Looking for easy, low-cost ideas for Purim costumes for kids? A homemade Purim costume doesn’t need to take hours to make – or require any sewing skills. Craft-maven Kelli Quinn shares some quick and cute ideas.

It’s time to think about Purim costumes for you children, right?

Now, I know what some of you are thinking now, “I don’t sew and I am not the least bit crafty, unless spreading jelly on toast is considered a decorative art. I guess I better go out and spend a fortune on a poorly-made polyester Queen Esther number.”

Truth is, you don’t need to be a sewing whiz to make a great costume. In fact, you don’t need to sew at all! Children’s dress-up outfits can be excellent first projects–they are usually worn for only a few hours (so construction doesn’t have to be perfect) and they are not delicate, so you need not worry about details.

To get you started, here are 3 ideas for fun kids’ Purim costumes that don’t require sewing. If you can close a safety pin, use a roll of tape or dip a brush in a pot of poster paint, you can make these costumes. And adults can wear them, too!

Spring Bouquet: Here in the northern United States, we are all sick and tired of winter by Purim. Look forward to April showers with an easy Spring Bouquet costume. You’ll need: a sweat suit or shirt and pants/skirt of any color (green or brown would be perfect), safety pins, and silk flowers and leaves. Pull the leaves and flowers off the plastic and wire stems, then pin them all over the clothing. For an optional headpiece, glue or tape some of the flowers to a plastic head band. You can create a cute theme with a child dressed as a bouquet and another child (or yourself) dressed as a gardener (big straw hat, apron, clogs and gardening gloves) or a farmer (button-down flannel shirt, straw hat, boots and a bandana).

Israeli flag: Celebrate the survival of the Jewish people with a flag costume you can make in minutes! You’ll need: a white shirt, white pants/skirt, blue construction paper or scrap cloth, scissors and safety pins. Cut long strips out of construction paper or cloth. Tape or pin them on the clothing to create the Magen David and stripes of the flag.

Robot: Cardboard boxes are readily available for free from grocery stores, and you can do a lot with them. Rocket off to the future with a cool robot costume. Grab that empty cardboard box and cut head and arm holes in the bottom and sides. Wrap it up in aluminum foil, and secure it with tape. Draw a computer screen or controls on the front with markers, or stick on shiny buttons. Then, wrap the child’s arms and legs and head in more foil and secure with tape. This is an idea that has a lot of possible variations: Decorate some empty paper towel or toilet tissue cardboard rolls to arm the robot with missiles. Dent the box a little and draw in “battle damage” or a attach a crashed cardboard roll missile to create a futuristic fighting machine. Glue an image out of a magazine to the front to give the viewing screen more color and fun.

Remember, your creation doesn’t have to be perfect. Try to focus on working with your children to make something unique and fun. I have wonderful memories of the costumes my mother made for me–picking out the costume and the material, watching her put it all together, then transforming into a princess, a Native American or a Medieval maiden. It’s one of those things that I didn’t realize was special then, but is precious to me now.

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Kelilah Lael/Kelli Quinn is an experienced crafter and fiber artist whose first memory of her mother is of her crocheting with blue yarn while humming along with the theme of “M*A*S*H”. Follow her adventures in crafts and Judaism at ohmeohmyolim.wordpress.com.

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