. In Charlotte's Web, Charlotte draws attention to Wilbur by writing words in her web overnight. Some of the words she writes are Some Pig, Terrific, Radiant and Humble.
To make this costume you'll need some white fabric, a black pen and a plastic spider. Cut a hole in the centre of the white fabric for their head then cut the fabric at arms length in an inverted scallop pattern to mimic the edges of a spiderweb. Then draw the web lines and words with black pen. Glue on a black plastic spider at the end of one of the words.
Pippi Longstocking
 |
| Image: Kat Lebrasse |
Pippi Longstocking is a rambunctious, care free, red haired girl with freckles who refuses to act the way society thinks she should. She's also really strong and can lift her horse with only one hand. She has tattered clothes and her wild red braids stick straight out from her head.
To create a DIY Pippi Longstocking costume you'll need a red and white striped top, overall shorts and mismatched striped stockings or long socks. To recreate her crazy braids thread some florist wire into plaits and then bend them outwards. If you need to add freckles use an eye liner pencil or face paint.
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
 |
| Image: @mrs.lauren.roney |
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings is a gorgeous picture book that helps children navigate their big emotions and gives them new words to describe and communicate their feelings. It's widely recognised as it features a colourful cut out heart throughout each layer of the book.
To make a DIY In My Heart costume you could simply create a colourful cardboard heart boxtume. Or, you can also replicate the little girl in the book with black and white striped socks or stockings, a white dress with red spots, a black t-shirt and a big red hair bow. You can also combine both as shown above.
Mary Poppins
 |
| Image: @mahachalkalot |
Mary Poppins is everyone's favourite English nanny, who uses music, fun, adventure and a little bit of magic to take care of the Banks children.
To make a DIY Mary Poppins costume you'll need a black or navy umbrella, a white button up shirt, red bowtie, black or navy skirt, red waist sash, stockings, black shoes and a ladies top hat. You can also add an oversized carpet bag. You can also add a navy jacket.
Shop Mary Poppins books here Amazon | Amazon AU
Little Red Riding Hood
 |
| Image: @elliewhittackerstudio |
Little Red Riding Hood is one of the most popular fairy tale characters represented during book week. Little Red Riding Hood is famous for her red hooded cloak that she wears everywhere, including when she encounters the wolf on the way to Grandma's house.
To make a DIY Little Red Riding Hood costume you'll need a red hooded cape or red fabric that can be draped into a hooded cape, peasant style clothing including a red skirt, black shoes and a wicker basket. You can also get premade Little Red Riding Hood costumes in various designs from Spotlight, Amazon AU or Amazon.
Elmer the elephant
 |
| Image: @this_is_shell_stone |
Elmer isn't like the other elephants, he's different and stands out. Instead of being grey like the other elephants, he's a patchwork of bright yellow and orange and red and pink and purple and blue and green and black and white. Elmer is not elephant colour!
To create a DIY Elmer costume like the one above you'll need an oversized t-shirt or white dress, cardboard, headband, toilet paper rolls and fabric markers. Tie the toilet paper rolls together to form a trunk and cut the cardboard into 2 oversized ears and attach them to a headband. Decorate the trunk, ears and body in patchwork square colours with the fabric pens.
If you don't have time to DIY, you can get a handmade Elmer costume, including an amazing elephant headpiece from Etsy here.
Shop Elmer books here: Amazon | Amazon AU
Cheshire Cat - Alice in Wonderland
 |
| Image: @its_sierra_summer |
The Cheshire cat is a mischievous pink and purple stripey cat who appears and disappears to guide Alice through her adventures in wonderland. Apart from his bright stripes, his most defining feature is his wide distinctive grin.
To make a simple DIY Cheshire cat costume you can use tie dyed or striped clothes, a cat ear hairband and a cat tail. Take it next level with some face paint to recreate his huge grin. Or you can get a range of premade costumes at Amazon, Amazon AU or Etsy.
Shop Alice in Wonderland books here Amazon | Amazon AU
Mad Hatter - Alice in Wonderland
.jpg) |
| Image: @rose_auds_henderson |
The Mad Hatter is an eccentric character who's introduced during the tea party scene. He's known for his tall top hat, large bow tie and crazy hair. In the original book he's a plump old man and in Tim Burton's movie remake he's played by Johnny Depp with bright orange hair and lots of facial makeup.
To make a DIY Mad Hatter costume you'll need long coat jacket, a tall top hat, a bow tie and a tea cup is a great accessory. To recreate Johnny Depp's character you can also add an orange frizzy wig, bright eye shadow {above and below the eyes}, a sash made from spools of thread and some stripey socks. You can also buy premade costumes at Amazon, Amazon AU or Spotlight.
Queen of Hearts - Alice in Wonderland
 |
| Image: @amelieandatticus |
The Queen of Hearts is the main antagonist of Alice in Wonderland and her catch phrase is offfff with their head! which she likes to scream at the top of her lungs whenever she gets angered. The queen of hearts is characterised by her red and black outfits featuring hearts.
In the movie adaptation she also has extremely oversized blue eyeshadow and small pursed heart lips. You can recreate her outlandish makeup with face paint. If you want to make the costume even more amazing, make a cardboard queen of hearts card cut-out and add some heart playing cards as shown above.
Alice - Alice In Wonderland
Get lost in wonderland as Alice. She traditionally wears a blue dress with a white apron, black headband with a bow, white stockings and black shoes.
