How to Make a Race Car Halloween Costume

Unique No-Sew Cardboard Box Car Your Child Can Help Create

Sep 7, 2009
Nicole Fravel

Lightning McQueen Racecar Costume - Nicole Fravel

Making a no-sew race car costume is a project parents and children can do together. All it takes is a cardboard box, some paint, Styrofoam packing, and creativity.

Harness your child’s energy in this speedy no-sew race car costume. Be sure to enlist your child’s help for a costume he or she will be proud to wear. Steps for young children include choosing the colors, details, and racing number; painting the main car color; tracing circles for the wheels; and hammering golf tees into Styrofoam with a toy hammer.

Race Car Costume Supplies:

2 Cardboard boxes
Pencil
Paint in multiple colors
Paintbrush
Dinner plate
Salad plate
Alphabet decals (optional)
Number decals (optional)
Styrofoam packing
8 golf tees
Child’s toy hammer
Gorilla glue or other strong adhesive
Construction paper
Packing or duct tape
Suspenders

Instructions for Making a Race Car Costume:

Find a box that is just big enough for your child to stand in. The box should not be too big so that the finished costume is not too bulky for your child to walk. Cut the bottom flaps from the box, but leave the top intact.
Orient the box so that you know which side will be the front, the back, and the sides of the car. Sketch in details with the pencil – a windshield and eyes on the front flap, windows on the side flaps, and lightning bolts, checkered flags, or sponsor stickers on the sides of the car.
Paint the details of the car first. Then paint the rest of the box, including the insides and outsides of the top flaps.
While the paint dries, make the wheels and the hood of the car. To make the wheels, use the dinner plate to trace and cut four large circles from the bottom flaps or from the second cardboard box.
Use the smaller salad plate to sketch an additional circle inside of each of the four wheels to make the hubcaps. Paint the smaller hubcap circles the same color as the car and the outer tire circles black.
When the black wheel paint has dried, use alphabet decals to spell the tire brand on each wheel. Alternatively, paint the words on the wheels. Use the number decals, or paint a racing number on each side of the car.
Cut four cubes from the packing Styrofoam. Choose one wheel and place it so that half of it hangs below the box. Place one of the Styrofoam cubes inside the box, in line with the center of the wheel. Hammer a golf tee through the center of the wheel, through the box, and into the Styrofoam cube to create a wheel that spins. Repeat the same process with the other three wheels.
Use the longest side of the second cardboard box to make the hood of the car. Cut two 4” equilateral triangles from the Styrofoam. Hold the Styrofoam triangles at either side of the sheet of cardboard. Wrap the cardboard sheet around the triangles and hold in place with glue and golf tees.
Cut two 4” equilateral triangles from cardboard and glue them to the sides of the hood to cover the Styrofoam triangles. If desired, add details to the hood, such as headlights or a mouth. Paint the hood to match the rest of the car.
Create a sponsor logo with construction paper and glue it to the top of the hood.
Use packing or duct tape to attach the hood to the front of the car.
Connect the back flap to the side flaps with duct tape. Tape the inside of the flaps so that the tape does not show.
Span suspenders from the back to the front flap (the spoiler to the hood). Drape the box and suspenders over the child’s shoulders.

Whether you model the costume after your child’s favorite NASCAR racer, a Cars movie character, or something entirely out of your child’s imagination, this racecar costume is sure to be a hit on Halloween night.