20 Airplane Costume Ideas You Can Buy or DIY

Most aviation costumes make you the pilot. These make you the plane. A wing across your shoulders and a propeller on your chest says “airplane” before you say a word.

The idea works at every size, from a baby romper with soft tulle wings to an inflatable suit with a 6-foot (1.8 m) wingspan. Some of the builds below are store-bought, some take an afternoon with cardboard and paint, and a few take twenty minutes with felt and glue.

The 20 ideas start with the easiest wearable planes, then cover babies and toddlers, big builds for adults, aircraft types from biplane to jet, and group looks. If you would rather be the crew, see our pilot costume ideas, our flight attendant costume ideas or the broader aviation Halloween costume ideas.

01. The Cardboard Box Airplane With Shoulder Straps

What it is A shipping box cut into a fuselage with the top and bottom removed, worn from the shoulders on two webbing straps. A flat cardboard wing, about 36 inches (90 cm) across, slides through slots in the sides, and a tail fin is taped or glued on the back.

Why it works The wing sticks out on both sides, so everyone reads it as a plane at once. It is also the cheapest costume on this list and the easiest to make bigger or smaller.

How to get it Pick a box roughly 18 by 14 inches (45 by 35 cm) for a child and add a foot of width for a teen. Cut the wing from a flattened second box, paint everything white and add windows with a marker. Use soft webbing straps rather than string, which digs in, and tape every raw cardboard edge.

02. The Inflatable Airplane Suit for Adults

What it is A full-body suit with a fan in a back pocket that keeps the airplane shape inflated. The wings stretch to about 6 feet (1.8 m) across, and the suit has openings for your legs and arms so you can walk, though not through narrow doors.

Why it works It is the biggest laugh per minute of effort on the list, and it gets photographed at every party. Nothing else makes you look like you are flying in a crowd.

How to get it Search for a battery-powered inflatable airplane costume and check the fan runs on AA or a USB pack you can swap. Test it at home first, because most suits take a minute to fill and deflate fast if the fan stops. Plan for a sit-down break, since the suit is tall and awkward on stairs and in cars.

03. The Baby Airplane Romper With Tulle Wings

What it is A cotton romper with a pair of soft tulle or felt wings sewn at the back and a felt propeller on the chest. A cap with ear flaps and a pair of booties usually finish the set.

Why it works Babies cannot object to a costume, so comfort is the whole design. Soft wings that lie flat mean the baby can nap in the car seat without a stiff frame in the way.

How to get it Choose a romper with snaps at the crotch for diaper changes and a size up so it fits over a long-sleeve base layer. Sew the wings on with a few stitches in the back, not a stiff plastic frame. Skip small buttons or glued-on pieces that a baby could pull loose and put in their mouth.

04. The Toddler Propeller Plane With Felt Wings

What it is A solid-color long-sleeve top with felt wings stitched or glued along the arms, a round felt propeller on the chest and a short felt tail on the back of the trousers. Stripes or stars on the wings add detail.

Why it works The wings are attached to the arms, so a toddler flaps and spins instead of tripping over a big prop. It stays on a moving two-year-old, which a cardboard wing rarely does.

How to get it Cut the wings from stiff craft felt, then glue them to the sleeves with fabric glue and add a few stitches at the shoulder. Keep the propeller flat so it never pokes anyone in the face. Add a pull-on cap or a headband so the costume still reads as a plane when the top comes off.

05. The Wagon Airplane for Trick-or-Treating

What it is A standard kids’ wagon wrapped in cardboard and foam to look like an airplane, with a rounded nose over the front, a wing across the sides and a tail fin at the back. The child rides in the middle in a matching cap.

Why it works It saves small legs on a long Halloween route and gives parents something to hold on to. The wagon handles the bulk, so the child stays comfortable.

How to get it Build the shell from lightweight foam board rather than thick cardboard, and tape it to the wagon sides with duct tape. Keep the wings narrower than the wagon plus a foot so they clear mailboxes and doors. Add reflective tape to the tail and wings for after dark.

06. The Stroller Airplane for Babies and Toddlers

What it is A fabric cover that slips over the stroller frame, with a rounded nose, felt wings along each side and a tail fin on the canopy. Round window shapes along the sides complete the fuselage.

Why it works Parents get a costume that does not involve getting a baby to wear anything. The cover keeps out wind and drizzle, which matters more than the plane at a late October event.

How to get it Cut the cover from a bedsheet or a lightweight white curtain and attach it with velcro or safety pins to the stroller. Keep wings flat against the frame so they cannot catch the wheels. Leave the baby’s face and the stroller’s brakes clear at all times.