If you want to make your own DIY Alice in wonderland costume {like the one shown above} you can follow the tutorial at Artsy Fartsy Mama. I promise it only requires basic sewing skills. If you prefer to buy a premade costume you can get them from Spotlight, Amazon AU or Amazon.
Alice stuck in the White Rabbit's house
One of the most iconic parts of Alice in Wonderland is when Alice eats a cookie inside the white rabbit's house and suddenly grows into a giant, becoming trapped in the house!
To recreate the scene you'll need a box and some paint to make the white rabbit's house. Follow the tutorial at Simplify Create Inspire to make an easy white rabbit house boxtume, and there's also instructions for another DIY Alice costume too.
Dorothy - Wizard of Oz
 |
| Image: @hide_and_seeker |
Follow the yellow brick road to the emerald city as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. To make a DIY Dorothy costume you'll need a sleeveless blue and white gingham dress, a puff sleeve white blouse, sparkly red ballet flats and a wicker basket. Complete the look with side plaits and a small stuffed dog to carry as Toto.
If you can't find sparkly red shoes, you can make your own with some mod podge and some red glitter. You can also buy premade Dorothy costumes at Spotlight, Amazon or Amazon AU
Glinda "The Good Witch"
Glinda, originally the good witch of the South in the Wizard of Oz book, but known as the good witch of the North in the movie, looks out for Dorothy while she's in Oz. She wears a full length light pink gown with puff sleeves and lots of sparkles and silver butterflies. She also has a tall silver crown and star wand.
To make a DIY Glinda costume as shown above, follow the step by step no sew tutorial at Simple as That Blog. Or you can buy a premade Glinda costume from Spotlight, Catch or Amazon.
Wicked Witch of the West
Of course you can't have a good witch without a bad one and the Wicked Witch of the West is definitely the antagonist of the Wizard of Oz. She swears revenge on Dorothy after she inadvertently killed her sister the Wicked Witch of the East when her house fell on top of her during the tornado.
To make a DIY Wicked Witch costume you'll need black clothing, a witches hat, broomstick and black and white striped socks. Follow the tutorial at Simple as That Blog to create the Wicked Witch costume shown above. To make it even more amazing use green face paint to cover your face and arms and add a wart near your chin.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
 |
| Image: @cardboardfolk |
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a staple character each year and thanks to the caterpillars transformation in the book, there's a few different ways to do a Hungry Caterpillar costume. Kathryn has done a caterpillar version and butterfly version above for her two boys.
To replicate the caterpillar costume you'll need 10 pieces of cardboard cut into oblong shapes and painted green. Secure them together {5 for the front and 5 for the back} with split pins so they can wiggle as you walk and then add some black straps to turn it into a sandwich board style of costume.
To make the butterfly costume stich together different coloured pieces of felt into a butterfly shape. Then attach the edge of the wings to the sleeves of a shirt to make the costume easy to wear. Make sure the butterfly wings are oversized so they're fully expanded when arms are opened wide.
For both costumes you'll also need a red beanie. Add some felt pieces for the eyes and nose. Then make some black felt antennas and use pipe cleaners to reinforce them and help them stay upright.
The Day the Crayons Quit
 |
| Image: @sineadbates |
The Day the Crayon's Quit was the very first of the Crayons books by Oliver Jeffers and Drew Daywalt where all of Duncan's crayons all decide to quit because they were overworked. There are 12 different coloured crayons mentioned in the book as well as the crayon box so there are heaps of costume ideas.
To make the epic crayon box costume shown above, you'll need a large empty cardboard box, pool noodles, pipe cleaners, permanent markers, coloured paper and some wooden skewers for the little signs. Alternatively you could also dress up as an individual crayon in a coloured t-shirt, using a crayon svg cut from black vinyl and a party hat.
You can also buy premade crayons costumes from Amazon and Amazon AU, Have a look at The Day the Crayons Quit teacher costume ideas here.
Shop The Day the Crayons Quit books here Amazon AU | Amazon
Truck Driver - Wheels
 |
| Image: @miss_gritandgiggles |
Sally Sutton is a famous New Zealand author who's written many children's books about different vehicles and construction. Wheels is a picture book about all the different vehicles with wheels kids might see when they're out and about. It's also a fun interactive guessing book with clues before they flip each page.
To make a costume for Wheels you could dress up as a vehicle, or dress in a high vis shirt or vest as a vehicle driver as shown above. Have a look at our super simple Wheels bookish play activity.
Shop Wheels book here Amazon AU | Amazon
Where The Wild Things Are
If your children are wild, dress them up as Max or a Wild Thing from Where The Wild Things Are. Max goes on a crazy adventure across the sea for almost a year and finds an island full of wild things. Soon Max is crowned the king of the wild things.
You can DIY a wild things costume with some faux fur trim and a bit of sewing onto regular clothes. To recreate the costumes shown above, follow the instructions at Emelbe Design.
Wild Things Masks
If you prefer an even easier option try making a DIY Max or Wild Things mask with cardboard, paint and pasta. Follow the tutorial to make the masks at Hello Wonderful.
The Paper Bag Princess
 |
| Image: @biancs.hurst |
The Paper Bag Princess is a classic children's story that flips common fairytale stereotypes and sees Princess Elizabeth as the heroin who has to go and rescue Prince Ronald. It teaches young girls they don't need a prince to be a hero and that what's inside matters more than your outer appearance.
You can make a DIY paper bag princess costume using an oversized paper bag or brown craft paper cut into a bag dress. You can also make it from kraftex {as shown above} which is a washable paper fabric that looks and feel like cardboard. Add a gold cardboard or glitter foam crown and you're done.
