One of the best things about this costume is that you probably already have everything you need to make it. The only thin you may need to buy is a cheap plastic laundry basket. The cheaper ones are best because they are thin and easy to cut.
Laundry Basket Costume Materials
- An old plastic laundry basket with low sides. (Not one of the tall variety)
- An empty plastic laundry detergent bottle
- Sweat pants and a sweat shirt
- A sharp serated knife such as a kitchen knife, a jab saw or sheetrock saw (available at a hardware store) or a razor knife with a new blade.
- Two strips of fabric long enough to use as over-the-shoulder suspenders
Making the Laundry Basket Fit
Using the knife or jab saw, cut a hole in the bottom of the laundry basket large enough that the person wearing the costume can step into it and pull it up to their waist.
Tie the two strips of fabric through holes in the laundry basket. The strips can be cut from old bedsheets, jeans or pants. Tie them through holes in the back of the basket about eight inches apart.
Slip the laundry basket up over waist and into place. Then, place the strips of fabric over the shoulders and tie them to holes in the front of the basket about eight inches apart so that they hold the basket in place.
Assembling the Costume
Put the laundry basket and shoulder straps in place and put a sweatshirt on over it. Put some clothes in the basket, and put the empty detergent bottle on top of them so that it can be seen.
Jeans, or sweatpants work well for the bottom half. Draping pieces of clothing across the head and over the shoulders adds a lot of humor the costume and can make it warm for trick-or-treat on a cold night.
One added benefit to this costume is, the laundry basket doubles as a candy basket for trick-or-treating!
Dirty Laundry Costume Adaptations
There are lots of fun ways to adapt this costume.
Dirty Socks: Roll a bunch of sports socks in dirt so they look very dirty. Stick them all over the person with tape or glue, and place them in the basket so they are hanging over the sides. Smudge make-up, dirt, or costume paint all over the face. Instead of wearing a sweatshirt, think about wearing a sports shirt instead. This variation is great for the soccer player, football player or anyone who gets down and dirty. Moms will die laughing.
Mile High Pile: To make a more anonymous costume that looks like a bottle of detergent sitting on top of a high pile of clothes, cut eye holes in a pillow case and place it overhead. Pile more clothes on top, taping them on to make the pile look really large. Then, cut the bottom off of the detergent bottle and place on head as a hat.
Comfy Kitty: Instead of placing laundry on head, add a sleeping kitten costuem with furry kitty ears and mitten paws. Yawn and meow before saying "trick or treat." Cat owners will totally get it!
Kimbra Cutlip - Kimbra Cutlip is a feature writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications including the Washington Post, Environment magazine, ...
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