Homemade Firefighter Costumes for You Last Minute People

And so. Here we are. Just a few days away from Halloween. And my guess is that some of you haven’t procured your child’s Halloween costume yet. How do I know this? People keep landing on my previous firefighter costume posts with the search “homemade firefighter costume.” And at this point, even if you read my others posts, you’re running the risk that they won’t arrive in time for Halloween. And so, for you procrastinators, you can still have Halloween goodness this year. It will just take some effort on your part!

This site, in general, has some great homemade firefighter costumes. My favorites are the firetruck stroller and this duo fire hydrant and dalmatian. (Don’t forget to check out the other options in case you think you can talk your wannabe-firefighter into something else this week.)

If you’re serious about going your own route for the homemade firefighter costume, here are a few things you might need.

• A yellow, black or tan raincoat. (Like the one pictured. From Old Navy circa 2006.)
• Rainboots of a matching color
• A plastic firefighter’s helmet.
• Reflective tape.

Some tips on how to find those things right now. That Big Store That Has Everything from Tomatoes to Raincoats actually had yellow, rubber rainboots on sale last week for a ridiculously cheap price. (In store.) Plus, if you buy them a size bigger and have your child wear two pairs of warm sock (which will keep the little toes warm if it is cold), they will work as rainboots come spring! Stores are also likely to have their rain gear, if any is left in stock, drastically reduced at this point. If you can’t find a raincoat, buy some fabric paint at your craft store of choice and paint stripes on the bottom of the sleeves and clasps up the front of a sweatshirt. You could even paint boots up the legs of the sweatpants.

On the back of the raincoat (or sweatshirt) tape out the word FIRE (in CAPS!). (If you have room on the small back, you could also tape out DEPT.) If you’re skilled with an exacto knife, consider cutting out and piecing together a Maltese Cross to put on the front of the raincoat (or sweatshirt). It doesn’t need to be red or have the detailing. Other firefighters will know what the shape means and you can teach your child to explain to inquiring minds what it really means.

As for the hat, if you don’t already have one: party and dollar stores often have them for very cheap. Toy stores often have sturdier ones than those two options. If you come up empty handed at the end of your search, give your local fire department a call and explain what you are doing. They often have hats that they give away at school functions and may have an extra one on hand for a Mom (or Dad) trying to create a homemade costume for their little one. This may actually evolve into a trip to the Fire Department for you and your kids. (Don’t forget the cookies.)

If you’re feeling uber-creative, you could turn your child’s candy bag into a fire hydrant. But you’re going to have to look elsewhere for tips on that one because that’s above and beyond my creative ability. Best of luck with that one!

Most importantly, if your child is choosing to be a firefighter for Halloween, whether using a homemade or a purchased costume, use this time to teach a little bit about fire safety. And, as the time changes this weekend, don’t, under any circumstances, forget to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Don’t have a smoke detector? Get off the computer this very instant, drive to the store and buy some. Drive straight home, put batteries in them, test them and put them up. After all, this is National Fire Prevention Month.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy Halloween! (And, no, the boys won’t be firefighters this year. Talk to me next year when BigBrother’s fire costume fits LittleBrother and we need a new one for BigBrother!) (And don’t forget about our Goodmama firefighter print cloth diaper giveaway! It ends October 30th!)

Today is our last day of highlighting the best of the best when it comes to firefighter costumes and accessories for your children (and maybe even for you). Thank you for reading this series on Stop, Drop & Blog!