This post was sponsored by Amazon in partnership with Forward Influence. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This paper doll costume is a really great last minute Halloween idea. It’s super fun and not difficult to make. My daughter is loving this!
Amazon Boxtumes are back this year and I’m excited to partner with them to show you this fun costume.
I just adored paper dolls as a kid. I remember how much I loved to play with them and they’re so nostalgic to me. I knew I wanted to dress my daughter as a paper doll this Halloween! I like how easy it is for her to get on (just slip it over your head!) so she can wear it at her school parade.
DIY Paper Doll Costume
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:
- An Amazon smile cardboard box
- Paint
- Foam or Paper (your choice)
- Black marker
- Exacto knife
- Ribbon
First, you’ll want to sketch out what you want your dress to look like. Yes, I know that might seem scary if you’re not particularly artsy. But let me tell you, neither am I. You can base your idea off of mine or find an image online of a paper doll dress and copy it. I tested it out on a piece of paper to practice.
Grab a large poster board sized paper or foam board. I used foam to make it a bit more sturdy.
Hold it up to your kiddo to measure the size and mark the top and bottom.
Once you’ve drawn the dress you can paint it with your favorite colors!
Outline the entire thing with a black marker.
I added a little pink belt with a piece of glitter foam paper I had in my craft drawer. I also used it for the bow!
Grab an Amazon smile box from your latest order (I always have Amazon boxes here, don’t you?) to use it for the base layer.
Just trace around the dress and cut it out the middle.
Measure out the length of the ribbon you need and before gluing the box to the foam. Place the ribbon between the two layers and adhere with hot glue or tacky glue. Hot glue is the best when you’re in a rush because you don’t have to wait for it to dry.
For the headband, I drew a box on glitter foam, added tags with paper and hot glued it to a headband we already had at home.
You could make all sorts of accessories like a purse or a princess wand!
Have you made a costume from a box?

Liz is a just a mom trying to keep it real about how little she sleeps, how often she gets puked on and how much she loves them. You can find her here every day writing about real-mom moments.