World Book Day is a fabulous opportunity for your little one to express their creative side through their favourite book. Whether they want to create magic like Harry Potter, use the power of their mind like Matilda, or lose themselves in an imaginary world like Alice in Wonderland, this is their chance.
While shop-bought costumes are great for a last minute buy, there's a lot to be said for getting creative if you want to bring your child's favourite book to life. And with our clever tips for homemade World Book Day costumes, you won't have to spend too much time or money making them look like they just stepped out of the pages of their favourite book.
Whether you're up-cycling old clothes from around the house, getting the sewing machine out of the loft, or throwing together a last-minute costume (don't worry we've all done it) we've found 27 incredible DIY World Book Day costume ideas for you to try, with character favourites such as Harry Potter, Peter Rabbit and more.
When is World Book Day 2025?
World Book Day is officially on Thursday 6th March 2025, but every day can be World Book Day by just spending five to ten minutes reading, telling and sharing stories with your kids.
For even more outfit inspiration, check out our pick of the best books to inspire World Book Day costumes.
What is World Book Day?
Back in 1997, the UK and Ireland had their very first World Book Day to encourage young people to discover the joys of reading.
Unfortunately, with only 1 in 3 children now saying they enjoy reading, that aim has never been more important. By making reading fun, through days like World Book Day, they hope to encourage children to see reading as fun, entertaining and something that can become a lifelong love.
With that in mind, World Book Day has developed into an exciting opportunity for little kids (and big kids) to dress up as their favourite authors, characters and everything in between. If your little one already loves to read about heroes and villains, adventures or anything else for that matter, then there's another way to bring the story to life - through dressing up, of course!
By getting dressed up and becoming their favourite character, little ones can discover that reading is a superpower! Not only does it unlock a world of imagination, but it brings an opportunity to learn about new things as well as share experiences.
The best homemade World Book Day costumes
Burglar Bill
The classic Janet and Alan Ahlberg book, Burglar Bill, has been a hit with kids for decades is one of our favourite easy homemade costumes for World Book Day. Mother&Baby's Rebecca Lancaster pulled it together last minute for her son's costume one year and can vouch for how quick and easy it is!
What you need:
• A stripy t-shirt
• A mask (you can make one from fabric or buy one)
• A swag bag
• A flat cap
If you need to buy the extras, or the whole outfit, this Burglar outfit could be used for all sorts of dress-up fun.
Where's Wally?
A super-simple costume that’s still seriously cute, from the educational play experts at Playdale. This Where's Wally? costume has the added benefit of essentially being normal clothes, meaning your child is unlikely to be uncomfortable or overheat in an overly complicated costume.
What you need:
• Stripy top
• A pair of black-rimmed glasses
• Binoculars
• A walking stick
• A red and white hat with a pom-pom on the top
If you'd rather buy a costume, this Where's Wally? outfit gets great reviews.
Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs
If your tot is dinosaur-mad, then you'll both love this easy World Book Day costume for Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs. Mother&Baby's Digital Writer, Rebecca, made this for her son (it helps if their name is Harry) from just his normal clothes and a bucket of toy dinosaurs.
What you need:
• Normal clothes
• Toy dinosaurs like this 50 piece dinosaur bucket
Gruffalo World book Day costume
Are your kids obsessed with The Gruffalo? They're not alone. This family favourite picture book is adored by many. You'll get lots of giggles out of attempting to create his knobbly knees, turned-out toes and wart at the end of his nose.
What you need:
• Brown dressing gown with hood
• White socks for the horns
This Gruffalo onsie could be worn time and again as cosy loungewear.
Ash Ketchum
So Pokemon might technically have been a game first and there's some debate about whether film characters count for Wold Book Day, but we think this Ash Ketchum costume is cute enough to make the cut!
It's also brilliantly easy to make from clothes you might already have. Our Features and Reviews Editor, Samantha Ball, made this for her son from a jacket he'd grown out of.
What you need:
• A blue hoody/gilet
• White t-shirt
• fingerless gloves
• A baseball cap
• A Pokemon soft toy
Miss Spider from James & The Giant Peach
Got a spider costume in the dressing up box or fancy making one out of old tights? Miss Spider from the Roald Dahl classic, James and the Giant Peach is a simple costume for World Book Day, and you could even reuse it at Halloween.
