Need a simple, last  minute Halloween Costume for your toddler?

Before I was even pregnant, I saw a photo of little trick-or-treat divers on Pinterest. The kids in the photo were much older than my daughter is now, but I had this realization this MIGHT be the last year we get to pick her costume!

{PLUS, She still uses a pacifier to sleep so I couldn’t resist the “pacifier regulator” …it’s my favorite part of the whole costume!}

It’s simple.
It’s inexpensive.
It’s clever.

In full disclosure, these directions LOOK long, but that’s only because they’re thorough. Anyone can put this costume together.

Go ahead and make your own!

WHAT YOU NEED

The Wetsuit: Solid black clothes. You can find these anywhere!
..and she’ll wear them again.

The BCD (vest): (optional) Puffy vest of choice; Old Navy (comes in many colors; bonus…it was 1/2 off)
She’ll also wear this again.

The regulator (mouth piece)*: pacifier, black pipe cleaner, black porous soaker hose tubing
*you can get creative here and really use any sort of black tubing; pipe cleaner and the porous tubing were just what I found  first

The tank: empty two liter  bottle, sand paper, silver spray paint, black electrical tape, some sort of black chord- I used bungee cord, black craft paint

The Fins: Craft Foam Sheet (I grabbed the thickest I could find), sharpie

The mask: kids goggles (my daughter wore them like a headband instead of on her face)

DIRECTIONS

The Wetsuit: grab black clothes! done.

The BCD (vest): snag the puffy vest! done.

The regulator (mouth piece):
1) Wrap one piece of pipe cleaner tightly around the knob of the pacifier. Tightly twist the two “tails” together all the way to the end, making one “tail”
2) Measure out the porous hose tubing loosely from the middle of your toddlers shoulder blades to their mouth; cut.
3) Insert the tightly woven pipe cleaner (from pacifier) into the porous tubing. It will be a snug fit

The tank: 
1) Empty a 2 liter bottle; I chose a cheap brand with the traditional round look
2) Peel off the label and lightly sand the entire bottle
3) Spray paint the tank silver, let dry
4) Paint cap with with black craft paint, let dry
5) Wrap single piece of black electrical tape around bottle about 1/4 from top. This will line up in the middle of their shoulder blades. When looking for the best placement of tape, be sure they won’t bonk their head on cap of bottle
To attach to regulator: 
1) Twist black pipe cleaner around mouth of bottle (just like you did with the pacifier)
2) Insert the tightly woven pipe cleaner into the porous tubing. It will be a snug fit
To attach to child: 
1) Put vest on child
2) With one single piece of bungee cord, make a figure 8 going around both arms and criss-crossing between their shoulder blades…much like a backpack
3) Cut bungee at that size & knot
4) Using electrical tape, tape the criss crossed X bungee cord to the black electrical tape stripe on the tank

Fins (these will slip over ankle & sit on top of their shoes)
1) Find a template of flippers online and print or trace, OR freehand draw a fin on the craft foam. Be sure width of fin is slightly wider than the width of your child’s shoes. Longer is okay
2) Cut it out
3) Trace the existing fin on the craft foam, then cut out second fin
4) Cut small hold toward heel of fins so child is able to slip foot through. Be careful not to cut too closely to the edge so it doesn’t rip
5)Trace edges with black sharpie

There you have it! Last minute, creative, simple halloween costume…

If you end up making this for your child, post your photos below!