You may have these clothing items laying around waiting to be donated already. But if not, they are all items that are readily available at any thrift store.  Each clothing item should cost less than $4.

Pirate:
1) Buy a red and white striped polo-style shirt. Find one that is a little large for the child. You want it to be roomy.  Remove collar (just cut it right off, no precision needed!) Cut straight up front from bottom to top (removing any buttons at top). Make a few pairs of holes on either side of cut shirt. Lace a length of black ribbon or string (like you would lace a shoe) through the holes. Cut sleeves and bottom to be jagged. Wear over a plain white tee or tank top.

2) For pants: find too-large long black soccer style shorts. Cut them to be jagged around bottom.

3) Accessorize with sash at waist, eye patch, sword, bandana skullcap, beads, hoop earrings and scars painted on with eyeliner.

Note: Use a red and white shirt for the pirate. Black and white seems too “convict.” Red and white conveys “hearty, seafaring soul.”

Cave-person

1) Find a “larger ladies size” animal-print knit-shirt. The less ornamentation the better. It should be long enough that it hangs below the child’s bottom. Cut one entire sleeve off so that the outfit is one-shouldered. Make the bottom jagged and the remaining sleeve jagged. If the resulting effect is too billowy, you can turn it inside out and take the outfit in with simple stitching.

2) Accessorize with a bone in the hair for girls, sharks tooth necklace, dirty face and wild hair and a club made from papier mache.

I have made both of these costumes, the pirate a few years ago, the caveperson will be trick-or-treating this Halloween season.  Both just take a few minutes to make with minimal skill and sharp scissors. Even better than the low cost, they are green alternatives to buying a pre-made costume or purchasing material from a fabric store to sew something new.