Paddington Bear
 |
| Image: Natasha Scholl |
Everyone's favourite bear, Paddington Bear first came to life back in 1958. After leaving darkest Peru he ends up being found by the Brown family at Paddington station, who take him home and adopt him into their family.
To make your own Paddington costume you'll need a navy duffle jacket, a red hat, suitcase and a neck tag that reads Please take care of this bear. Thank You. You can also add a jar of marmalade, his favourite food in the whole world.
Ms Frizzle - The Magic School Bus
 |
| Image: @d_and_frankie |
Ms Frizzle is an eccentric elementary school teacher who takes her students on many weird and wonderful science excursions on the magical school bus. The school bus can blast off to space, go back in time and shrink down to explore the human body.
Ms Frizzle has red hair, wears a fabulous space pinafore style dress and always has her pet chameleon Liz. To create a DIY Ms Frizzle costume you'll need to either decorate a navy dress with space images, or create your own dress from space fabric. Add a green chameleon and you're done. You can also add a cardboard magic school bus to take it next level.
If you don't want to DIY there are many premade Mrs Frizzle dresses and accessories on Etsy, Amazon & Amazon AU
Shop The Magic School Bus books here Amazon | Amazon AU
Shop Pete the Cat books here Amazon | Amazon AU
Green Sheep - Where is the Green Sheep?
 |
| Image: @lungevem |
To make an easy green sheep costume cover a hooded vest with green dyed cotton balls or green pom poms. Then layer underneath with plain black or white clothing.
Greg - Diary of a Wimpy Kid
 |
| Image: Naughts & Cross Stitches |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a really popular series of books written by author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney. The books are written from the point of view of American middle school student Greg Heffley as he records his daily struggles with friendship, family and school life.
To make an easy Greg Heffley costume simply cut out a cartoon face from cardboard to use as a mask, as shown above, then pair it with a white t-shirt and black shorts or pants to complete his signature look. You can download a free Greg mask template here. If you're feeling extra crafty you can make a paper mache Greg head instead of a mask, follow the instructions here.
Slinky Malinki
 |
| Image: @Imhay13 |
Slinky Malinki is cheeky and cheerful and friendly and fun, but come night time he turns into a thief! After piling up his stolen treasure one night, the glue toppled over and gummed up the pegs, the jersey unravelled and tangled his legs. He tripped on the bottles and slipped on the sock, he tipped over sideways and set off the clock.
To create a DIY Slinky Malinki costume you'll need black clothes and a black cat mask. Print off or draw some images of a clock, banana, glue, sock and pin them to the clothes. Add some clothes pegs and some red twine {or a red balloon as shown above}.
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons
 |
| Image: @mrsjwoodzy |
Another famous literary cat is Pete the Cat. In Pete the Cat and his four groovy buttons Pete learns a valuable lesson that stuff will come and stuff will go as his groovy buttons pop off his favourite shirt.
To make a DIY Pete the Cat and his four groovy buttons costume you'll need a yellow long sleeve shirt, blue pants and some button svg files if you have a Cricut. I also love how one of the buttons has been toggled off the shirt with a pipe cleaner to represent the button popping off like in the story.
If you don't want to DIY you can get a premade Pete the Cat costume from Amazon.
Shop Pete the Cat books here Amazon | Amazon AU
Captain Underpants
-min.jpg)
Most children will be familiar with the unlikely hero Captain Underpants, who is in fact George and Harold's principal Mr Krupp who's transformed into the bumbling crusader with a click of their fingers. The Captain Underpants book series follow George and Harold's comic book adventures with Captain Underpants and his hilarious escapades.
If your child wants to Tra La Laaaaa their way through the day as Captain Underpants you can make a DIY costume like Where the Smiles Have Been with a nude body suit, some white briefs and a red cape {you can get a proper Captain Underpants cape here}. Or if you want to go all out, you can get a deluxe Captain Underpants costume here.
Cat Kid
 |
| Image: @goodfoodweek |
If your child is a fan of Dav Pilkey's Dog Man series then they'll be familiar with Li'l Petey who now has his own book series. Li'l Petey isn't just an orange tabby, he's the leader of the Supa Buddies and the president of the Cat Kid Comic Club, and he's sometimes a superhero called Cat Kid who saves the world! Li'l Petey tries to teach twenty one baby frogs to bring their own comics to life in the Cat Kid Comic Club.
The easiest way to make a DIY Cat Kid costume is to use all orange clothes with black stripes added, or orange and black clothes and don't forget to add a black cape. Draw Cat Kid's face including his black mask on cardboard and attach a strap to the back so it can be worn as a face mask. Then draw the stationary items for his hands on cardboard as well - 3 coloured pencils on one and a brush, lead pencil and pen on the other.
Dog Man
 |
| Image: @maui_m_skates_gc |
Dog Man is a spin off from Captain Underpants and also features George and Harold. Dog Man is a dog-headed cop who protects the city.
To make a DIY Dog Man costume you'll need a blue t-shirt, blue pants or jeans, blue cap, yellow felt or cardboard and white cardboard. Draw Dog Man's face onto the cardboard with a black outline and colour it in to create a face mask {either add a stick for kids to hold it up or attach elastic to the back}. Cut out the yellow police logo from the felt or cardboard and attach it to the hat and t-shirt.
If you want to go all out you can make a 3D Dog Man head out of cardboard by following the instructions here. Alternatively if you don't want to DIY you can buy premade Dog Man costumes from Amazon or Amazon AU.
