How to make your own easy World Book Day costumes

Rummage in the dressing-up box and the wardrobes for any costumes you already have and THEN find a book that fits.

Got a witch costume? Then they can be the Worst Witch or The Room on the Broom.

Got a ballet outfit? They can be Angelina Ballerina.

And if you've got a cat costume, dress your kids as Gobbolino or Mog.

Raid all the wardrobes at home.

Dad's tie may make a great Penny Crayon costume and an apron could be fashioned into an Alice in Wonderland dress.

Pyjamas and nighties can work for all sorts of costumes.

Try The Darlings from Peter Pan, Sophie from the BFG or Laura from Laura's Star.

Just make or add a few choice accessories to complete the look.

There are many book characters who wear PE or football kits – which could be a great idea for older kids.

Check out books such as Football Academy and Girls FC.

There are so many books about school children, using a school uniform is one of the quickest ways to cobble together a World Book Day costume.

Add a cloak, glasses and a stick/wand for the Hogwarts uniform, or a straw hat for St Trinians.

A blue and white checked summer dress makes the perfect start for Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

You don't have to be a dab hand with a needle to make great World Book Day costumes this year ... we've got you covered with these no-sew ideas.

Start with accessories which you either have or can find easily from charity shops, eBay or borrow from a friend.

So if you have a huge basket, find or make a red cloak for Little Red Riding Hood.

And if you have stripy tights then that could be the start of Pippi Longstocking, while a plastic bucket could be the beginnings of Harry and his Bucket Full of Dinosaurs.

The Hunger Games is one of the best-loved young adult book series of this century, and has plenty of ideas that are ideal for older kids.

For example, you can create an easy Katniss costume (brown leggings and top, plaited hair, toy bow and arrow) or go all out with vivid wigs, fabrics and face paint for a character like Effie Trinket.

There's plenty of inspiration in the Disney tales.

The Little Mermaid, Winnie the Pooh, Frozen and so many more of your child's favourite films were originally children's books.

Think of what you can cut out and create from cardboard.

What about two huge pieces of cardboard with strings at the top to make a tabard? You can paint it gold to go as the Golden Ticket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Or use boxes and silver paint to make a tin man costume from The Wizard of Oz.

Plastic bottles could be your solution to a homemade World Book Day costume.

George and the Blue Moon by Lucy and Stephen Hawking is a fantastic space-themed book. Use plastic bottles to make a rocket jet pack.

So many Netmums have thought up hundreds of costume ideas for World Book Day in years gone by so why not get inspiration and browse these genius World Book Day ideas?

And if you want to give it a twist, use the costume as a starting point and add accessories and details to make it your own.

Or borrow a costume from a parent who has done World Book Day before.

You could also try asking parents local to you on our Forum.

Instead of making another costume or spending money on a new one, get your child to swap previous outfits with a friend.

That way, two children have a new World Book Day character to go as.

Got a stripy jumper?

Brilliant. It can be the start of many an easy costume including Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Minx, Where's Wally, or Horrid Henry.

Paper plates are great for making simple masks.

Turn your child into pretty much any World Book Day character they fancy with a little crafting.

You could even print off one of these Halloween masks, featuring literary classics such as Frankenstein’s monster and Dracula!

If you've got an animal costume – or can borrow or fashion one from what's in the wardrobe – you're on to a World Book Day winner.

There are so many books featuring animals including Cat in the Hat, Fantastic Mr Fox, Aslan from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and any animal from Wind in the Willows ...

If you want to avoid buying or making a new World Book Day costume, try and turn last year's fancy dress into something different.

For example Angelina Ballerina could easily be adapted to be the Tooth Fairy using the same tutu.

If you start by asking the kids what they want to dress up as, they will come up with some impossible costume ideas.

Save yourself the stress by deciding their costume ... and then persuading them how brilliant it is!

A superhero costume is a very easy World Book Day fancy dress idea.

We have a great guide to making a no sew cape.

Easy peasy.

Buy, make or borrow a black cloak and add a zig-zag scar and glasses for Harry Potter.

For Hermione add a stuffed cat to hold, or a ginger wig for Ron – not forgetting to chuck in a stick to act as a wand.

You could make any of the Mr Men or Little Miss characters.

All you need is a large sheet of card to draw your character on. Easy but brilliant.

Get some nursery rhymes inspiration ... especially because there are loads of characters that are quite easy to make costumes for.

Goldilocks is simple – make a wig from thick yellow plaited wool, add a nice dress and get your child to take three toy bears.

Got a cow costume? Staple a cardboard moon to a skipping rope and you've got a witty 'Cow jumped over the moon' ...

Roald Dahl has some colourful characters that lend themselves really well to World Book Day creations. From Matilda to the BFG, Fantastic Mr Fox, James and his Giant Peach, and George with his Marvellous Medicine.

This is perfect if your child wants to be an animal.

World Book Day characters can easily come to life with a cute painted face, think The Tiger Who Came to Tea or the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.

Instead of trawling the shops for new and potentially pricey World Book Day costumes, pop to any local jumble sales, pick up some cheap items and get creative.

Reuse siblings' outfits, or perhaps your child has cousins who have old costumes you could use. Your child's friends are also bound to have siblings who have previous years' costumes in dressing up boxes somewhere.

Get together with other mums and have a big swap around.

You can find some real gems in the charity shops. Clothes don't even have to be the correct size, you can improvise.

A simple World Book Day costume idea is Roald Dahl's Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie just wears normal, but slightly dishevelled, clothes.

Then add accessories, such as a Wonka Bar and Golden Ticket, drawn on some spare cardboard.

The perfect addition to a World Book Day animal costume. Super easy to make, find out how in this guide.

You can adapt this method to make any animal ears for a dressing up costume for World Book Day or any other dressing up event.

Your child's nativity outfit is probably back in the attic now, but dig it out and see if you can turn in into a great World Book Day costume. For example, an angel could be turned into a ballerina, and a wise man could become a king or a prince.

Use long socks or tights to make a quick and easy animal tail to complete an animal costume for World Book Day. A quick no-sew method to make grrr-eat tails.

We've got LOADS more World Book Day ideas, so check out our top costume ideas.