School supplies are a charming and cohesive theme for family or teacher Halloween costumes. A pencil, an eraser and a notebook worn together are simple, recognizable and delightfully nostalgic.
These DIY costumes are great for last-minute plans. The pencil can be assembled from a yellow dress plus a few craft supplies. A pink onesie or romper becomes an eraser with only a fabric marker. The notebook is the quickest of all and takes just a few lines to complete—perfect for a fast, creative group costume.
Supplies Needed
For the pencil:
- Old party hat (used as a cone template)
- Tan cardstock
- Yellow cardstock
- Black marker
- Glue stick
- Elastic or ribbon (for securing the hat)
- Scissors
- Yellow dress
- Silver socks
- Pink shoes
For the eraser:
- Bubblegum-pink onesie or romper
- Black fabric marker
- Black shoes or oxfords
For the notebook:
- White t-shirt
- Blue and red fabric markers
Step-by-Step Pencil Costume Tutorial
Transform a yellow dress into a pencil with a simple cardboard cone for the point and a few accents.
- Trace the shape of an old party hat onto tan cardstock and cut it out to form the pencil’s wood section.
- On yellow cardstock, cut a strip about two inches tall from the bottom of the sheet and trim a reverse scallop along one edge for the sharpened wood look.
- Glue the yellow strip to the tan cone. Use a black marker to color the top 1–2 inches of the cone to create the pencil point.
- Form the paper cone and secure with glue or tape. Attach elastic or ribbon by poking small holes at the sides of the cone and threading the strap through, or hot-glue the elastic inside so it sits comfortably on the head.
- Wear the cone with a yellow dress, silver socks and pink shoes for the full pencil look.
Step-by-Step Eraser Tutorial
A pink onesie or romper becomes an eraser with custom lettering drawn on with a fabric marker.
- Lay the onesie flat. If helpful, slide a piece of cardboard inside to keep the fabric smooth and prevent marker bleed-through.
- Decide where you want the phrase—popular choices are “MY BAD” across the front. Practice miming the writing to estimate size before drawing.
- Use the black fabric marker to hand-letter the words. Add optional details like a name, city or the number “100” to mimic a real eraser label.
- Allow the ink to dry fully. Finish the look with black moccasins or other dark shoes.
Notebook Costume Tutorial
A white t-shirt becomes notebook paper with a few straight lines drawn in blue and a single red vertical margin.
- Use a yardstick to draw a vertical red line from the shoulder to the bottom on the left side of the shirt to mimic the margin.
- Draw evenly spaced horizontal blue lines across the shirt, about 1–2 inches apart, using the yardstick as a guide for straightness.
- Pair the shirt with jeans and white sneakers for a clean, casual notebook costume.
Photos by Jeff Mindell
These looks are simple, sweet and full of personality—perfect for a matching family or parent-child costume. If you try one of these DIY school-supply costumes, have fun personalizing the details to suit each person.