Shop Dog Man book here Amazon | Amazon AU
Wizz - Do Not Open This Book
 |
| Image: @sayaka_robin |
Do Not Open This Book is the first book in the series written by comedian, radio host and TV presenter Andy Lee. Wizz is the main character who spends the entire book begging the reader to not turn the pages. It was originally only meant to be a book for his nephew, however has since exploded into a series of books, workbooks, activity books and colouring books.
The easiest way to create a DIY Wizz costume is to draw his outline onto cardboard and then colour it in to make a sandwich board costume. You'll also need blue or brown pants and some black sneakers. You could also make a Wizz costume with a blue bodysuit, brown shorts and a cardboard cut out of his face.
Where's Wally / Where's Waldo
.jpg) |
| Image: @allthemumery |
One of the most popular characters each year is Wally from Where's Wally. You're sure to see at least a few Wally's in each parade. Where's Wally is probably the most iconic I-spy picture book series for children and was first published back in 1987 in Britain. In America the books are published as Where's Waldo and in other countries he's known as Walter, Willy and even Charlie.
To make a Wally or Waldo DIY costume you'll need a red and white striped long sleeve top and beanie, some blue pants {jeans work well}, a pair of black plastic glasses and a walking stick. Or you can buy premade Where's Wally costume sets similar to the ones shown above at Spotlight, Catch or Amazon.
Julia Donaldson Book Character Costume Ideas
Julia Donaldson is a highly acclaimed English author who has published over 184 written works including popular children's picture books, plays and educational resources for schools. Julia originally started out as a playwright composing songs for children's television shows and moved onto penning children's books after her song A Squash and a Squeeze was made into a children's book.
Julia's picture books always feature rhyming stories and some of her most popular books are when she's teamed up with illustrator Axel Scheffler. Her most well known children's books include The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child, Stickman, Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale and Zog, all of which were illustrated by Scheffler.
Stickman
 |
| Image: @mahachalkalot |
After being separated from his family, Stickman goes on a wild adventure to return home to his family tree for Christmas. Along the way Julia Donaldson highlights just how many imaginative ways children can use sticks for play, but Stickman doesn't want to be anything else but him. "I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, I'M STICK MAN, that's me, and I want to go home to the family tree!"
To create a DIY Stickman costume you'll need lots of cardboard, start collecting those empty boxes! You'll also want some brown or beige clothing to wear underneath and a few leaves to hold in your hands and add to Stickman's head. To make Stickman's head 3D use polystyrene balls for his eyes and an empty cardboard tube for his nose.
The Witch - Room on the Broom
 |
| Image: @karen_bgram |
Witch is very clumsy, as she rides through the sky she keeps accidentally dropping things. Each time the witch drops her hat, bow and wand another animal finds them and asks if she has room on her broom for them. Soon she has her stripey cat as well as a dog, green bird and frog.
To make a DIY Room on the Broom witch costume you'll need a red long sleeve top, purple skirt or tutu, black cape, witches hat, wand and broomstick. You can also add a plush cat, dog, bird and frog to the broomstick as above.
The Gruffalo
 |
| Image: supplied |
The Gruffalo is one of the most popular book characters and rightfully so as The Gruffalo is probably the most popular Julia Donaldson book of all time.
The Gruffalo has terrible claws, and terrible teeth, in his terrible jaws. He has knobbly knees and turned out toes, and a poisonous wart on the end of his nose. His eyes are orange, his tongue is black and he has purple prickles all over his back.
To create an easy Gruffalo costume make a face mask out of felt, some cardboard hands and cardboard knees. Pair it with some brown or orange clothes {ideally a hoodie} and add some purple triangle felt prickles to the back. If you'd prefer to buy a costume you can buy premade Gruffalo costumes from most department stores or Etsy.
Zog
Zog is the biggest and keenest dragon in school. He’s also the most accident-prone, getting into one scrape after another as he learns to roar, fly and breathe fire. Despite his accidents, he tried his hardest every day to win a golden star.
To make a DIY Zog costume you'll need orange clothes, cardboard to create his head and don't forget his gold star. Follow the detailed instructions at Mother of Grom to make the DIY Zog costume shown above. You can also buy premade Zog costumes from Catch, or a dragon costume from Costumes.com.au {and add a star to make it Zog}.
Princess Pearl {Zog}
 |
| Image: @our_rosey_life |
Princess Pearl is first introduced in Zog where she befriends the dragon and helps him out when he needs to capture a princess. She helps look after all the other dragons when they're injured too. When Sir Gadabout comes to rescue her she declares she no longer wants to be a princess and wants to be a Doctor instead, so together Zog, Pearl and Gadabout form the flying Doctors.
To make a DIY Pearl costume you'll need a white doctors coat, toy stethoscope and a brown leather duffle bag that resembles a medical bag {thrift shops are a great place to pick these up}. You can also add a cardboard cut out Zog as shown above.
The Snail and the Whale
 |
| Image: Supplied |
The Snail and the Whale is a story about the unlikely friendship between a tiny snail and a very large whale. "The sea is deep and the world is wide, how I long to sail, said the tiny snail". When snail befriends whale she gets to sail the sea, around the world, upon his tail.
To make a DIY snail costume as shown above you'll need some orange clothes, an orange swim cap and black shoes. To make the snail shell you can use EVA piping that is fully expanded, spray painted shades of brown and then secured into a shell shape. If you want to make an easier snail shell, use brown kraft paper and scrunch it up into a shell shape.
