Best Little Red Riding Hood Costume Ideas You’ll Love
Our family chose the Little Red Riding Hood costume theme for our annual church trunk-or-treat and we had an absolute blast with it.
It’s our tradition each Halloween and I’m enjoying it for as long as the kids will go along with it.
I especially liked the Riding Hood theme because we already had the mask for the Big Bad Wolf from something else and I’m all about using what we already have and not spending more money.
Our family has dressed as the crew from Despicable Me, The Addams Family, and Grease to name a few and each year we make amazing memories.
Let’s jump into how we made this magical story-book tale come true for our crew.
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Little Red Riding Hood Costume Ideas
Little Red Riding Hood costumes are such a fun way to channel your inner fairy tale character!
You can keep it classic with the red cloak and basket or jazz it up with some cool accessories.
I ordered my girls’ Halloween costumes from online.
All you really. need is the red cloak. The dress underneath doesn’t matter as much. We already had the basket from our Wizard of Oz family costume so it was a score there!
Either way, you decide to go, you’ll be rocking that storybook vibe in no time!
Adult Little Red Riding Hood Costumes
There are lots of costume options for adults.
Kids Costumes
There are various choices for kids to dress as Little Red Riding Hood. This is adorable for a baby, toddler, or even an elementary school-aged child.
Big Bad Wolf Costume Ideas
We lucked out with our big bad wolf costume because I actually found the body suit at Good Will for like $2.
The mask and claws we borrowed from my Dad who loves to scare all the neighborhood kids who come to the house for Halloween so he has a plethora of frightening masks. So much son’s entire get-up was $2.
I recommend checking the costume section of your local thrift shop to see if they’ve got something that will work.
Also, don’t be afraid to explore different versions of the wolf costume, from realistic to cartoonish.
Boys Wolf Costumes
Girls Wolf Costumes
God Bless our dog Manna for briefly playing the part of the wolf dressed as Grandma!
I caught our dog, I mean the wolf dressed as grandma, mid-sneeze and it made for the perfect pic!
I loved dressing as grandma because I got to wear a comfy nightgown- in public.
Dressing as Grandma
Dressing up as Grandma for a Little Red Riding Hood family theme is a blast!
just throw on a cozy, old-fashioned dress, maybe add a frilly apron, and don’t forget the classic glasses and a sweet bonnet.
You’ll be the perfect fairy tale grandma in no time!
I chose to wear a granny nightgown that I got online. I paired it with a fake pearl necklace I used to wear for work but never do anymore.
I kept my make-up casual and put baby powder in my hair to give it the gray results I sought. I call my look “granny sexy!” Sorry, that made me laugh.
Dressing as the Lumberjack
Dressing as the lumberjack for your Little Red Riding Hood family theme is so easy you may not have to buy anything!
Just grab a flannel shirt, and some rugged jeans, and maybe add a fake axe or a big ol’ beard for that extra lumberjack look. My hubby and son were both lumberjacks. We drew my son’s beard using a brown marker which made us kind of laugh.
Make-Up Tutorial
1. Start with a Flawless Base:
- Foundation: Apply a medium to full-coverage foundation to even out your skin tone.
- Concealer: Use a concealer to brighten under your eyes and cover any blemishes or redness.
- Powder: Set everything with a translucent setting powder to keep your makeup in place throughout the day.
2. Define Your Eyes:
- Brows: Lightly fill in your brows with a brow pencil or powder to keep them natural but defined. Little Red Riding Hood should look youthful and innocent, so keep them soft and clean.
- Eyeshadow: Use soft neutral tones for a natural eye look. Apply a light beige or cream shadow all over the lid and a slightly darker shade (like soft brown) into the crease for depth. You can also add a shimmer to the inner corners to brighten your eyes.
- Mascara: Apply a coat of mascara to both your upper and lower lashes to open up the eyes and give them a fluttery, innocent look.
3. Rosy Cheeks:
- Blush: Choose a soft pink or peach blush to add a youthful, rosy glow to your cheeks.
