Pick My Costume

Updated November 2026 · Pick My Costume

Haunted Animatronics Costume

Each animatronic is a big cardboard box painted gray with black scuffs and cracks, a wide jagged mouth, and two red LED tea lights glowing through the eye holes. Old torn clothes and short jerky moves finish it. The complete build is below, including the safety rules that matter with a box over your head. Nine more haunted and robot builds follow.

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Start here: Haunted Animatronics, the full build

Adults handle the utility knife and the hot glue. That is this page’s hard rule, not a footnote.

Haunted Animatronics Halloween costume

⏱ 60 min + 1 hr dryingMedium

Glitchy mascot heads from cardboard boxes, flickering LED eyes, jerky moves.

What you need

  • 1 large cardboard box per person, big enough to cover the head (make: use what you own)
  • 2 red LED tea lights per person (buy: dollar store)
  • Paint in gray, black, and one accent color, 1 small bottle each (buy: craft store)
  • 1 set old clothes with holes or tears (make: use what you own)
  • Hot glue gun, 1; scissors, 1 pair; utility knife, 1 (adults only)

Build it, step by step

  1. Safety: An adult handles the utility knife and the hot glue for every cut and glue step.
  2. Mark the eye holes and the wide jagged mouth on the outside of the box first.
  3. Have the wearer hold the box up.
  4. Check the eye spots before cutting.
  5. Cut the eye holes wide and the mouth wide, adults only. Cardboard cannot be put back.
  6. Small eye holes make a blind hazard.
  7. Paint the box gray with black scuffs and cracks.
  8. Glue one red LED tea light inside each eye hole.
  9. Safety: Make the eye holes large, and never wear the box near stairs or traffic, since side vision is limited. Walk with a partner who can see clearly. Take the box off if you feel hot.
  10. Wear the box over the head, eyes lined up with the holes.
  11. Wear the old clothes with holes underneath.
  12. Move in short jerky steps.
  13. Freeze between moves.
  14. Optional pro finish: paint black scuffs and cracks around the eye holes before adding the lights.

9 more haunted costume ideas

Block Monster Halloween costume

Block Monster

⏱ 30 min hands-onEasy

You need: 5 things in all.

Wear all one solid color, square up your silhouette with foam or cardboard blocks on shoulders/limbs, draw a pixelated face.

Build this costume →

Supplies, split three ways

Across these 10 builds, these are the supplies that keep coming up. Each linked guide splits its own list the same way:

Buy

  • Two red LED tea lights per person
  • Gray, black, and accent paint
  • A hot glue gun
  • Glow tape or glow bracelets for the Glow Skeleton

Tools

  • A utility knife, adults only
  • Scissors
  • A hot glue gun

Already at home

  • One large cardboard box per animatronic
  • Old clothes with holes or tears
  • A black sweatsuit for the Glow Skeleton
  • Old-fashioned dark clothes for Haunted Portraits

Build times are estimates. Yours may vary.

🔔 One email on Oct 27, 2027

Want one email on Oct 27, 2027 with costumes you can make that night? That’s it, one email, then you’re off the list.

Questions, answered

How does each person see?

Cut the eye holes large and line them up before wearing. Side vision is limited, so the guide says to walk with a partner who can see clearly and never wear the box near stairs or traffic.

Who handles the cutting and glue?

An adult handles the utility knife and hot glue for every cut and glue step. Mark the eye holes and mouth before cutting, and check the eye spots with the wearer holding the box up.

How many tea lights does each costume need?

Two red LED tea lights per person, one glued inside each eye hole.

What if I do not want a box on my head?

Haunted Portraits uses old-fashioned dark clothes, gray face paint, and a frame. Glow Skeleton uses a black sweatsuit and glow tape. Both are on this page.

Own the supplies already? Check the Pantry to see which of all 169 costumes you can make tonight from what is in your house. Or wander the costume galaxy.

Can’t decide? Pick my costume: the 2-minute quiz that picks your top 3.