Story highlights
Cardboard boxes can easily be turned into bold Halloween costumes
Other costume components: Take out containers, gaffer tape, carpet tape
From food to appliances, the costume possibilities of a cardboard box are endless
Washing Machine
Dial In: Fold a piece of cardboard that’s as wide as the box into a three-sided triangle. Tape it closed and tape the base of the triangle to the box. Add a strip of duct tape (for the control panel), then glue on plastic bottle caps.
Wash and Wear: Glue an empty detergent bottle and a measuring cup to the top of the box.
Front-Loading Window: Surprise! It’s actually a plastic-and-aluminum take-out container. Fill it with socks (obviously without their mates) and Bubble Wrap for soapy bubbles, then attach it to the box with spray adhesive.
Movie Popcorn
Pile It High: Coat the top of the box with spray adhesive (available at craft stores), then sprinkle on Styrofoam packing peanuts (pick some up at office-supply stores). Cover those peanuts with more spray adhesive and add more peanuts on top. Repeat until you have a mound of fluffy popcorn.
Earn Your Stripes: Create the iconic look with red gaffer tape (sold at craft stores) applied two inches apart.
“Pop!” Goes the Type: Red felt letters (from a craft store or cut from felt with a stencil) really stand out when you give them a white felt background. Attach them to the box with spray adhesive.
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Fuzzy Dice (Er, Die)
Easy As 1, 2, 3: Cover a box entirely in white plush fabric (sold at craft and fabric stores) with spray adhesive. Next, attach cutout black plush fabric circles with double-sided carpet tape (at craft stores).
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S’more
Marshmallow: Use double-sided carpet tape (available at hardware stores) to cover the box with white felt.
Chocolate squares: Cover two sheets of cardboard with brown felt, using double-sided carpet tape. (The cardboard sheets pictured here are each 20 inches square. You can cut them from an existing box or buy sheets at an office-supplies store.)
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Graham crackers: Cut two more sheets of cardboard (these are each 22 inches square) and poke holes in them with scissors.
Smush it all together: Using double-sided carpet tape, attach the graham cracker pieces to the chocolate pieces, then tape the chocolate to the front.
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