Over 50 Easy, Cheap World Book Day Costumes

It's nearly World Book Day again and if you've got more than one child, a tight budget or not a lot of free time, you may be having a little panic about this. You don't need to worry though, because this list includes every simple, cheap World Book Day costume you could think of and there's bound to be one that will suit your expectant offspring. They may not be the most elaborate costumes, but they will get you out of trouble last minute, and can be made from items you probably already own. Just pick the one that fits what you have in the cupboards. Easy! 

Guess How Much I Love You? 

Rabbit ears left over from Easter, face paint nose and whiskers, stuffed toy rabbit.

Room on the Broom

Witch costume from Halloween or red top and purple/blue skirt, black bin bag cape, hat made from black card.

Dear Zoo

Any animal costume/ onesie you already own.

Charlie and Lola

There are lots of Charlie and Lola books, where she wears a different coloured dress and tights combination. Just pick the one you can match the closest with what's in the wardrobe!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Original)

Verruca Salt: Smart red dress, white tights, or long socks.

Charlie Bucket: Blue jumper, dark trousers. You can print a Golden Ticket, or make your own.

Augustus Gloop: Oversized T shirt stuffed with a pillow or similar. Brown face paint to look like chocolate around face

Mike Teavee: Yellow/light coloured shirt, light green/blue neckerchief, cowboy hat if you happen to have one, toy gun.

Violet Beauregarde: Blue top and trousers or blue oversized top, stuffed with a pillow, or similar and blue face paint.

The Magic Faraway Tree

Silky the Fairy: Any fairy costume already owned, or a pretty dress and wings.Dame Washalot: Dress, apron, headscarf or mop cap

Saucepan Man: Large saucepan/colander for hat and various metal utensils and small kitchen items tied to clothes.

Angry Pixie: Red top, red trousers, black belt, face paint for red cheeks and nose, pointy hat if you have one, or can make one.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Sophie: Purple pinafore over a blue shirt, or as close as you can get, stuffed toy tiger and teapot.

Tiger: Tiger costume or onesie if you happen to have one. 

Maisy Mouse

Maisy has lots of books, all featuring different outfits. Find the easiest one for you to copy and add nose and whiskers with face paint. You can make ears, by cutting circles out of card and attaching to a head band, but she often wears a hat, so that's an option too.

Matilda

Miss Honey: Pale blouse/shirt, long necklace, long skirt, pile of books to carry.

Matilda: Blue pinafore/dress, red headband, pile of books to carry.

Amanda Thripp: White shirt, pink trousers/dungarees, two high plaits.

Bruce Bogtrotter: Pale shirt, with brown paint for chocolate stains, dark trousers and face paint to represent chocolate on face. Chocolate cake optional!

Charlotte's Web

Red dress, yellow/ white cardigan and toy pig and/or spider.

Meg and Mog

Witch costume left over from Halloween.

Tracy Beaker

Casual clothes, big curly hair.

Heidi

Red dress or white top and red skirt, satchel, toy goat, small bunch of daisies or similar.

A Squash and a Squeeze

Old Lady: Blue dress, white pinafore, toy farm animal

Old Man: grey trousers, black jacket, face painted beard, hat if you have one, toy farm animal.

Eat Your Peas

Yellow t shirt, red pinafore dress or skirt, paper plate with pretend peas stuck on. You could use play doh, painted clay, or paper rolled into a ball and painted.

Peter Pan and Wendy

Wendy: Blue dress

Tinkerbell: Fairy costume, see The Magic Faraway Tree above.

Peter: Green trousers and top, green hat which you can make by rolling card or paper into a cone shape and painting green.

Anne of Green Gables

Long grey or light blue dress, straw hat, plaits.

Pippi Longstocking

Pinafore dress, plaits, long socks, preferably colourful and odd. 

101 Dalmations

White t shirt, with black spots painted on, black face paints for face spots.

Angelina Ballerina

Perfect if you have a ballet outfit, if not, you could always borrow one.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Red jumper and yellow/pale shorts or trousers, ruck sack, teddy bear.

Peter Rabbit

Peter: Blue jacket, rabbit ears and face paint for nose and whiskers. See Guess How Much I Love You above.

Flopsy Bunny: Pink fabric/ pillowcase/ table cloth made into a shawl and small basket to carry. 

Alfie Gets in First

Yellow top, blue jeans. Props could be; door key, baby doll, or some shopping.

Dogger

Stripey T shirt, dark shorts, stuffed toy dog.

Horrid Henry

Light blue top, blue jeans. For accuracy, you could use yellow masking tape to make the yellow stripes.

Burglar Bill

White and blue striped shirt, black eye mask (easy to make with card or fabric), large sack, stuffed with a pillow or something light.

Funny Bones

If you have a skeleton costume from Halloween.

George's Marvellous Medicine

Red t shirt (ideally long sleeved) blue jeans/ trousers and a saucepan and wooden spoon.

Robinson Crusoe

White shirt, sleeves rolled up and 'dirtied' with paint or dirt, dark trousers, belt, face painted beard and moustache, scruffy hair.

Oliver Twist

Dark, scruffy clothes, 'dirt' face paint, bowl.

A Christmas Carol

Ebeneezer: Long coat, top hat, red scarf

Tiny Tim: Scruffy clothes, flat cap, walking stick

Tom Brown's School Days

Waist coat, white shirt, flat cap, satchel, or similar.

Dr Doolittle

Long coat (or white coat for a modern version), stethoscope, a couple of stuffed animals.

Bert from Mary Poppins

Dark clothes, black face paint on face, a broom if you can't make a chimney brush

101 Dalmatians

White t shirt, with black spots painted on, black face paints for face spots.

Gangsta Granny

You can recreate the classic scene in the Thames with just black clothes and a mask and snorkel!

Harry and his Bucketful of Dinosaurs

Red top, blue trousers and a bucket containing assorted dinosaurs toys. 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Black shorts, white t shirt, black rucksack. Draw the (very easy line drawing) face on a paper plate and add elastic or tape a drinking straw to the bottom, to make a simple mask.

The Boy in the Dress

Easy, if he's brave enough to wear a dress to school!

Tom Gates

White long sleeved shirt, black trousers, big pen, notebook. Draw the (very easy line drawing) face on a paper plate with a black pen and add elastic or tape a drinking straw to the bottom, to make a simple mask. 


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