07. The Wearable Biplane With Two Sets of Wings

What it is A pair of lightweight wing frames, one above the other and joined with short struts, worn from the shoulders on webbing. The frame is covered in fabric or paper, and a small propeller sits on the chest.

Why it works A Piper J-3 Cub style monoplane has one wing, but a biplane has two stacked one above the other, and that shape is instantly recognizable. It is the most vintage plane on this list and pairs well with a leather helmet.

How to get it Build the frame from lightweight foam board or craft dowels, not metal, and keep each wing under about 30 inches (75 cm) wide so you can sit. Cover the wings with fabric, paint on stripes and add the propeller on the chest. Wear it with goggles and a scarf for a barnstormer look.

08. The Fighter Jet With a Shark Mouth Nose

What it is A gray jumpsuit or shirt with a pointed nose cone worn on the chest, swept-back foam wings and twin tail fins on the back. A shark mouth with white teeth and a red lip is painted on the nose.

Why it works The swept wings and pointed nose separate a jet, like the F-14 Tomcat from the Top Gun films, from a propeller plane at a glance. The shark mouth is a real nose-art tradition on military aircraft and gives a gray costume a face.

How to get it Cut the nose cone from lightweight foam, paint it and fix it to the chest with a harness. Make the wings from stiff foam board and attach them with velcro at the shoulders so you can remove them for dinner. Add a gray helmet and aviator sunglasses to finish the look.

09. The Paper Airplane Costume

What it is A large folded arrowhead of white poster board or stiff fabric with a center crease, two angled wings and visible fold lines. Straps inside hold it on the shoulders so it hangs at the front like a folded sheet.

Why it works It is a plane that anyone who has ever sat in a classroom understands, and it photographs cleanly against a plain wall. It also costs almost nothing.

How to get it Use two sheets of white foam board taped along a center crease, then score the fold lines with a ruler and a dull knife. Draw lines and doodles with a fine marker for the paper look. Attach shoulder straps with strong tape and add a headband in the same white.

10. The Jumbo Jet With a Row of Windows

What it is A long white tube worn from the shoulders, with a rounded nose, a row of round windows along each side and a thin stripe under them. Swept wings sit at the middle and a tall tail fin at the back.

Why it works The window row says airliner faster than any logo could, whether you picture a Boeing 747 or a small regional jet. It is also the only costume on the list where friends can stick their heads out as passengers.

How to get it Build the tube from a lightweight cardboard drum or a white fabric tunnel stretched over hoops. Cut or paint the windows as dark blue ovals and add a stripe in any color you like. Skip real airline logos and liveries, and invent your own stripe pattern instead.

11. The Helicopter With a Rotor Hat

What it is A yellow shirt or jumpsuit with a round cockpit bubble on the chest, a tail boom attached at the back and a hat carrying two rotor blades on a short mast. A smaller blade at the end of the tail boom completes it.

Why it works A helicopter is the one aircraft that hovers, so a spinning hat gives the costume a motion no plane has. It stands out in a group of fixed-wing costumes.

How to get it Make the rotor from two craft foam strips on a short dowel in a headband or hat, which spins if you use a bead or a washer as a bearing. Keep the blades under 20 inches (50 cm) each and soft at the tips. Attach the tail boom with a belt so it does not swing into people.

12. The Ride-On Airplane on Suspenders

What it is A small plane shape with a hole in the middle for the waist, held up by two suspenders. The wearer wears a pilot jacket and cap above it, so the airplane seems to carry them along.

Why it works It is the same trick as the T-rex and horse ride-on costumes, applied to a plane. You get a pilot and a plane in one outfit, so it fits a group costume too.

How to get it Cut the plane from foam board with a waist hole of about 14 inches (35 cm) across and wrap the edge with felt. Attach red suspenders with sturdy brass clips or a loop of strapping, then put the plane at hip height. Add a pilot cap and a scarf above, and wear dark trousers to hide your legs.

13. The Light-Up Night Flight Airplane

What it is A dark navy airplane costume with small battery LED strips along the wing tips, the tail and the window row. Red goes on the left wing tip, green on the right and white on the tail, matching the lights real aircraft carry.

Why it works Real aircraft carry a red light on the left wing tip and a green one on the right, and a light-up costume borrows that detail. It is also the only costume on this list that is genuinely visible on a dark street.