4. Soft Lips:
- Lip Liner: Outline your lips with a natural lip liner to define your shape, but avoid anything too dark.
- Lipstick: Opt for a soft pink or coral lipstick for a fresh, innocent look. If you want to be more bold, you can also go with a classic red lipstick, which ties in with the theme of Little Red Riding Hood.
5. Optional: A Touch of Thematic Detail
- Freckles: If you want to add a whimsical touch, lightly dot some faux freckles across your nose and cheeks using a brow pencil or freckle pen.
- Scar or Bite Mark: For a slightly more adventurous twist, you could add a very subtle red lip stain or brown shadow to mimic a “bite” mark on your neck, symbolizing the wolf’s attack. (Optional for a more dramatic take on the character!)
Couples and Group Costume Ideas
We loved this for our family theme for our church’s trunk-or-treat.
If you have an even bigger group than ours you can add different forest animals to the list of costumes. Someone could dress as a fawn, a fox, or a raccoon. The list of possible animal costumes is pretty long.
I made the background for our trunk-or-treat out of plywood and some floral stick-on wallpaper I ordered from Amazon.
Hubby made me a window out of wood that I painted and put a black posterboard behind so it looked like nighttime. We added a moon and my kids colored trees.
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Trunk-or-Treat Ideas for Red Riding Hood
We thought this was such a cute idea for our church’s trunk or treat and that’s why we chose it.
I had a small fake Christmas tree that I put up during the holidays so that served as our “forest.”
My hubby made me a wooden sign that I painted showing the directions to the places in the book including Grandma’s house, the scary forest, and Lumberjack Lane.
We grabbed a quilt my actual grandma made years ago to cover the wolf posing as granny. Also my van has an outlet so we were able to plug in a delicate-looking lamp to light Granny’s bedroom.
Photography and Pose Ideas
- Pose like Little Red Riding Hood, including walking, curtsying, and being afraid.
- Consider forest and woodland settings. We took a few pictures with the thick trees in our neighborhood to make it look more like we were in a forest.
- Think about the lighting- we snapped our pics as the sun was going down because that seemed to match more of the theme of the story-book.
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Little Red Riding Hood Quotes
- “Grandmother, what big eyes you have!”
- This is one of the most famous lines from the story, spoken by Little Red Riding Hood when she notices the wolf disguised as her grandmother.
- “All the better to see you with, my dear.”
- The wolf’s response to Little Red Riding Hood’s observation about his large eyes, signifying his cunning.
- “Grandmother, what big ears you have!”
- Another part of the iconic dialogue between Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf. It highlights how the wolf is attempting to pass himself off as the grandmother.
- “All the better to hear you with, my dear.”
- The wolf’s reply, continuing the series of exchanges with Little Red Riding Hood, each response more menacing than the last.
- “Grandmother, what big teeth you have!”
- This final line before the wolf reveals his true identity, adding tension to the story.
- “All the better to eat you with, my dear!”
- The wolf’s chilling reply to Little Red Riding Hood’s final question before he reveals his intentions.
- “But the wolf had no intention of letting her go.”
- A line from various versions of the story, indicating the wolf’s predatory nature.
- “Little Red Riding Hood, you must not talk to strangers.”
- A moral lesson often included in retellings of the story, reminding children about the dangers of trusting unfamiliar people.
- “The woods are dangerous, Little Red, you must be careful.”
- A warning given to Little Red Riding Hood by her mother, showing the importance of being cautious.
- “Don’t stray from the path, my dear, and you will be safe.”
- Another piece of advice given by Little Red’s mother before she sets out, emphasizing the importance of following instructions.
Conclusion
If you decide to go with this costume I hope you embrace your creativity and have fun bringing this fairy tale to life.
P.S. – as you can tell from the pic below, it would appear Little Red Riding Hood did get the best of the big bad wolf in the end!
Hi I’m Erica! TV news anchor and mom to 4 littles. I’m obsessed with creating those “wow” moments in life through crafting at home, cool travel adventures and special celebrations with loved ones. Thanks for joining me on this adventure!
