How to Make Wizard of Oz Costumes for Kids Dressed Up as Munchkins

Stand out from the Dorothy costumes with a homemade munchkin outfit.

"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) is a beloved cinematic classic, and its easily recognizable characters make it an ideal source of inspiration for a costume. In a sea of store-bought "Wizard of Oz" costumes, however, it can be easy to lose your way. Don't get sucked into purchasing a generic, expensive, poorly made costume. Instead, find your way back to the Yellow Brick Road and pay tribute to your favorite characters with a creative, original homemade costume. You can turn your little munchkin into a proper member of the Lollipop Guild in no time using inexpensive and easily accessible materials.

Things You'll Need

• Pair of gray chinos or sweatpants
• Pen
• Scissors
• Blue short-sleeved button-front shirt
• White fabric paint
• Glue
• White tights or leggings
• Gray fabric paint (optional)
• Hair gel and roller (optional)
• Lollipop

Instructions

1. Lay a pair of gray chinos or sweatpants on a flat work surface. Use a pen to trace jagged edges around the knee portion of the pants, and then use a pair of scissors to cut out the pattern; you'll be left with a pair of raggedy-looking Bermuda shorts. Set the scrap material aside for later use.

2. Place a blue, short-sleeved, button-front shirt on your work surface. Create a raggedy-looking crop-top to match the edges of the shorts you created by outlining jagged lines about 1/4 of the way from the bottom of the shirt. Use scissors to cut along the drawn edges. Discard the bottom portion of the shirt you cut away, or set it aside for later use on another project.

3. Use white fabric paint to coat the blue shirt's collar. Consult the manufacturer's instructions included with the paint to gauge how long drying time will take.

4. Take the gray scraps from the pants and begin cutting out strips of fabric. Glue or sew these strips onto a pair of white tights to create a striped effect, or simply use gray fabric paint to make the stripes. Allow sufficient drying time for painted stripes.

5. Suit up your child with the tights underneath the shorts, and the shirt on top of everything. Style your child's hair with gel and a roller to get the munchkin look, and arm him with an oversize lollipop as a finishing touch.

References

• Thrifty Fun; Halloween: Lollipop Guild Munchkin Costume; November 2009
• Greece Athena Middle School Theatre: Wizard of Oz: Costumes