What you need:
• Eight 'legs' - you could stuff old black tights
• A stripy top
• A beret
Peanut Jones
The eponymous hero of Rob Biddulph's Peanut Jones trilogy, this World Book Day costume is an easy one. If your little one had dungarees and a black t-shirt, you're already halfway there. You might need to buy striped tights and fashion a pen belt/bandolier (I used a woven belt and just slotted pens in but you could use fabric or paper), then make a large pencil out of a kitchen roll tube or even a long stick with paper wrapped round! Draw on some freckles, pile her hair up and you're done!
• Dungarees
• Dark t-shirt
• Striped tights
• Black boots
• A pen belt/bandolier
• Large pencil
Tinkerbell costume
From one classic story to another, this Tinkerbell costume is inspired by the incredible tale of Peter Pan - a boy who doesn't want to grow up. Just like how we don't want our toddlers getting older, right?
Although we don't have any pixie dust, what we do have are good ideas for creating memories. Spend time getting crafty with your little one and make their costume together.
What you need:
• Green dress
• Ribbons to decorate the dress
• Fairy wings
• Fairy wand
If they're likely to want to be a fairy again (and who doesn't!) this Rubies Tinkerbell costume could be a good investment.
Gangster Granny costume
Inspired by one of the best David Walliams books for kids, Gangsta Granny is a hilarious costume for your toddler. Not only will they look adorable dressed as an OAP, but they'll love hearing about the adventures Ben has when he stays at his grandma's house for their bedtime story.
What you need:
• Decorate your baby walker or use a walking stick
• Dress
• Cardigan
• Scarf for a hat
You could take inspiration from this Smiffys David Walliams Deluxe Gangsta Granny Costume.
Stickman
Ok, this one might take a little more planning (though you could also dress them in brown and just grab a couple of sticks from the park!) but if you've got a large cardboard box to hand, toilet roll tube and some paint, then Stickman is a fun costume to attempt!
What you need:
• Cardboard to roll and create the body - cut out arm and face holes
• Kitchen or toilet roll tube
• Brown paints
• Brown clothes
Princess Pearl from Zog & the Flying Doctors
Another Julia Donaldson creation, Princess Pearl from Zog and the Flying Doctors is a really easy homemade World Book Day costume, especially if your kids already have a doctor or nurse dress-up set! All you need is a red dress, a long, white coat, toy stethoscope and a crown.
What you need:
• A doctor's coat
• Red spotty dress
• Stethoscope
• Crown
Tiger Who Came To Tea costume
Considered one of the best books for two year olds, The Tiger Who Came To Tea is a great illustrated read for children and is an easy get-up for World Book Day.
What you need:
• Orange t-shirt and trousers
• A long ribbon for a tail
• Face paint
If you run out of time, this super cute tiger romper jumpsuit is more sweet than scary, perfect for a tiger you'd invite in for tea!
Mr Stink
Another David Walliams' favourite, a Mr Stink costume can be made from an old coat or old clothes that have seen better days - those jeans with ripped knees you're about to throw away or the coat that's had a run in with one too many playground floors.
What you need:
• Old clothes
• Glasses
• A toy dog
Harry Potter costume
Everyone's favourite wizard, Harry Potter, is a great choice for your World Book Day activities. Not only can you dress up the whole family in different characters, but you can read extracts from the book as well as watch the blockbuster films. What a magical day!
What you need:
• Round glasses
• Wand
• Red and yellow scarf
• Black jacket
• White top/shirt
• Tie
A full costume is a must for all devoted Harry Potter fans and this Rubie's Official Harry Potter Gryffindor Deluxe Robe Costume has everything a wizard in training might need.
George's Marvellous Medicine
Got a red t-shirt and jeans? Then you've got a costume for George's Marvellous Medicine! This has to be one of the easiest World Book Day costumes. You could also get your little one to add water, food colouring and oil to a bottle to create a 'medicine', if you can put the lid on tight enough that they won't be able to undo it at school!
What you need:
• Red long sleeve t-shirt
• Jeans
• 'Potion'
The BFG
Another classic Roald Dahl book, The BFG is an easy one to make with some cardboard and bits and bobs you might have around the house.