How to get it Buy a battery LED fairy light strand and tape it along the wing edges with clear tape. Use colored cellophane over white LEDs to get red and green, and keep the battery pack in a pocket. Test the lights in a dark room and carry a spare battery pack.

14. The Foam Wings and Nose Cone Headpiece

What it is A foam or felt hat shaped like an airplane nose with a small propeller on the front and short wings sticking out at the sides. A plain tee in sky blue or white goes underneath.

Why it works It is a costume you can wear to a dinner or an office party and take off later. It is also the lowest-effort way to get a plane in a group photo.

How to get it Build the hat from a baseball cap or a headband, a foam ball cut in half for the nose and craft foam for the wings. Glue them on with hot glue, then add a dot of paint for rivets. Wear it with a matching tee, shorts or jeans and white sneakers.

15. The Pool Float Floatplane

What it is A waist-worn pool ring painted or covered as the fuselage, with a pair of short wings across the sides, two long foam floats underneath and a small tail fin at the back. It is a plane that lands on water instead of a runway.

Why it works A floatplane lands on water using floats instead of wheels, which makes it a natural pool-party and beach costume. It also floats if you jump in.

How to get it Start from an inflatable ring you can step into and cover it with felt. Cut the wings and floats from pool noodles and hot-glue the pieces together with a waterproof glue. Test the whole thing in shallow water before you rely on it, and never use it as a life jacket.

16. The Banner-Towing Plane With a Message

What it is A small yellow plane worn at the chest with short wings, and a long banner trailing behind on a cord from the tail. The banner is a strip of white fabric, about 6 feet (1.8 m) long.

Why it works Banner-towing planes are a summer sight over beaches, and the costume turns a plane into a message board. It works as a birthday, a pun or an inside joke.

How to get it Sew a rod pocket into the banner’s top edge and put a light dowel through it so the message stays flat. Write on it with a fabric marker. Fix the cord to a loop on the back and hold the end with a hand loop so the banner never drags under feet.

17. The Glider With Pool Noodle Wings

What it is A slim white body with extremely long, narrow wings built from pool noodles joined over a light pole. A small T-shaped tail sits at the back, and a bubble canopy shape goes on the chest.

Why it works Gliders have the longest wings relative to their body of any aircraft, and the costume gets the same look cheaply. It is also the lightest wing on this list.

How to get it Cut the noodles to equal lengths and thread them on a light fiberglass or PVC pole with a hole through each. Keep the whole span under 5 feet (1.5 m) so it fits through doorways. If the group asks how it stays up, point them to how gliders fly.

18. The WWII-Style Bomber With Painted Nose Art

What it is An olive jumpsuit or box body with wide straight wings, four small propellers and a rounded nose panel. A hand-painted nose art picture sits on the front, such as a cartoon animal or a name in script.

Why it works Aircrews painted nose art on the front of bombers like the B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II, and the picture gave each plane a personality. The painted panel is the one detail that sets the costume apart.

How to get it Cut the propellers from craft foam and attach them to the wing edges with brads so they spin. Paint your own nose art on a foam panel with acrylics, and avoid real squadron markings or names. Pair it with a bomber jacket or a leather flight cap for the crew, or see more looks in our Top Gun costume ideas.

19. The No-Sew Felt Wing T-Shirt

What it is A plain tee with wide felt wings glued along the sleeves, a round felt propeller on the chest and a small tail on the hem. Felt sheets, fabric glue and scissors are the whole shopping list.

Why it works It is the quickest handmade costume here, with no sewing machine and no cardboard bulk. It also washes, so it works as a regular tee afterward.

How to get it Cut the wings from two felt sheets and glue them to the sleeves with fabric glue. Let the glue dry for a full day, because wet felt peels. Add a felt propeller on the chest and wear it over jeans for an instant plane.

20. The Family Set: Plane, Pilot and Control Tower

What it is A three-person group: the child as an airplane, one parent as the pilot and the other as the control tower. The tower is a gray outfit with a headset and a cardboard tower hat with a green light on top.

Why it works Each costume only makes full sense with the others, so the family stays together in photos and in the street. It also lets the plane get the attention while the adults stay low-effort.

How to get it Dress the pilot with a navy jacket, a cap and a wing pin, and make the tower from a tall box with cut-out windows. Add a headset and a green LED for the light. For more pilot looks, browse our pilot costume guide.

Whichever you choose, test the costume at home first. Sit, walk through a door and climb a step before the night starts, because a wing that does not clear a doorway ends the evening early.

Pick the plane you want to be, then work out which build fits your skills and your budget. A wing, a propeller and a good sense of humor are enough to get off the ground.