15 DIY Pokémon Halloween Costumes For Kids That Are Not Just Pikachu

Believe it or not, some iteration of Pokémon has been around since 1997. Whether or not you understand what a Pokémon is, or why people feel the need to catch them all, they continue to be popular characters for kids. Do they actually know what’s going on, or do they just like bright colors? Does it really matter? And while there is no shortage of Pokémon merch out there (including costumes), you don’t have to spend a fortune to make your child the Pikachu of their dreams.

Here are some DIY Pokémon Halloween costumes your kids are going to want to wear all year. Oh, and they’re not all Pikachu; don’t worry.

Best DIY Pokémon Costumes

1. Pikachu

We should start with this little creature, Pikachu, who appears to have some sort of leadership position. Or maybe it’s just very visible because it’s yellow? Either way, here are step-by-step instructions for putting a Pikachu costume together.

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2. Officer Jenny

Does your child want to dress up as a cop for Halloween? Add a few red flourishes and make them Officer Jenny.

3. Mega Ampharos

Seemingly some cross between a giraffe, sheep, and berry bush, Mega Ampharos is another DIY Pokémon Halloween costume. This tutorial will walk you through all the steps.

4. Squirtle

Based on images, Squirtle looks like some sort of turtle, but with accessories. This particular tutorial is for making a costume for a baby, but just scale everything up for bigger kids.

5. Vaporeon

This Pokémon character sounds like it’s on the payroll at Vicks, and looks like either Lilo or Stitch (whichever one is the alien), but kids seem to be really into them (we’ll go with neutral pronouns because it’s hard to know how a Pokémon identifies). Here are instructions for making your own DIY Vaporeon costume.

6. Charizard

Charizard appears to be the local Pokémon dragon, and let’s face it, dragons are a timeless Halloween costume. This tutorial includes a full face mask, so it’s especially timely for Halloween 2020.

7. Ash Ketchum

Who or what is an Ash Ketchum? Is he related to country music singer Hal Ketchum? Or, based on his trucker hat, maybe Ashton Kutcher? The good news is that if your kid is into Ash Ketchum, it’s pretty easy to throw a DIY costume together with what you already have at home.

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8. Serena

Does your kid love Pokémon, but you’re really into Clueless? Dress them up as Serena, which looks like it could work on both levels. Bonus, the top works for a Wednesday Addams costume or a Thanksgiving pilgrim.

9. Jigglypuff

A Jigglypuff may sound like a delicious type of puff pastry with a wobbly center made of custard, but it is actually a Pokémon character. These instructions make the DIY process sound pretty straightforward, so this could be a great option if you’re running short on time.

10. Gastly

Gastly looks like some sort of monster ghost, which at least seems Halloween-appropriate. It also means that DIY costumes don’t take a lot of time or effort.

11. Misty

A Misty costume is easy to put together, but is contingent upon whether you’re comfortable with your child walking across with an exposed midriff at the end of October. Or you can just make them wear a longer shirt. Pair a yellow shirt with jean shorts and red suspenders, and that’s essentially it. This is also the ideal costume if your child recently found the safety scissors and gave themselves their own pandemic haircut.

12. Poliwrath

“Poliwrath” sounds like a word to describe our anger and frustration over many things simultaneously during the pandemic, but is also, you guessed it, some type of Pokémon. The main components of this DIY costume are a blue hoodie and white boxing gloves, which, TBH, you’ll totally be able to reuse after Halloween.

13. Bulbasaur

Oh my goodness, look at that cute little Bulbasaur bottom! This costume offers major preciousness for relatively minor output. After all, you could ultimately just put your child in a teal sweatsuit and then create a big green bulb out of almost anything soft and fluffy for their back.

14. Caterpie

Need something super easy? Maybe Caterpie is the Pikachu character you’re destined to turn into a costume. If you can make orange antennae and come up with a green tail, you’ll be fine.

15. Clefairy

A little swoop of the bangs, some brown ears, and a light pink bodysuit and you’re well on your way to whipping up a Clefairy costume for your little one.

Fun Facts About Pokémon

Need a little more inspiration for rocking out a DIY Pokémon costume for your little Pikachu? Perhaps these fascinating facts about Pokémon will get your gears spinning.

• Although Bulbasaur is the first Pokémon in the Pokedex, Rhydon was the first Pokémon ever created.
• Curious where the name Pikachu came from? Well, it’s actually the Japanese onomatopoeia for squeaking.
• The original English name for Vulpix was Foxfire.