Big hits at all kinds of events! DIY dinosaur costume ideas
Dinosaurs are said to have lived on Earth before humans were born.
They’re beloved not only by children but by people of all ages around the world.
In this article, we introduce handmade dinosaur costumes that shine at a variety of events.
We’ve picked a wide range, from impactful dinosaurs that capture large sizes and realistic patterns to ones with a cute vibe.
We’ll present them by material, style, and design, so it’s a good idea to check what fits each occasion.
These can be used in childcare settings for kids in nursery school and kindergarten, and they also make great handmade costumes for events like Halloween.
- Let's make dinosaurs with origami! Easy ideas kids can make
- Handmade Halloween costume ideas! A roundup of outfits you can make with everyday materials.
- Children's costumes that make you want to imitate at a recital
- New Year’s card ideas to make with children: simple designs using stickers and stamps
- [For Sports Day and Halloween] Handmade Ninja Costume and Item Ideas
- Handmade costumes with a bird theme. Great for recitals too!
- Fun Dinosaur Quiz Collection for Kids and Adults
- Handmade penguin costume ideas. Great for recitals and events!
- Cute and Easy with 100-Yen-Shop Items! DIY Christmas Costume Ideas for Kids
- Fun for daycare and kindergartens! A collection of DIY puppet ideas
- [Hinamatsuri] Handmade Costume Ideas: Perfect for First Festival and Girls’ Day Celebrations!
- [Easy and Ready to Go!] A Fun Collection of DIY Mickey Costume Ideas
- A roundup of cute handmade kids’ clothing ideas
2. Design (1–10)
All-in-one
How about making an all-in-one outfit where a little extra size doesn’t matter? All-in-ones are easy for small children to wear, look cute even when baggy, and above all are incredibly comfortable.
If you’re good at sewing, try drafting a pattern and making one from scratch.
The great thing about handmade is that you can size it to your child and customize it.
If making an all-in-one feels difficult, you can also take a store-bought one and just add spiky plates along the back to turn it into a dinosaur—highly recommended!
Dinosaur tail
How about making a sturdy dinosaur tail to really stand out when all you have are paper costumes and masks? Dinosaurs are known for those thick, solid tails that really catch the eye.
Try using fabric to create a slightly unusual cone shape, and add those jagged bony plates so it pops.
If you want a voluminous tail, you’ll need a lot of stuffing, but if you won’t be washing it, you can pack the center with newspaper instead.
For a smaller tail, try inserting wire so you can adjust the shape!
green dinosaur with a mask
Felt fabric is easy to get at 100-yen shops, simple to work with, and incredibly useful for making costumes.
It’s also great that you can attach it to fabric or paper with glue, without sewing.
Here’s an idea that uses felt and metallic-colored construction paper to make a dinosaur mask, hands, and tail.
Kids get so excited when they put on a mask—their ability to get into character jumps way up.
It’s a crafty, easy-to-customize project.
How about making it based on the type of dinosaur your kids like?
Colorful dinosaur
When you think of dinosaurs, you probably picture green or brown, right? You often see green dinosaurs in costumes and plush toys sold in stores, too.
But if you’re making a costume by hand for a recital or Halloween, how about creating colorful dinosaurs in the kids’ favorite colors? A row of pink, blue, and yellow dinosaurs would look adorable! If you’re making them out of cardboard, you could glue on colored paper and craft them together with your child.
Let’s make a dinosaur in a standout color!
jinbei
It’s not a costume that looks entirely like a dinosaur, but a jinbei made with dinosaur-patterned fabric.
Kids love dinosaurs, and craft stores sell all kinds of dinosaur-print fabrics.
If you’re making a jinbei, ripple fabric for summer is perfect.
There are plenty of dinosaur-pattern ripple fabrics available, too.
It’s not just for costumes or stage performances—it’s great for summer festivals, preschool or kindergarten sleepovers, and many other occasions.
It might seem difficult, but jinbei patterns are sold in stores, and since most of the sewing is straight stitches, even beginners can make one.
Tyrannosaurus
This is a Tyrannosaurus cosplay that lets you experience a sense of historical romance.
As the name suggests, it’s often seen as scary and huge, but when children play the role it transforms into an adorable costume.
It sounds fun to let them pick their favorite dinosaur from an illustrated book or catalog.
Costumes that cover not only the body but also fully enclose the head are recommended, too.
It’s perfect for striking signature T.
rex poses and for taking photogenic shots at Halloween parties.
Give this cosplay a try and let the kids’ cuteness really shine.
A full-body costume with a hood
A full-body dinosaur costume sounds like it would be really difficult, doesn’t it? You might be wondering what to do about the pattern, but you can actually draft one using clothes you already have at home and turn a full-body suit into a dinosaur! Use long pants that go down to the ankles and a long-sleeve T-shirt to trace out a rough-size pattern, then create a pattern that joins the top and bottom together.
To make it easy to put on and take off, it’s best to make the costume open at the front.
Join the hand and foot parts as well, and try constructing it so it completely covers the whole body.