DIY Costumes Inspired by 'Charlotte's Web' for Halloween
Creating outfits based on the beloved children's book 'Charlotte's Web' can be a enjoyable family activity for Halloween. With a few simple materials, many of which you probably already own, you can put together costumes for Fern, Wilbur, Templeton, or Charlotte.
By Elliot Brooks
Transform into your favorite characters for Halloween.
E.B. White's "Charlotte's Web," with illustrations by Garth Williams, remains a treasured children's classic. The characters are easy to adore—from gentle Fern to amiable Wilbur and, most memorably, the clever spider Charlotte who rescues her friend. If you or your child would like to portray someone from this story for Halloween, putting together a costume is quite doable. You might even find all the supplies you need already in your home.
Fern
For a Fern costume, pull your hair into a ponytail and tie it with a red ribbon. The iconic cover illustration shows Fern in a red shirt with a white collar. Complete the look with blue jeans and work boots. Carry a bucket or some toy vegetables, since Fern often visited the barn to see Wilbur, a very hungry pig.
Wilbur the Pig
Although the title bears Charlotte's name, the charming Wilbur is arguably the central figure. To become Wilbur, fashion pig ears from a headband and pink fabric or ribbon. Wrap the headband snugly with the pink material. Apply a small dot of hot glue at each end of the headband to secure the fabric or ribbon.
Create the ears from two pink diamond shapes. Place the headband flat and wrap each diamond around it so the two points come together, forming a triangle. Glue the triangles onto the headband. If you use hot glue, avoid pressing the fabric with your bare fingers—it can burn. Use a pencil to press the pieces together instead.
Optionally, make a curly pig tail by wrapping a pink pipe cleaner around an elastic waistband or ribbon. Wear pink clothes speckled with brown fabric paint to mimic a pig's look. You can stamp the clothing with a mud-like texture using sponges that have large holes.
Templeton the Rat
Templeton, the rat in "Charlotte's Web," may not start out as the nicest character, but he is a memorable antagonist who ultimately does the right thing. To dress as Templeton, use fake whiskers along with a rat nose and ears. You can make these similarly to Wilbur's ears, but use brown or gray fabric.
For a Templeton look, wear brown or gray clothing and fashion a tail from a matching robe belt or other fabric. You can wear it on a belt or attach it to a ribbon tied around your waist. Pink felt can be used to create a pink tummy and pink inner ears for your Templeton costume. Glue these to the shirt and ears of your costume, respectively.
Charlotte the Spider
The resourceful spider who saves the day in the book is Charlotte. To dress as her, wear all black. You can make spider legs from old black tights. Stuff the legs of two pairs of tights with filling and sew them at the center onto the back of your black shirt. This gives you four of the eight legs you need. Your arms and legs can serve as the other four. Make sure your pants and shirt sleeves are long so they appear black like the legs on your back.
You can also create a spider web. Use pipe cleaners to form a hexagon with straight pieces radiating from the center like a sunburst. Then, with more pipe cleaners, add smaller rings of straight pieces parallel to the hexagon until you reach the center of the web.
To take your costume to the next level, loop thread over and around the pipe cleaners to spell out one of Charlotte's messages from the book, such as "some pig" or "humble."
