Homemade Boxing Costumes for Girls

Making your child's Halloween costume can save you a lot of money, but it can also be a fun family project. By using some items you already have and combining them with items you can make, you can make a girls' boxing costume that she'll be proud to wear for trick-or-treating. If you live in a cold climate, you can alter the costume by wearing leggings underneath the shorts and a turtleneck beneath the tank top.

Take stock of what you already have around the house that can be used for this costume. You'll need a pair of athletic shorts, a tank top, a pair of workout shoes, a hooded robe and a pair of boxing gloves. Most girls will have a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top. The costume will look most put-together if all items are the same color. If you don't have a tank top, athletic shorts and workout shoes, see if you can obtain them from your local thrift store.

The centerpiece of the boxing costume is the satin robe. Buy a child's bathrobe pattern that has a hood, and look for satin fabric in the same color as the tank top and athletic shorts. Sew the robe with the satin fabric. You can personalize the robe by embroidering or appliqueing your child's initial on the back of the robe. You can also add a contrasting stripe of satin fabric to the edges of the robe.

If you have access to a pair of authentic boxing gloves, use them for the costume. If you don't, however, don't go out and buy a pair of boxing gloves just for the costume because they can be quite expensive. Instead, stuff a pair of socks with fiberfill. The heel of the socks will form the thumbs, and the toe of the socks will form the fingers. Tuck the openings of the socks under so the fiberfill isn't exposed, and tack the fingers to the thumbs with a needle and thread.

After she's all dressed in her tank top and athletic shorts, satin robe, boxing gloves and workout shoes, put her hair in pig tails and tie ribbons around them that match the rest of the costume. Black out one of her teeth with nontoxic Halloween makeup and give her a black eye by rubbing some around the eye socket and eyelid. Cover a rectangular piece of cardboard with aluminum foil and pin it to the front waistband of her athletic shorts as a belt buckle.The look is complete.