Being creative for World Book Day 2020 doesn't have to be a mad panic and you don’t need buy a costume to celebrate the day.

Here is our list of 20 easy costumes you can make at home, without a needle in sight.  

1. Matilda

One of Roald Dahl’s most popular characters.

It may not be the most obvious choice it is one of the easiest, as long as you have a blue dress to hand.

Just put your child in a blue dress, white tights, with a red ribbon in their hair and give them a pile of books to carry and you're good to go. 

2. Boy in the dress

It’s simple as it sounds. All you require is an orange dress and a football to hand. If you don’t have an orange dress, it doesn’t matter, any colour dress will do just fine.

3. George from George’s Marvellous Medicine

All you need is red long-sleeved top and blue jeans. If you have a son called George, this is even more perfect. If not, simply put a name tag on them. Then give them a big saucepan (labelled ‘marvellous medicine’) and a wooden spoon.

4. Miss Honey

Ideal for teachers.

The teacher everyone is sweet on, Miss Honey is a great costume if you’ve low on time or budget. A nice floral dress, a cardigan, some glasses and carry some flowers – simple, but effective. 

5. Gangsta Granny

All you need is a black eye mask but if you don’t have one of those you could use face paint – or mascara, if you have an old one knocking about.

Then dress them in a ‘granny-style’ cardigan or blouse, a black skirt, old slippers and a pair of wrinkly tights. If you don’t have a grey wig, put some talcum powder in their hair.

Then grab a sack that would work as a swag bag. 

6. Little Red Riding Hood

Cut a large semicircle of red fabric and fasten it over your child’s head with a safety pin.  Have your child wear a plain dress, white socks and traditional shoes. Complete the look by arranging a basket full of goodies (cookies and cakes etc.) for them to carry.

7. Where’s Wally

All you need is long-sleeved red and white striped jumper and blue trousers or leggings.

Match it with a bobble hat and some black round-rimmed glasses.

If you don’t have a stripy jumper, you could use tape some red stripes across a plain white top. You can even draw on the glasses with face paint if you don’t have a pair.

Finish with a pair of brown shoes or boots if you have.

8. Harry & His Bucketful of Dinosaurs

To dress your little one up like Harry all you need is a yellow t shirt, a red vest, blue jeans and a blue bucket. If you don’t have a blue bucket, it won’t matter, any colour will do.

Fill the bucket with some of your child’s favourite dinosaur toys to complete the look.

9. Harry Potter

This is the easiest costume you can put together! Have your child wear very smart school uniform and circular glasses, and draw a lightning scar on their forehead using face paint or make-up. Give them additional props if you like such as a black robe or cape, a wand, a Gryffindor-colour scarf or a toy owl.

10. Captain Underpants

Easily recreate this with some white or pink clothing underneath some - yes you guessed it - underpants.

Just don't forget to put some undies on the bottom layer too!

11. Hetty Feather

All you need is a brown or black dress or top and skirt and a candlestick as a prop. Finish the outfit off with one of Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather books.

12. Room on the Broom

Got a witch’s hat? Yes, then all you’ll need to finish the look is a red top and purple skirt. You could use a sweeping brush as the broom and a bucket as the cauldron. If you don’t have a dress, it'll work with black leggings and top.

And if you are feeling really creative, attach a replica frog and a cat to the brush for extra effect.

13. Rapunzel

If you've got some yellow wool, or brown depending on your little one’s hair you can plait it and make it in to fake hair which you can attach to your little one's ponytail.

Then simply put them in a purple coloured dress and that’s it! If you have a different coloured dress, that’s fine – any colour will do.

14. Cat in the Hat

Dr Seuss's The Cat In The Hat is an outfit you can pull together really easily.

Use black tracksuit bottoms and white T-shirt, with a black cardigan (and white gloves if you have them). Make a red bow out of ribbon and construct a mini top hat if you can. Paint your child’s face white and add whiskers.

15. Peter Rabbit

Another easy outfit you can pull together in minutes. Have your child wear all brown with a pale blue cardigan. Make a fluffy white tail to strap onto the brown trousers by sticking cotton wool onto a large circle. Make rabbit ears from brown triangles fastened to elastic, so you child can wear them as a headband.

16. Mr. Twit

Make a ‘revolting’ beard with brown wool of various lengths knotted onto elastic that can fasten around your child’s head. Have your child draw different food stuffs onto paper, cut them out and stick them onto the beard. They need to look dirty and dishevelled, so have them wear old clothes with splodges of brown paint that looks like dirt.

For added effect, you can even paint their finger and toenails yellow, and have them wear sandals!

17. Goldilocks

Get some yellow wool and make two very long plaits by cutting about 20 pieces of wool very long and dividing into two, then plaiting by tying each with a bobble at the top. Tie the bottom of each plait with a bobble and a ribbon. Attach to your child’s own hair or a white maid-style hat. Have your child wear a blue dress, white socks and some traditional T-bar shoes.

Complete with a brown bear to carry around if you have.

18. Mary Poppins

All you need is a for your child to wear a black skirt with a white blouse tucked in. They’ll also need a little white maid-type apron and an umbrella for extra effect!

 19. Charlie Bucket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

If you haven’t got the props to dress them as Willy Wonka, Charlie is an easy option. All you need is scruffy clothes and a handmade golden ticket.

 20. The BFG

We wouldn’t recommend stilts for this one but you can still get them to look like the Big Friendly Giant with some baggy trousers, a brown waistcoat and a big baggy shirt.

Make some big ears by cutting out an ear shape using pink paper, then stick them onto a headband. To complete the look, find a little doll to be Sophie for them to put in their hand or shirt pocket.