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Layering them one over the other makes an appealingly wafty skirt, and with leggings underneath and a turtleneck up top, she might actually be warm. Plus, with the money you saved on cheap polyester, you can spring for the really expensive wings, which are the only part they really care about anyway.

3. The Princess

There’s a princess rule, too. And you’ve got the same options, with a bit of a twist. Go out and spend a reasonable amount on a piece of fabric that will rip and run as soon as you pull it over your daughter’s head, or spend a ridiculous amount on the licensed gown. There is a third choice, though. You could go off script a bit and create a princess whose kingdom has never been featured on DVD.

This version is made out of a big sister’s poncho thrown overtop of a poofy skirt, a circlet fashioned from some old Christmas garland, and a scepter/wand from the Dollar Store.

4. The Pirate

I’m not sure if it’s a rule, but it’s certainly an old standby. And really, who doesn’t love being a pirate? Especially when all it requires is a tour through the family closets. A pair of Capri pants (add knee socks or tights for cold climates), that peasant style blouse that’s been sitting in the back of your closet since you regained your senses (oh, come on! I know you have one.), a bandana, and a scarf for a sash. That’s it. Scrounge through The Land of Lost Earrings in the bottom of your jewelry box and make a quick trip to the Dollar Store for a sword and you’ve got yourself a pirate faster than you can say, “Arrrgh, matey!”

5. The Best. Costume. Evah!

Yeah. I did it. The monster from Alien busting out of her guts. This is my favourite of all the costumes I’ve “made” (and I use that term loosely) for my kids for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it’s just flat out cool. But mostly, it’s because this costume represents a specific moment in time and a huge victory for me and my daughter. Eight months before Halloween, Regan was diagnosed with a 12 cm tumour in her abdomen (in layman’s terms, that’s in the “holy crap!” range), and being me, one of the first things I thought of—after I picked myself up off of the bathroom floor and remembered how to breathe again—was this costume. Even though at the time her prognosis wasn’t good, I swore that she would wear this for Halloween. And she did, as a perfectly healthy toddler. So to me, this is more than a great costume; it’s victory over the real bitch that tried to bust out of her belly. But it’s still a great costume, too. This is the most expensive option listed here—the stuffed animal costs $20-- and you do have to actually sew it to the shirt under the cardigan, but I think that the price and effort are totally worth it even if you’re not putting to bed a nightmare of your own when you dress up your kid like this.