You can do the snail costume on it's own, but if you want to take it next level you can make a whale sandwich board costume with cardboard and paint pens. Or you could use a humpback whale figurine or plush toy. You can also write Save the Whale on the t-shirt instead of having a whale.
Superworm
Superworm is super-long. Superworm is super-strong. Watch him wiggle! See him squirm! Hip, hip, hooray for SUPERWORM!
To make a DIY superworm costume you'll need a pink blanket and packing peanuts or fiber fill cotton stuffing {for the worm}, white clothes, coloured felt, pom poms and any other embellishments you want to add. Follow the instructions at Mother of Grom to see how she made her costume shown above.
Aaron Blabey Book Character Costumes
Aaron Blabey is a well known Australian picture book author and illustrator with many popular children's books including Thelma the Unicorn, Pig the Pug series and The Bad Guys. He uses humour, witty rhymes and cartoon style illustrations to captivate young readers and bring his stories to life.
Our very favourite book of his is Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas {if you haven't read it you totally should}. Now that Bad Guys has been turned into a movie and a Thelma movie is in the works, I predict his characters will be even more popular choices at parades.
Thelma the Unicorn
Thelma was very plain and desperately wanted to be amazing and special. One day a truck spilled pink paint and glitter all over her and everything changed. She was a unicorn!
Thelma is a popular book week choice here in Australia and she's really easy to recreate. We used pink clothes, grey sneakers, a silver unicorn horn and silver glitter hair spray. You can also buy Thelma boxed dress up sets or a Thelma premade hat costume.
Pig & Trevor - Pig the Pug
 |
| Image: @mrs_caruccis_classroom |
Pig is the greediest pug in the world! He's rude and selfish, and doesn't like sharing with his sausage dog friend Trevor.
The easiest way to create Pig and Trevor costumes is with a cardboard mask, then pair it with matching clothing - grey or beige for Pig and brown or orange for Trevor. You can also buy a copy of Pig the Pug that comes with a mask from Amazon AU.
Pig the Tourist
 |
| Image: @warangsilly |
Since we first met Pig in Pig the Pug he's had lots of adventures in many other books in the series. Pig the Tourist is one of the most recent books {released in 2020} where Pig and Trevor get to go on vacation. Unfortunately Pig was a pug and I'm sorry to say, when he went on vacation he'd cause great dismay.
To make a DIY Pig the Tourist costume you'll need a floral {or Hawaiian} shirt, a beige safari hat, backpack and a toy camera. To make a Pig mask, download the Pig the Winner colouring sheet here and then cut out the face and eyes {you may have to adjust the sizing of the image depending on your child's age}.
Mr Wolf - The Bad Guys
 |
| Image: Pinterest |
If your kids want to be bad guys, they can dress up as Mr Wolf from Bad Guys, or Mr Shark, Mr Snake, Mr Piranha or Ms Tarantula. Mr Wolf and Mr Shark are the most popular characters for book week parades because you only need a black suit and tie, white shirt and a cardboard mask.
To add more personality to your mask use polystyrene balls as bulging eyes. Or if you want an easier option you can print off and cut out a free Mr Wolf mask from Scholastic here. If you want to look more like the movie version of Mr Wolf, dress in a white suit and you can get a felt mask here or a 3D foam mask here.
Mr Shark - The Bad Guys
 |
| Image: @bianca.j87 |
This Mr Shark costume was completely upcycled using a cardboard box, paint, polystyrene balls and thrifted clothing to make the suit. If your child wants to look more like the movie version of Mr Shark then you can get a 3D foam Mr Shark mask from Amazon AU.
Brian - Piranha's Don't Eat Banana's
Poor Brian has a hard time convincing his mates that piranha's should eat bananas, and other fruit, instead of meat. "We don't eat apples! We don't eat beans! We don't eat veggies! We don't eat greens! We don't eat melons! We don't eat bananas! And the reason is simple, mate we are PIRANHAS!"
The easiest way to make a DIY Piranha's Don't Eat Bananas costume is to make a big cardboard version of Brian. You can see exactly how @learnwithplayathome created her costume here. Add a real, or fake, banana or fruit salad to your head or hold it in your hand and you're done.
If you want to be super fancy and flex your DIY muscles you can create a paper mache piranha costume like this one. And if you want to be a little bit cheeky you could draw some smaller piranhas and tape them to your bum to show they still prefer bums!
Anh Do Book Character Costume Ideas
Anh Do is a Vietnamese born Australian jack of all trades - he's a successful comedian, author, actor and painter. Anh Do has written over 49 children's books, many being multi book adventure or comedy series including Wolf Girl, Sky Dragon, Rise of the Mythix, Hot Dog, Ninja Kid, E-Boy, Pow Pow Pig and Weir Do. His books are extremely popular with tween readers in Australia.
He's also written popular picture books that use rhyme and typical Aussie humour to entertain younger children. Some of our favourites include What do they do with all the POO from the animals at the ZOO? and There's a big green frog in the toilet.
Gwen - Wolf Girl
 |
| Image: gee_mcgee_ |
The Wolf Girl series of books are another great Australian series aimed at slightly older kids. In the Wolf Girl books Gwen and her pack of stray dogs {including a wolf} go on different adventures in search of her parents.
To make a DIY Wolf Girl costume all you'll need is a khaki hoodie, red gloves and a black backpack. If you want to take it next level you can draw a cardboard cut-out of her pack including Sunshine, Brutus, Pirate, Nosey and Tiny {and Eagle} like Victoria did above.
