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Halloween Costumes for Girls

Every year, Halloween sneaks up and leaves us scrambling for a last-minute costume. Rather than dressing up as a black cat for the second year in a row (no shame, we’ve all been there), here are a few easy Halloween costumes for girls, inspired by awesome women from history.

Frida Kahlo

Key Elements

  • Frida’s iconic eyebrows
  • Elaborate accessories, including dangling earrings and a flower crown
  • Long floral dress

What You’ll Need

  • Eyebrow pencil
  • Large earrings
  • Colorful tissue paper
  • Headband
  • Dress
  • Optional: markers

If you already have a floral dress, perfect! If not, you can decorate an old t-shirt or dress with markers to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Now it’s time for accessories, the bigger the better! Roll tissue paper into rosettes to glue onto a headband for a flower crown. With an eyebrow pencil, draw on Frida’s trademark thick eyebrows. Your budding artist is ready to blaze a colorful trail!

Serena Williams

Key Elements

  • Tennis Racket
  • Sweatbands

What You’ll Need

  • Sneakers
  • Shorts/skirt
  • T-shirt
  • Cardboard
  • Sweatbands
  • Optional: rhinestones

Find inspiration in any of Serena Williams’ incredible looks and then make your own! To make her iconic sneakers, glue rhinestones onto an old pair of shoes. If you’re short on time, simply pair a t-shirt and skirt in a similar color for a preppy tennis look. If you have a tennis racket, bring it along as part of the look. If not, you can make one out of cardboard!  Rustle up some sweatbands for her wrists and hair and your Rebel is ready to take on the court!

Jane Goodall

Key Elements

  • White hair
  • Monkey
  • Khakis

What You’ll Need

  • White wig/colored hair spray
  • Stuffed monkey
  • Khaki clothing

Dress the animal-lover in your life as one of the greatest wildlife allies, Jane Goodall. Start with a white wig, or use temporary white hair color spray, and pull the hair back into Jane’s iconic low ponytail. Dress your child in head-to-toe khaki, and they’re ready for any adventure. Add a stuffed monkey, or any animal toy, and she’s ready to go scouting for animals.

Grace O’Malley

Key Elements

  • Hat
  • Sword
  • Red wig

What You’ll Need

  • Cardboard
  • Construction paper
  • Wig
  • Vest
  • Puffy button-down shirt
  • Blush

Set sail as pirate lass Grace O’Malley. Fashion some pirate garb by pairing a puffy-sleeved shirt with a lace-up vest. Add a red wig, rosy blush on her cheeks, and fashion a sword and hat from cardboard and construction paper. She’s ready to conquer the world!

Ada Lovelace

Key Elements

  • Headpiece
  • Pearls
  • Mathematics Tablet

What You’ll Need

  • Feathers
  • Fake pearl necklace
  • Cardboard
  • Dress
  • Lace

For the young computer scientist in your life, DIY a Victorian outfit inspired by Ada Lovelace.  Find a dress with lace details and frilly sleeves, or add your own! Style their hair in a bun or half-updo and pin it with feathers. Add a string of pearls around their neck and fashion a math tablet out of cardboard, and they’re ready to take on any coding challenge.

Flip through Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls to find even more Halloween costumes for girls inspired by women throughout history.