What you need:
• Cardboard
• A brown waistcoat
• A belt
• A doll's house doll
• White shirt or t-shirt
• A Fishing net
Alice in Wonderland costume
You'd be mad as a hatter not to choose an Alice in Wonderland costume for World Book Day. How adorable will they look dressed as Alice? Or even the White Rabbit, Red Queen or Tweedledum.
What you need:
• Blue dress and white pinny/blue top and white skirt
• White or striped socks
• Pack of cards
Moody Margaret from Horrid Henry
You could make this Moody Margaret costume from clothes they might already have in their wardrobe so it's an easy way for Horrid Henry fans to dress as their favourite book character.
What you need:
• Striped t-shirt
• Grey or black pleated school skirt
• Cardigan
The Worst Witch costume
You know the best Halloween costumes for babies and toddlers that you bought last year? Well, you can use them again.
If your little one loves to read all about Mildred Hubble and Ethel Hallow as they complete witch training at Cackle's Academy, then they'll love dressing up as The Worst Witch. And if they're not a fan of that book, it could also be Room on the Broom or Meg and Mog.
What you need:
• Last year's Halloween costume
• Witch's hat
• Striped socks
• Wand
Fern from Charlotte's Web
We love this easy homemade World Book Day costume which is another you could make by simply raiding your kid's wardrobe. Just pop a copy of Charlotte's Web and a toy pig in their bag, and they'll be instantly recognisable!
What you need:
• Dungarees
• Checked shirt
• Pig soft toy
• Toy spider
Funny Bones Skeleton
Funny bones is another easy last minute homemade World Book Day costume, especially if they have a skeleton outfit left over from Halloween. Even if not, cut out some simple bone shapes from white paper and roughly sew them onto some black clothes. Minimal effort, maximum impact!
Caterpillar costume
Whether you're attempting to sew an Absalom the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland or The Hungry Caterpillar costume for your little one, there are lots of ways that you can get creative with fabrics. Not a big sewer? Get creative with face paint, a stripey top and pipe cleaners.
What you need:
• Sewing machine or glue gun
• Fabrics
• Face paint
• Stripy top or jumpsuit
Rabbit costume
We're all about recycling costumes here at Mother&Baby. Whether you're hoping to expand your child's dressing up box or re-use it at Easter, a rabbit costume is a safe bet. There are loads of different book characters that you can choose from including, Peter Rabbit, White Rabbit and even Fiver.
What you need:
• A pair of bunny ears
• Wool for a tail
• White or brown t-shirt
Lion costume
Dear Zoo, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz are just some examples of our favourite lion characters. There will be nothing cuter than when your little one transforms into a big cat for World Book Day.
What you need:
• A mane (try styling your little one's hair to achieve this)
• Onesie
• Tail
Spider costume
Well, this is definitely a spin on Spiderman. If your toddler loves the Itsy Bitsy Spider nursery rhyme, Charlotte's Web, Spinderella or any other book that includes creepy crawlies, then this is the right costume for them. It can even be brought back out at Halloween.
What you'll need:
• Stripped trousers
• Long black socks - stuff them and attach to a t-shirt
• Black t-shirt
Bat costume
If your little one loves bats, there's plenty of books that feature them so why not pull out last year's Halloween costume or rustle up your own from a black bin bag? From That's not my Bat to I am Bat, raid your bookshelves for a book featuring a bat.
What you'll need:
• Black clothes
• A black bin liner cut into bat wings with sticks to keep each side rigid
• A black mask made out of felt or fabric
Pig costume
From Three Little Pigs to The Sheep-Pig, little oinkers are a hit when it comes to children's books. If you're looking to create a DIY world book day costume with little fuss, then a piggy is a great shout.
What you need:
• Pink onesies or t-shirt
• Pink curly tail - try winding a pink pipe cleaner around a bottle
• Pink nose
Do I need to make homemade costumes for world book day?
You don't have to go overboard if you do decide to make homemade costumes for World Book Day. You can just use items of clothes you have around the house, or buy a World Book Day costume for your little one if it's easier.
Rebecca Lancaster is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby, drawing on ten years of parenting her two children to help others navigating their own parenting journey. As a freelance writer, she spent ten years working with leading lifestyle brands, from travel companies to food and drink start-ups, and writing everything from hotel reviews to guides to the best British cheeses. She’s particularly interested in travel and introducing her children to the excitement of visiting new places, trying different foods (less successfully) and experiencing different cultures.