How to nail the best last minute World Book Day outfit for your kids without spending a penny using eight easy ideas

IT’S a day that’s great for children, but less so for panicking parents.

Tomorrow marks World Book Day, where kids are encouraged to dress up as their favourite characters from children’s literature.

But nearly three-quarters of parents find World Book Day stressful, according to a Mumsnet survey.

This is thanks to pressure to create a perfect costume – and because of the cost.

However, you don’t need to dash to the supermarket to buy a ready-made outfit you can’t afford and they will only
wear once.

Alex Lloyd has created eight simple costumes that can be pulled together at the last minute with clothes and craft supplies you already have at home.

And they’ve got the seal of approval from Ralph Mills and Mally Clothier, both six, from York, who modelled the finished results.

The boy from The Snowman

Glen Minikin

YOU NEED:

Pyjamas

Dressing gown

Slippers

Kitchen roll, cotton wool or white paper to make snowballs

HOW TO: The boy, who is nameless in the classic 1978 Raymond Briggs book, has become a symbol of Christmas as he flies across the air with his frosty friend.

And almost every parent should be able to throw this one together in two minutes – just by using existing bedclothes.

Bonus points for blue stripy PJs, brown dressing gown and brown slippers, but any colour will do.

TIP: You can also use PJs to make outfits for Sophie from The BFG, Tom from Tom’s Midnight Garden and the grandmother from Little Red Riding Hood.

The witch from Room On The Broom

Glen Minikin

YOU NEED:

Witch hat (or make one from black cardboard)

Black bin bags

Ribbon for bow

Stick and yellow card or gold wrap for wand

Red top and purple or black skirt

Sellotape and scissors

Optional extras: Broom and/or cauldron

HOW TO: This is another easy win where you can use what you have lying around.

Just raid your wardrobe for a long skirt to do the job.

It’s even better if you have a ready-made cape or wand.

If you have the time and materials, you can use orange or red wool to make her “long ginger plait”.

TIP: Witches are a common children’s book character.

You could also try The Worst Witch, Winnie The Witch and Meg from Meg And Mog.

Miffy

Glen Minikin

YOU NEED:

Plain dress or adult T-shirt

White tights

White cardboard

White ribbon or hairband

Scissors and Sellotape

Black pen and lollipop sticks

HOW TO: Cut out a pair of white ears and attach them to a headband or ribbon for a headdress.

You can make a band from white cardboard too.

We’ve made her signature cross mouth from lollipop sticks coloured black but you could use cardboard.

TIP: The White Rabbit from Alice In Wonderland, Peter Rabbit, Rabbit from Winnie The Pooh and The Velveteen Rabbit are other brilliant bunnies to make.

The frog from Oi Frog

Glen Minikin

YOU NEED:

Green clothes

Green cardboard

White paper

Cellotape

Black pen

HOW TO: To make the frog hat cut a headband then add eyes at the top and strips of folded card for legs.

TIP: This can be Max Velthuijs’s frog, too.

Big Skeleton from Funnybones & Lion from Dear Zoo

Glen Minikin

YOU NEED:

Black clothes

White duct tape or masking tape

Paper plates

Coloured card

HOW TO: It’s easy to DIY a skeleton body by sticking strips of tape to your child’s black clothes.

Alternatively, cut out strips from paper or card and staple or roughly sew on.

The mask is made by cutting out the head and jaw from the plates (or plain card) and drawing on the features.

Add a cardboard top hat.

TIP: If you have a skeleton onesie or fancy dress costume, even better.

You can also use face paint instead of making the mask, and add a real hat

YOU NEED:

Cardboard box

Red wrap or paint

Black marker

White, yellow and orange cardboard

Paper plate

Sellotape and glue

Scissors and ruler

Ribbon or string

Yellow, orange and brown clothes

HOW TO: All the animals in Dear Zoo make for effective costumes that look more complicated than they actually are.

Cut a hole in centre of the paper plate, add two ears and get the kids to stick strips of coloured paper around the edges to make a mane.

For the cage, flatten a box and cut off one side. Draw bars and cut out the holes.

Wrap with red paper or paint, then draw on the black lines and add a label.

Finish with a neck strap from string or ribbon.

TIP: The lion mane can be Aslan from The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.

Mr Strong

Glen Minikin

YOU NEED:

Red clothes

Cardboard box

Red paint or wrapping paper

Sellotape and scissors

Black marker pen

Straw hat or similar

HOW TO: Simply paint or wrap your cardboard box (with flaps cut off or turned inwards) and draw on the eyes and mouth.

You can add shoulder straps or arm holes if your child would like them.

TIP: Other Mr Men can be made a similar way or dress them in a block colour and add props.

Mr Bump just needs blue clothes and some bandages.

Elmer

Glen Minikin

YOU NEED:

Bright clothes

Selection of coloured paper or card

Sellotape and scissors

HOW TO: David McKee’s patchwork elephant can be as creative as you want as long as your child looks bright.

To make the elephant’s head, use a strip, or blocks, of card to make a headband. Cut out two ears and attach to each side.

For the trunk, take a long thin strip of card and fold it back and forth, then attach.

TIP: This simple headdress can be made in grey for other elephant characters, such as Babar, Horton Hears A Who! and Mrs Large from Five Minutes’ Peace.