How to Make a Construction Worker Costume

It's comfortable, easily recognizable and appropriate for anyone of any gender or age, so a construction worker is a pretty classic Halloween costume for good reason. How easy it is to put together a construction worker outfit depends largely on whether anyone handy lives in your home. If your garage is already stocked with tools and home improvement supplies, throwing together a construction worker outfit might take five minutes. If you call a handyman to fix anything more complicated than a broken light bulb, sourcing your costume might take a little more effort – but not much.

Dressing as a construction worker might not be an ideal costume in the middle of a heat wave. Have you ever seen a real construction worker wearing shorts and sandals? Probably not. Long pants and closed shoes are a must for a construction costume. Choose your most beat-up jeans or cargo pants or utility pants with plenty of pockets.

On top, let the forecast be your guide. Wear a brightly colored T-shirt if you expect to be warm at a costume party. For colder weather, layer a flannel shirt, casual button-down and/or work coat (think Carhartt brand) over a T-shirt. Finish with a pair of work boots or wear hiking boots or even sneakers if you don't own comfortable work boots.

A few key accessories complete your ensemble. You don't need them all; even just a few accessories will make it clear who you're supposed to be. Luckily, they're all pretty common, one-size-fits-most items, so ask friends before buying new things.

A yellow hard hat and high-visibility safety vest are pretty core elements of a construction worker costume. If you don't already own a safety vest with reflective strips, they're pretty affordable, and it's a good thing to own if you ever walk or run outdoors in the dark. For obvious reasons, safety goggles and gloves are other pieces of essential equipment for construction workers. Of course, wearing gloves may make it difficult to eat and use your phone during an event, and wearing goggles for too long may make your face sweaty or leave an imprint in your skin, so think of these as totally optional accessories for your construction worker outfit.

You're also going to need a tool belt and at least a few items to stow in it. Just keep safety in mind as you're assembling the tools in your belt. Your event may have rules preventing guests from bringing in anything that could be used as a weapon. Stock the belt with things like tape measures, pliers and wrenches and leave any blades or other cutting instruments at home.

While kids aren't much help on a job site, they can be pretty adorable in little construction worker costumes. You can create most of this costume using things that are already in your child's closet. Pull together a basic costume of a bright T-shirt, jeans and sturdy shoes. Buy a child-size hard hat with a chin strap or other adjustment system; you don't want the helmet slipping around as the child moves, blocking his eyes and creating a tripping hazard.

If your budget allows, buy a child-size reflective vest and safety gloves. Finish the construction worker outfit with a tool belt full of plastic tools. Ask around to see if you know anyone who owns a kids' tool belt set. If your kid has plastic tools but no belt in which to store them, make your own by folding a placemat in half and sewing vertical lines to create pockets. Sew on a long piece of ribbon to create a belt that ties around the child's waist.