Last Halloween my then 7 year-old asked to be a haunted house this year. So when we saw the previews for Monster House we knew we had to use that house as our inspiration! We wanted to get the house before it got too jagged looking and we knew that it could be a free Halloween costume pattern so we started moving!
The dimensions here are for the one I made so you will need to adjust for a larger child or adult. The one here is about 9 inches deep 27 inches tall and 18 inches wide. You will select one based on the size of person to wear the costume. I like them to hit just above the knee to allow for easy movement.
My box was slightly bigger; I trimmed it down and used the trim pieces to create the porch. I used corrugated box for the roof (a shoe box can work here). This one was 9 inches top to bottom, 7 inches inside and 12 inches across. Make window about 4 inches deep, 5 1/2 inches high and 2 ½ inches across. Brown felt to cut decorations for the carpet. Masking tape and or glue gun to attach porch to main box. Shingles or black glitter felt to create the roof. Paint brushes, ribbon for tying on roof, ruler pencil, clear plastic from a merchandise display box, for windows or just paint a yellow window directly on the box. Optional: small flashlight for inside of boxed out window. Optional we used Fantastic Four shoe covers that make sounds like breaking glass when you step down. So far, a free Halloween costume pattern.
To wear under it we went with black turtle neck and black leggings. This really doesn’t take much time but you do need to let the paint dry so I would call it a two evening project. Assemble items needed. Determine where to cut your arm holes on each side and head opening. Mine are 3 ½ by 3 ½ inches for the arms and 7 by 7 inches for the head. An adult should do all cutting.
Paint the entire box gray. Paint the roof box black. If you want add some corrugated board to make the ends come down at an angle instead of straight down to look more like a hip roof. Add a chimney. Fold 3 inches of corrugated board and glue it on.
Paint the chimney gray. Paint the plastic yellow. You will need enough for two windows. Mine were about 2inx3in. Cut a door from the corrugated board and paint it red. Add details with black paint when it dries. Cut carpet from red felt about 1 ½ inches wide 11 inches long. Cut diamonds from other felt and glue on to make designs. While that is drying take your extra corrugated board and cut out a rectangle to act as the roof. Under it you will need a triangle at each end to support the roof at an angle. My rectangle was 7 ½ inches by 18 in as that was the width of my box. Our triangles were 4x4x5 inches.
Cut out a rectangle the same size as the front of the box to go less than half way up. Cut spindles for the porch from this. My roof was attached at 14 inches over the bottom. My rectangle was 11 inches tall. Cut a rectangle to be the floor, about 3 inches by the width of the box. Tape or glue these pieces together. Paint them gray.
You will also need a spindle or two for each side of the porch. Attach to the house when it is dry. Paint a door opening yellow. Attach door over this area. Glue the felt rug to the bottom of the door opening. Cut a 2×3 inch rectangle in the small window box to be the window. Cut a piece of the plastic to fit inside with some overlap to allow for taping it in place. Add a black window sash if you’d like. When dry tape in place.
Place the small window box on the front right side of the larger box near the top trace around it you will cut this out. Place the window box inside. (You may cut an opening in the back first to allow for a flashlight to light up the window.) Cut window on left side of house box put in plastic. Or just paint a yellow window on the box. Add shingles to roof cut squares to be. Remember it’s a haunted house so they are not on straight and they are missing here and there!
Fit the roof/hat on the person stuffing the sides with floral foam or corrugated cardboard until you get the right size. Or use a bike helmet inside to keep it on. Add straps if necessary. I painted the inside black to make it look more finished. Use black paint to create the boards on the house touch up any other paint and you are done! Optional we took scraps of corrugated board and made the nose of the house by bending them and gluing them in place. Now you have the face the windows are the eyes the door the mouth rug the tongue and broken boards are the nose just like in the movie.
We made this for some daytime parties but if you want to use it at night add some reflective tape to help keep safe. Enjoy I don’t know about you but I have never seen a haunted or monster house at any events! Here you have a nearly free Halloween costume pattern!
Total Spent on this “almost” free Halloween costume pattern: Less than $10
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