Weir Do
 |
| Image: @rainbowskycreations |
Weir Do is the new kid in school with an unfortunate name and a family full of weird habits. The WeirDo series of books follow Weir's journey through elementary school and trying to fit in, with lots of humour and quirkiness along the way.
This is a great last minute costume idea because all you need for a DIY Weir Do costume is a white t-shirt, black shorts and a Weir Do mask. You can download the free WeirDo mask printable here.
Ninja Kid
 |
| Image: @la_mona_gonzalez |
Nelson is a nerd but on his 10th birthday he wakes up as a ninja kid - the last ninja on Earth!
To make a DIY Ninja Kid costume you'll need a blue ninja mask {can be made from blue socks with eye holes cut out}, a green hoodie or a hoodie with Earth on it, shorts and if you want to make it next level you can add the solar powered jet pack. Make the jet pack using a black backpack and some cardboard or felt for embellishments.
Shop Ninja Kid books here Amazon AU
Amber - Sky Dragon
Amber from Sky Dragon has a distinctive navy blue bolero style jacket with slashed ends, blue scale like arms, tattered pants and scales around her eyes. She also has bright red shoulder length hair.
To make our DIY Sky Dragon costume we actually took apart and sewed together 2 navy tops to create the navy jacket, then used silver fabric pen to add the chest details. Find out exactly how we made our Sky Dragon costume here.
Shop Sky Dragon books here Amazon AU
Piccolo - Pow Pow Pig
 |
| Image: @twinmumof5 |
Piccolo, also known as Pow Pow Pig, and his friends Cha Cha Chicken, Kung Fu Duck and Barry the Goat aren't the cleverest animals around, however they're on a quest to go back in time and save the world. Armed with a broom, tea towel and rake they head back to 2030 to change the future.
To make a DIY Pow Pow Pig costume you'll need a blue t-shirt and black pants. Make a DIY belt using cardboard or gold cardstock. Draw his face onto a piece of cardboard and colour it in with paint or paint sticks to make a mask, or follow these instructions to make a paper plate pig mask. Don't forget your broom.
There's a Big Green Frog in the Toilet
 |
| Image: @_dimity_ |
There's a big green frog in the toilet and it's looking up at me. There's a big green frog in the toilet and I'm busting for a wee!
How epic is the DIY green frog in the toilet costume above?! To recreate it you'll need some green and pink felt to make the hand gloves and headband eyes, a green tutu and some green stockings. You'll also need some cardboard boxes to paint white and cut and fold into a toilet shape then add some straps to the back so it can be worn. If you want to take it next level like Dimity, add a lever door handle to the toilet {so it looks like it can flush} and a plunger.
Shop There's a big green frog in my toilet book here Amazon AU | Amazon
To create a DIY Lorax costume you'll need orange clothes, some sunglasses and yellow yarn. To make the Lorax's big bushy eyebrows and beard tie some yarn in the middle and then glue it onto the top of the glasses and bottom of the sunglasses as shown above. If you don't want to use yarn you can use yellow craft foam and cut it into the shape of the eyebrows and beard then stick it to the glasses.
To make the costume even better, cut out a speech bubble sign that says "I'm the Lorax. I speak for the trees" and add a Truffula tree. To make a Truffula tree you'll need a plastic stick or cardboard roll then add a fluffy tissue paper pom pom on top. You can also add stripes onto the tree with tape or marker.
Roald Dahl Book Character Costumes
Roald Dahl is one of the most iconic children's authors of all time and many of his books are studied in schools across the globe and have also been turned into movies. His stories are very unique and fantastical, often featuring child protagonists who triumph against mean adults.
Roald Dahl day is celebrated annually on September 13th {Dahl's birthday} in countries across the globe. These costumes are also perfect to use on Roald Dahl day.
Willy Wonka - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka owns the chocolate factory in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He takes the children who found golden tickets on an adventure filled tour through the factory.
To make a DIY Willy Wonka costume you'll need a brown top hat, purple jacket, floral vest, white shirt, gold bow, beige pants and a walking stick. Read how Katie put together the Willy Wonka costume shown above here.
Violet Beauregarde - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Poor Violet was too impatient and doesn't listen to Willy Wonka when he tells her not to chew his 3 course dinner gum. Once the flavour turns to blueberry things go very wrong and Violet starts turning blue and puffing up like a big blueberry.
To make a DIY Violet costume like the one above you'll need an inflatable blue bodysuit, gold buttons, red ribbon and blue face paint. Follow the tutorial at Meaningful Mama and remember don't inflate the costume until you get to school.
Matilda
 |
| Image: @c.harlydesign |
Matilda is a special girl with neglectful parents. She is very smart and has telekinetic powers which she uses at home and school.
To create a DIY Matilda costume you'll need a blue dress, grey or white cardigan and big red hair bow. If you want to go the next level hold a glass of water with a plastic lizard inside.
Miss Trunchbull
 |
| Image: @bex_and_life |
Miss Trunchbull is the evil headmistress at Matilda's school Crunchem Hall. She has a fierce dislike of children and expresses this through her brutal discipline. She competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics in shot put, hammer throwing and javelin and shows off these skills by constantly throwing things, including children.
To make a DIY Miss Trunchbull costume you'll need a grey hoodie, brown waist belt, dark pants and black shoes. Add the words 1972 OLYMPICS to the hoodie either with pen, felt or vinyl. You'll also need a javelin, shot put or hammer throw. She also has a monobrow which can be drawn on with eyeliner or face paint.
