Easiest Wild Things Costume Tutorial
Sometimes you just have to break out the cardboard and play. That’s my motto. It’s amazing what you can make with cardboard and some velcro wrap ties.  Since Halloween is approaching, we also have costumes on our minds.
For this really easy Max-from-Where The Wild Things Are -inspired-costume (that we are just calling our Wild Things costume) we made big scary monster feet and a crown, both out of cardboard.
How to Make a Wild Things Costume: Monster Feet
Materials and Supplies for the “Monster Feet” of a Wild Things costume
- cardboard
- a sharp box cutter or exacto knife (for responsible crafters only!) and a self-healing mat or cutting board (to protect your work surface)
- velcro wrap ties for Monster Feet  (found at your local hardware or office supply store)
- our handy printable template (below and optional if you need help drawing)
- (Supplies for making the “crown” is listed further below) Â
Tutorial for “Monster Feet” for a Wild Things costume
If you don’t feel comfortable free-handing some monster feet, print out our handy footprint template here. It’s easier to trace if you print on card stock but regular paper will work too.  Then cut out your footprint template with scissors and place onto your piece of cardboard. You’ll the same template for both left and right feet, just flip it in reverse for the other side.
Next trace the footprint outline onto your cardboard, remembering to turn it upside down for the opposite foot so feet are symmetrical. Then carefully cut out the cardboard feet using your sharp blade. (Warning! This step is for responsible crafters only. Be careful with that knife!)
Once you have your feet cut out imagine where your child’s (or grown up) feet will go on top of these monster feet. You want to make sure their feet are placed towards the center and not off to the outward edges of the feet so that they can walk easily and not step on their own cardboard monster feet. Cut small rectangles on either side of where each foot will go, making sure to position them towards the inside insteps. Then thread your velcro tie through the rectangle holes like above.
Strap your Monster Feet onto your little one’s feet and you are ready to creep into the haunted forrest! You can wear these cardboard feet without or without shoes. We’re still in the throes of summer here so we opted to go barefoot. Â Obviously use your commonsense for safety, and trick-or-treaters should wear shoes.
How to Make a Wild Things Costume:Â Crown
If you’d like to make a Wild Things crown like ours, you can follow these steps. I admit our crown was not one-hundred percent effective though so you might choose to modify it. When I make this again,  I’ll use an elastic strap instead of string because it wanted to slip off.
Materials and Supplies for the “Crown” of a Wild Things costume
- cereal box or thin cardboard
- scissors
- duct tape
- gold spray paint (to be used by responsible adults, and outside or in a very-well-ventilated area)
- elastic cord to secure onto head
Tutorial for making the “Crown” of a Wild Things costume
We used a cereal box because the cardboard is thinner and easier to fold. First we cut open the cereal box and flattened it out. Then we measured out as many 2.5 inch triangles would fit across the length of the flattened cereal box (six) and cut out that shape, making sure to leave a long base because we wanted a tall lofty crown, but a short narrow crown would be super cute too! Then we folded the crown between each spike and wrapped it into a circle to be secured with a piece of duct tape. Then we spray painted it gold (to be done by responsible adults, and outside or in a very-well-ventilated area) and let it dry.
After the crown was dry, we punched a hole in each side, threaded the string through the holes and then tied it under our little monster’s chin. As I mentioned above, I would recommend using a elastic band instead of the string to secure the crown in place instead.  I think it would be more effective.
And, then she was off to stomp in the forrest with all the other Wild Things! Let the wild rumpus start!
Happy Trick or Treating!
