If you're stuck for an outfit, why not dress the kids as one of the villains that feature in Disney's best-loved films. Everyone loves a baddie and in Disney films there are lots to choose from. The evil pirate Captain Hook from Peter Pan is a great character, and we show you how to make a simple costume below. Or for an even quicker and even easier costume (for an even bigger baddie) why not turn them into Jafar from Disney's newest DVD release Aladdin? All you need are a few simple household items, some scissors and a stapler.

Captain Hook

What you need

2 wire pipe cleaners, twisted together to make them stronger
Tin foil
1 sheet of red cardboard
1 sheet of silver cardboard

What to do

The most recognisable part of Captain Hook is of course his hook - to make this twist the pipe cleaners into a nice round hook - it should look just like a big question mark. Wrap some tin foil around it. Cut a circle of silver card and pierce the middle with the end of the wire, securing it with tape on the underside of the card.
For a simple, but effective hat, you can fold the red card in half and draw a pirate hat shape. Cut around the shape and then staple at the top and at the sides. To help the hat stay on your child's head, cut a strip of card about 3cm wide and long enough to fit around their head. Staple the ends to either side of the bottom of the hat so that it fits snugly.
For the sword - fold a large rectangle of silver card in half and draw a long sword shape - with a sharp point! Cut around the sword then glue the two halves together - to make it stronger you can put an extra piece of card in between the two halves.
To complete your Captain Hook outfit, why not try using things from around the house; for example, a red dressing gown or an old shirt for his red jacket and a white tea towel for his neck-tie.

Jafar
This is the cheat's guide to a great Halloween character that your child will love

What you need

Dark-coloured dressing gown
Length of red ribbon
Large piece of dark material - red is ideal - or a sheet
Dark-coloured towel
Some coloured foil
Small piece of cardboard
Safety pins
Wooden stick - such as a walking stick or staff
Toy snake - available cheaply at most toy stores
Stapler
Sticky tape

What to do

Jafar's main piece of clothing is a long gown - so the dark-coloured dressing gown tied securely with a red ribbon is perfect.
He also has a cape, which can be made by attaching the dark sheet or large piece of fabric to the dressing gown using either staples or safety pins.
Jafar also wears a turban fastened around his head with a large red jewel. A dark towel would be ideal for this. You can wrap it around your child's head and fold it securely at the front.
To make the jewel at the front of Jafar's turban, cut out a jewel shape from the card and cover it in the coloured foil. Securely attach it to the front of the turban with a safety pin.
The final touch to the costume is Jafar's hypnotic staff that he carries around with him. To make this, wrap a toy snake around the top of the walking stick or short staff and secure it with some sticky tape.

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Easy-to-make Disney costumes