To make a DIY hammer throw like the one above spray paint a white foam ball with silver paint, make the handle with black straws and then join it together with silver spray painted twine. The javelin has been made by shaping alfoil around the end of a broomstick.
The Big Friendly Giant - The BFG
The BFG is gentle and nice despite being an imposing 24 feet tall. He has a white top, brown vest, big ears and a dream catching net.
Visit Desert Chica to see how she made the amazing DIY BFG costume above on a budget. She even made homemade felt ears, however you can get oversized ears from Amazon AU or Amazon.
Fantastic Mr Fox
 |
| Image: @jamimawu |
Mr Fox's life is fantastic. He's a very classy thief who likes to dress smart in suits. He's also a very easy character to choose as you only need some smart clothes and a mask.
To make a DIY fantastic Mr Fox costume head to a thrift store and find a waist coat and jacket, you'll also need a bag or pillowcase to carry his stolen loot. You can face paint Mr Fox's face, or to make a DIY fantastic Mr Fox mask, follow the step by step instructions at Red Ted Art. All you need is an empty cereal box and some paint.
If you don't want to make a costume, you can buy premade Mr Fox costumes from Spotlight, Catch and Amazon AU.
Dr Seuss Book Character Costumes
Dr Seuss {actual name Theodor Seuss Geisel} is a famous American children's book author and illustrator who published over 60 books. His books feature bright wacky cartoon style characters, nonsensical storylines and humorous rhymes. His characters are whimsical and often have strong personalities.
Dr Seuss' birthday happens to be March 2nd which is also Read Across America Day, so many schools now refer to it as Dr Seuss Day. The costumes listed below are also great for Dr Seuss Day when children dress up as Dr Seuss characters to celebrate his many books.
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat is mischievous and loves to play wacky tricks, but in his quest to be funny and entertaining can leave a trail of destruction behind, especially when Thing 1 and Thing 2 are let loose.
The Cat in the Hat is black and white with a big red bow and his famous oversized red and white striped top hat. To make a DIY cat in the hat costume follow the instructions at Desert Chica, or if you prefer to buy a premade costume you can get them at Amazon AU or Amazon.
Thing 1 & Thing 2
Thing 1 & Thing 2 are the restless, energetic twins released from Cat in the Hat's box. They also like to cause mischief and leave destruction in their path. This is a really popular costume choice for twins and siblings.
Thing 1 & Thing 2 are red with bright blue hair. They also have their names in circles on their outfit. It's pretty easy to make DIY Thing 1 & 2 costumes, you'll need an iron on patch and a crazy blue wig. Head over to Must Have Mom for the instructions to make her DIY costumes {shown above}.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish is a story of discovery where 2 young children discover all the amazing things that live in the world around them and what makes them different.
To make an easy DIY costume of the book cover, you'll only need a yellow shirt, some coloured felt pieces, googly eyes and safety pins. Follow the instructions at Glued To My Crafts Blog.
Sam I am - Green Eggs and Ham
 |
| Image: @hayleylouise.9828 |
In Green Eggs and Ham, Sam I am spends most of the book trying to get the unnamed narrator to try green eggs and ham. The moral of the story is don't make up your mind about whether you like something without trying it first.
To make a DIY Sam I am costume you'll need a yellow shirt, whimsical red top hat, a cardboard sign that either says "I am Sam" or "Sam I am" and a plate of green eggs and ham. There are sewing instructions for a red hat at Easy Peasy Pleasy. You can make a plate of green eggs and ham as shown above, draw them onto a paper plate or print off an image of them to hold.
The Lorax
 |
| Image: @bysarahyoub |
The Lorax, a furry little orange character, defends the forest and speaks for the trees. In The Lorax Dr Seuss introduces children to the plight of the environment and how harvesting trees for industrial gain could easily lead to environmental destruction "unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not".
To create a DIY Lorax costume you'll need orange clothes, some sunglasses and yellow yarn. To make the Lorax's big bushy eyebrows and beard tie some yarn in the middle and then glue it onto the top of the glasses and bottom of the sunglasses as shown above. If you don't want to use yarn you can use yellow craft foam and cut it into the shape of the eyebrows and beard then stick it to the glasses.
To make the costume even better, cut out a speech bubble sign that says "I'm the Lorax. I speak for the trees" and add a Truffula tree. To make a Truffula tree you'll need a plastic stick or cardboard roll then add a fluffy tissue paper pom pom on top. You can also add stripes onto the tree with tape or marker.
Minecraft Character Costumes
Minecraft was originally created as a survival sandbox game in 2009 characterised by it's cube shaped blocks and pixelated graphics. It's since expanded to include movies, Netflix shows, books and merchandise. Each year Minecraft characters like Steve, creepers, endermen and Zack Zombie are becoming more and more popular for both book week and Halloween costumes.
The great part about Minecraft characters is that their rigid block shape make them perfect candidates for boxtume costumes made out of cardboard. There's also a huge range of accessories such as pick axes, TNT blocks and torches that can be added to homemade costumes.
Steve in Iron Armor
 |
| Image: @jemmapollari |
Steve is the main human protagonist in Minecraft, essentially he is you when you play Minecraft, and he features in pretty much every book written about Minecraft.
To create your own Minecraft Steve costume you'll need to paint a cardboard box head complete with pixelated smiley face. You'll also need blue clothes. In the costume above Steve is wearing his iron armor for battle which is also made from cardboard boxes. The costume is completed with a foam Minecraft pick axe.
