It’s that time of year again, when the kids need a costume that works both for neighborhood trick-or-treating and for the All Saints Day party at CCD, school, or co-op. And don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with super easy costumes using what you already have at home!
First, here’s a pro tip. If it’s the night before the party and you’re stumped for a costume, grab whatever you have in the costume bin and then Google a saint connected to that.
To give some lighthearted examples: a bumblebee costume can honor St. Ambrose, the patron saint of bees. A puppy costume can honor St. Roch, the patron of dogs. A bug costume can honor St. Gratus, the patron saint against insects. You get the idea. Work with what you have.
With that in mind, here are ideas for saint costumes based on popular dress-up items you probably already have:
If you have a knight costume … You can be St. Joan of Arc or St. Martin of Tours, St. George, or St. Michael the Archangel.
If you have a doctor costume … You can be St. Luke or St. Gianna Molla.
If you have a princess or queen costume … You can be St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Helen, St. Margaret of Scotland, or St. Hedwig.
If you have a prince or king costume … You can be St. Edward the Confessor, St. Louis IX of France, St. Ferdinand III of Castile, or St. Stephen of Hungary.
If you have a farmer costume … You can be St. Maria Torribia or St. Isidore.
If you have a toy tool set … You can be St. Joseph.
If you have an old sheet that can be tied like a toga … You can be any of the many early Christian martyrs, such as St. Agatha or St. Lawrence.
If you have a track jacket, jeans and sneakers … You can be Blessed Carlo Acutis.
If you have a baby doll … You can be St. Zelie or St. Louis Martin, who had nine children.
Hopefully that’s enough to give you some inspiration! But some parents might want to go the extra mile and make a costume, but without sewing. If that’s you, here are two ideas for more involved costumes you can make ahead of time.
Follow this tutorial from Catholic Sistas to make a no-sew priestly chasuble. You can use it to be St. Philip Neri, St. Padre Pio, Servant of God Emil Kapaun, or Pope Benedict XVI. If you make the vestment in the “Gothic style,” you can be St. Thomas Becket, St. Nicholas, or St. Patrick.
If you’ve got a pillowcase, a single bed sheet, and a roll of blue painter’s tape, you can make an easy no-sew costume of Mother Teresa of Calcutta using this tutorial from Catholic Icing.
Still not sure of the right costume? Check out these simple ideas from Kennedy Adventures, easy saint costumes especially for girls from Koala Mom, over 150 ideas from Catholic All Year, and this entire directory of saint costumes from Catholic Icing. One of them is guaranteed to have the perfect costume idea for you!
