Easy World Book Day Costumes That You Can Rustle Up Quickly

With World Book Book Day fast approaching this can be a high pressure time for any parent to an excitable child with big dreams! We know sometimes there just isn’t time to spend hours making a costume for your little one, so we’ve pulled together a list of quick and easy costumes that you can pull together without too much sweat.

When is World Book Day?

World Book Day is on 5th March 2020 and each year is the first Thursday of March.

1) The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

Elizabeth is a Princess who is looking forward to a future marrying Prince Ronald. Then a dragon comes along, kidnaps Prince Ronald and burns Elizabeth’s castle down. Elizabeth has no choice but to rescue Prince Ronald and save the day.

Recreate Elizabeth’s paper bag look with a dark long sleeve t-shirt and leggings. Fashion a paper bag tunic out of crumpled brown wrapping paper or a brown paper sack. Don’t forget to add black smudges on faces to recreate the soot and for once avoid the morning hair brush struggle by allowing your daughter to go to school with her hair unbrushed (hooray). Add a paper crown for the finish.

2) Mr Bump by Roger Hargreaves

Everyone’s favourite Mister Men character can be easily recreated with a royal blue t-shirt, blue jeans and a pack of bandages. Attach the bandages around the blue t-shirt and keep in place with a stitch or safety pin. Add a bandage around your child’s head to complete the look. Avoid covering their eyes unless you want to deal with some real life bumps!

3) Harry O’Hay and Betty O’Barley from The Scarecrow’s Wedding by Julia Donaldson and Axel Schaeffler

This is the heartwarming tale of Harry O’Hay and Betty O’Barley. After Harry proposes to Betty, he set off on an adventure to try and deliver her the wedding of her dreams.

To get the look, Betty needs a pink dress, a green neck scarf, a straw hat and some yellow wool to symbolise straw peeking out from the sleeves or under the hat. Add a patch pocket to the front of the dress for extra detail.

Harry needs a checked shirt and some jean dungarees with a neckerchief. Add a cowboy hat with some straw (wool) coming down.

4) Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

The super strong, feisty, independent Pippi has been a favourite heroine since it was first published 75 years ago in 1945. A young orphaned girl who lives alone with her horse and pet monkey, she chooses her own bedtime and house rules much to her friends delight.

Recreate her fuss-free attire with a denim pinafore dress or dungarees, stripy tights, winter boots and a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath. If it is long enough, plait your daughter’s hair into pigtails and add sturdy pipe cleaners to create a bend in the plait. Add some cheeky freckles and a stuffed soft monkey teddy and you are good to go.

5) Aslan from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis

Narnia’s true King is wise, loyal and is the only character to appear in all seven books of the series.
Here is where having a lion designed onesie will come in handy, but if not choose a brown or beige coloured t-shirt and trousers and create a lion’s mane by adding faux fur to a head band. Add some whiskers and some face paint to create the lion’s face and you have a perfect Aslan.

6) Naughty Amelia Jane by Enid Blyton

Amelia Jane is the naughtiest toy in the toy cupboard. Children love hearing her stories of mischief and mayhem and how her other toy friends often teach her lessons on how to be good and kind, not that she remembers them for long.

Recreate this ragdoll’s attire by sewing some large buttons onto the front of a dress, adding a patchwork pocket, tying your daughter’s hair up in bunches and adding some yellow wool to highlight the doll’s hair. Add some cheek blusher and freckles to complete the cheeky effect.

7) Angelina Ballerina

The whimsical story of a little mouse who dreams of being a prima ballerina for the Royal Ballet.

If your little one loves ballet and goes to a ballet class, this should in theory be quite simple to recreate. Wear a tutu and tights, add a tail (white tight leg stuffed with newspaper) and a pair of ears. If your daughter has long hair create ears by styling two buns on the side of her head, or simply add some ears to an Alice Band.

8) Burglar Bill by Janet & Allan Ahlberg

A family favourite for over 40 years, bungling Burglar Bill seizes a chance for redemption and turns his life around when he meets true love. A fantastic story and even better illustrations from the fantastic team of Janet and Allan Ahlberg.

All you will need to recreate this look is a black (or blue) and white stripy top, trousers, an eye mask, a flat cap, a swag bag and a torch, simple but effective (toy cat optional).

9) Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web by E B White

Charlotte is the super smart, compassionate spider who helps Wilbur the pig escape danger.
Get the look by dressing head to toe in black and adding four ‘legs’ to the sides of the long-sleeved t-shirt – try using tight legs cut in half and stuffed with newspaper. Your child’s arms and legs would also serve as the remaining four legs.

10) George from George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl

George is fed up with his foul Grandma’s meanness and sets out to teach her a lesson with hilarious consequences.
All George needs to wear is jeans and a long red sleeved t-shirt. It is the accessories that make this outfit though, empty shampoo bottles, a “medicine looking” bottle and a wooden spoon, will complete the look.

We’d love to see your World Book Day Costumes! Be sure to send them to us or tag us in them on social media and we’ll re-post them.