If you don't have time to make a Steve costume from boxes, you can get a premade Minecraft Steve costume from Amazon, Amazon AU, Spotlight or Costumes.com.au.
Alex
 |
| Image: @jeffperryct |
Alex is Steve's female counterpart in Minecraft and also appears in many of the Minecraft books. She usually has light red hair, but can also have pink hair with a skin.
To make a DIY Alex costume you'll need a pixelated block head either made with paint, or print out an image and stick it to a cardboard box. You'll need green clothes with a black belt {can also be made from cardboard boxes as show above} and a pair of boots. Alex also has a Minecraft sword above. Alternatively you can buy a premade Alex costume from Amazon or Amazon AU.
Zack Zombie
Zack Zombie is the main character in the series Diary of a Minecraft Zombie. He's a 12yr old Minecraft zombie who attends middle school and keeps a diary of all the challenges he faces.
To make a DIY Zack Zombie costume you'll need an aqua or blue t-shirt, dark pants and a pixelated zombie head. Follow our instructions to make a DIY Minecraft zombie head. If you don't want to DIY you can buy premade Zack Zombie costumes from Amazon and Amazon AU.
Enderman
 |
| Image: @rwnjib |
Endermen are relatively harmless characters that will teleport to avoid water, sunshine and any projectile weapons that are thrown at them, however they will attack players if they're provoked or if you look at them directly in the eyes.
Endermen are tall and black with long arms and purple eyes. To make a DIY enderman costume you'll need black clothing, cardboard boxes, black paint and purple fabric. Create the pixelated cube head by painting the individual pixels in black and slightly lighter black paint {just add a tiny bit of white} and then cut out the eye holes and attach a purple meshed fabric to the inside of the cardboard to give the purple eye effect while allowing your child to still see out of the costume.
If you don't want to DIY, you can buy pre-made enderman costumes from Amazon and Amazon AU. Or you can wear all black clothing and use an enderman mask, or pre-made enderman head.
Ender Dragon
 |
| Image: @spannalise |
The Ender Dragon is a legendary beast that can be found in the End biome in Minecraft. She is hostile to players and will breathe fire, attack and charge at players to cause damage. The Ender Dragon is featured in Minecraft Story Mode: The Order of the Stone.
To make a DIY Ender Dragon costume you'll need to make a black dragon shaped block head from cardboard boxes with pixelated eyes, nose and fire. Plain black clothes and shoes. You can make dragon wings from a large piece of black fabric and attach them over the arms and hands as shown above.
Again if you don't have time to DIY, you can get a premade Ender Dragon costume from Amazon or Amazon AU.
Minecraft Villager
 |
| Image: @andrinalyons |
Minecraft villagers are a passive mob that work in different professions and can be traded with for goods. The most recognisable villagers have distinctive brown robes, big foreheads, a long monobrow and a long nose.
To make a DIY villager head you'll need a cardboard box and paint, or you can print off a free villager head pdf and glue it onto your box. You can also make the nose 3D by adding an extra layer of cardboard or foam core board.
Minecraft Red Fox
The animals in Minecraft are also pixelated, but still super cute. Foxes can spawn in taigas, old growth taigas, snowy taigas and mountain groves.
To make a DIY Minecraft fox costume you'll need cardboard boxes, orange, black, green and white paint, paint sticks or paper to decorate the cardboard.
Harry Potter Costumes
Harry Potter is without a doubt the most prolific book represented in book week parades each year, with many Harry's and Hermione's running around. If you want an easy option you can buy premade Harry Potter costumes from Spotlight, Costumes.com.au, Amazon AU and Amazon, or make one of the DIY ideas from the bloggers featured.
Harry Potter
If you don't want your little Harry to look exactly like all the others then make a DIY Harry Potter costume following the tutorial at Craftivity Designs. It includes instructions on how to sew your own robe with a Gryffindor house patch. You could also add a toy owl to take it next level.
Luna Lovegood
Luna Lovegood is Harry's eccentric and quirky friend and her dress sense is just as outlandish. She's famous for her accessories including dirigible plum earrings, a butterbeer cork necklace, colourful spectre specs, crochet messenger bag and a copy of Quibbled magazine.
To recreate the DIY Luna Lovegood costume follow this step by step tutorial. If you don't want to DIY you can get premade Luna Lovegood costumes from Spotlight, Costumes.com.au, Amazon or Amazon AU. You can also get a printable copy of Luna's spectre specs to print on cardstock.
Rita Skeeter
Rita Skeeter is a witch and journalist at the Daily Prophet. Her stories are usually sensationalist and not based on truth. Rita has short blonde hair, red rhinestone encrusted glasses, loves wearing green and magenta and always carries a quill to write her next exposé.
To make a DIY Rita Skeeter costume like above, you'll need a green dress, purple jacket, a blonde wig, red cats eye glasses and a feather quill. See how Peanut Blossum created their costume {shown above} for Halloween here, she also created a Daily Prophet costume too.
Golden Snitch
The golden snitch is the third ball used in a game of Quidditch. It's essentially a golden round ball with wings that flies. However, the real golden snitch is only the size of a walnut and very hard to catch.
If you want to be a life size golden snitch then follow the DIY snitch costume tutorial at Overstuffed Life.
Disclosure - This post contains some affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission at no cost to you, should you make a purchase. All images featured have been used with express permission.
Bro you cannot go to school wearing that captin underpants costume but A for effort
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeletelove it!
ReplyDeleteGreat Ideas!😀
DeleteMost of them are girls costumes
ReplyDelete