Photography by Geneviève Caron

If the dragon in The Paper Bag Princess had been this adorable, Elizabeth may have been a little easier on him.

Paper Bag Princess Costume
Total Cost: $15

Take a look at a larger image of the finished costume.

What You’ll Need to Make It:

• Long-sleeved shirt and leggings (close to skin tone)
• Hot-glue gun and glue
• Roll of Kraft paper or a yard waste bag
• Adhesive-backed Velcro tape
• 2 pieces of gold glitter felt
• Plastic crown (from dollar store)
• Black crayon
• Black eye shadow
• Bobby pins

How To Put It All Together:

1. Hot-glue the gold felt pieces back to back; then cut out crown design. Colour the points of the crown with crayon. Hot-glue felt crown over plastic crown.
2. Trace and cut out front and back of dress from Kraft paper or the plain side of yard waste bag (cut open and laid flat). Affix Velcro tape to insides of seams and shoulders to fit. Trim excess paper.
3. On the day: Layer shirt, leggings and paper dress. Smudge black eye shadow on child’s face and on the bag (optional). Tease hair to look messy. Use bobby pins to secure crown on head.

Dragon Costume
Total Cost: $15

What You’ll Need To Make It:

• Green hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants (dyed, if needed)
• Hot-glue gun and glue
• Red and green craft foam
• 4 red pompoms
• Green pipe cleaners

How To Put It All Together:

1. Twist 4 green pipe cleaners together, end to end, to form a spine. Cut 8 circles and a tail shape from craft foam. Place a line of hot glue down the middle of each circle and, starting at one end, fold circles around spine. Hot-glue tail to end of spine. Hot-glue the spine (but not tail) to back of sweatshirt, from top of hood. Cut 2 wings from foam; hot-glue to sweatshirt.
2. Cut 2 narrow foam rectangles and hot-glue together; affix 2 red pompoms at one end; wrap green pipe cleaners around foam. Repeat to make another horn. Hot-glue horns to top of hood.
3. Place a piece of green foam over child’s shoe, forming a dome-like cover; trim excess and secure at back with hot glue. Cut claws from red foam and hot-glue to front of shoe covers.
4. On the day: Dress child in sweatshirt and sweatpants. Place covers over shoes and secure at the back with hot glue.

Looking for more DIY costume ideas? Check out our photo gallery of homemade Halloween costumes.