50 Creative Family Costume Ideas 2023

How would you like to show up to your favorite family Halloween fest as the best-dressed, most original family ever? These pages showcase cute, innovative, and creative home made costume designs. Then through the annual costume contest, more designs are added each year to spur your imagination.

The idea on THIS page is to feature costumes for your family that somehow all go together like a toothbrush and toothpaste – and floss, or peanut butter and jelly – and bread. These costumes will hopefully inspire you to get the whole family in on the fun and then submit your own photos to the Halloween costume contest to inspire others in following years – and maybe even win a cash prize!

Well, someone will win the $$$$$, why not YOU?

Here we go with several of last year’s favorites for families, below.

Creative family costume ideas: Minivan Stick Figure Family

Minivan Stick Figure Family
Sent in by Sarah to our 2013 costume contest.

This very creative family took an idea from everyday life and turned it in to a simple, very creative collection using duct tape and cardboard and black clothing. There are so many places to pick up ideas – a trip to the zoo, a hike up a trail, a visit to the supermarket can turn into knockout family costumes like the minivan stick figures.

Family costume ideas: A Christmas Story Family Costume

A Christmas Story Family
Sent in by Celeste to our 2013 costume contest.

Favorite movies and TV shows are classic favorites from which to costume recognizable characters that go together as this family did from “A Christmas Story.” Harry Potter, anyone? Of course Sesame Street. Yes, Avatar!

Family costume ideas: Nightmare Before Christmas Family Costumes

Nightmare Before Christmas
Sent in by Julie-Anne to our 2013 costume contest.

Animations and comics could also inspire your characters. Nightmare Before Christmas Disney animation even gives you a way to incorporate Santa Clause into Halloween – along with all the witches, goblins and skeletons you desire. Simply let each of the kids decide which character appeals to them the most – or maybe it will be the guy with the video camera patiently filming frame by frame. There are so many animations to choose from – Shrek comes to mind and Peter Pan – or how about Jurassic Park???

Family Halloween costume ideas: Lego Family Costume Lego Family
Sent in by April to our 2013 costume contest.

Whether your family loves Legos from building endless Lego creations or watching the Lego movie, surely some fascinating creations can be imagined from these bright blocks as this family has done with Styrofoam and paint and a few other things. It’s so interesting to see how the simplest things (a cardboard box) can be transformed. What other toys can your kids never part with? A favorite doll or bear? Why not try to replicate them so your child can BE their companion for an evening?

DIY family costume ideas: Garbage Family Garbage Family
Sent in by Lauren to our 2013 costume contest.

Here is another family who took their inspirations from everyday life – well that and little boys’ well-known obsession with garbage trucks. Some cardboard boxes, some paint, a little creative wiring and you see the happiest little boys in town. What are your kids’ favorite toys? Their favorite shows? Pick something, anything, and make it BIG and BRIGHT enough so that your kids too can live out their fantasies – and your family can be the hit of the Halloween parade.

These five and all the other photos below are just a starting point! Use the rest of the site too, but don’t just copy what someone else did. Think about your family’s favorite movies, cartoons, TV shows, games, brainstorm a list together, decide and then get busy together to make memories your kids will carry with them for a lifetime. Yes, mom and dad, do let the kids help…