Halloween Costume Ideas for Canes and Wheelchairs
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Halloween is a holiday that is accessible to everyone. Who doesn’t love dressing up, visiting the neighbors, and staying up a little later than usual?
Plus, you get free chocolate and toys thrown in your bucket just for being cute! What could be better?
There are so many inexpensive costumes available online or in the stores these days, but I’ve always preferred to make my own. But even a simple store-bought costume can become something memorable with a little creativity!
Why not create a costume for your child this year that incorporates their white cane or wheelchair? This year Ivan will be a cowboy so we’ve turned his wheelchair into his trusty steed!
Read on for the how to (it’s easier than it looks) as well as other ideas for wheelchairs and canes…
What You’ll Need:
- a large cardboard box
- an Xacto knife
- tape or glue
- Velcro ties
- pens or paints for decorating
- cardstock or construction paper for decorating
Making Your Horse
- Lay the box flat and draw the outline of a horse. I used this horse drawing as inspiration. Don’t be too hard on yourself when it comes to your horse outline. Remember, this isn’t art class, you just need to draw something that gives the general idea of a horse. Everybody will get it.
- Using your Xacto knife, cut out your horse. If you’ve left your cardboard box in tact then just cut through both sides of the box and voilà! You’ve cut out two horse shapes at once!
Next, attach your horse shapes to the wheelchair by cutting a couple of small holes on each side right where you want the horse to fit to the arm rest. Use the Velcro ties (these are an amazing new invention) to securely fasten the horse cut outs to the arm rests. It’s so easy to get the horse on and off the wheelchair and you don’t have to worry about leaving glue or tape residue behind!- The last step is probably the most fun—decorate! Use paint, glitter, ribbons, or construction paper. Make a tail and a saddle. We also attached ribbons to the horse’s nose to use as reigns.
The end result is more impressive than you’d think. With your child dressed up as a cowboy (or girl), the horse really comes alive. Give those reigns a shake, yell out “yippee ay oh!” and you’re ready to go!
More Wheelchair Ideas
There are so many other things you can do with a wheelchair on Halloween. Why not dress up as…
- A rock star and turn your wheelchair into a drum set
- Cinderella and turn your wheelchair into a stage coach
- A pirate and turn your wheelchair into a pirate ship
- A king or queen and turn your wheelchair into a throne
- A race car driver and turn your wheelchair into a car
- A train conductor and turn your wheelchair into a train
- A flower and turn your wheelchair into a flower garden complete with picket fence (here’s the how to for this idea)
Cane Costume Ideas
For kids who are blind and get around with a cane, there are many ways you can incorporate that cane into a costume as well. Why not dress up as…
- The tooth fairy and turn your cane into a giant tooth brush
- A wizard and turn your cane into a wand or long staff
A witch and turn your cane into a broom- A flower and turn your cane into one big flower
- Medusa and turn your cane into a snake
- Belle from Beauty and the Beast and turn your cane into a rose
- A rock star and turn your cane into a microphone
- A fisherman and turn your cane into a fishing pole
Have fun with your cane or wheelchair and really get creative! An elaborate costume doesn’t have to be expensive or even that difficult to put together—it’s really all about transforming your child into a character for an evening.
Then he can go back to being his normal crazy self on November 1st!
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