Toy Story is one of the easiest films to dress a whole household from, because every toy is built from flat blocks of colour and one or two signature details. The roster runs from Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Rex and Hamm to later arrivals like Forky, Ducky, Bunny, Duke Caboom and Giggle McDimples. Almost all of them start from a hoodie, a T-shirt or a pair of jeans, so thrifted clothes, felt, cardboard and a little face paint do most of the work. Below are forty characters and pairings, each with clothes, hair, makeup, a prop and shoes you can actually walk in.
How I Attach Felt Toy Details Without Sewing
Nearly every costume below relies on felt shapes stuck to an ordinary hoodie or T-shirt: Woody's cow spots, Rex's spikes, the Potato Heads' faces, Jessie's yoke. How you attach them decides whether they're still on at the end of the night and whether the clothes survive afterwards.
- Hot glue is fast but brittle. It peels off stretchy knits as soon as the fabric flexes, and it lets go in cold air, so I keep it for cardboard and foam props only.
- Fabric glue holds felt to cotton well once it has cured overnight. It stays flexible, but it won't come off, so use it only on clothes you're happy to give to the costume.
- Iron-on adhesive web is my choice for cotton sweatshirts. Fuse it to the felt first, then press the shape on. Synthetic felt can melt under a hot iron, so use a pressing cloth.
- Safety pins or a few large hand stitches are the answer when the shirt has to go back into the wardrobe. They take ten minutes and leave no trace.
- Velcro dots suit anything you want to swap, like the Potato Head faces, but the sticky-back kind needs a few stitches on knits or it creeps off.
Felt also sheds and pills when it rubs, so I put the big pieces where they won't brush against a seatbelt or a bag strap. If a child will wear it, run your hand over the inside of the garment for pins and hard glue ridges before they put it on.
1. Woody Cowboy Costume
Woody is mostly a yellow plaid shirt, straight-leg jeans and a cow-print vest, and the vest is the piece I'd make rather than buy, because felt cut in a simple front-and-back shape takes about an hour and needs no hemming. Add a red bandana, brown cowboy hat, sheriff badge and a wide belt with a big buckle. Brown cowboy boots give the Western shape, though plain ankle boots are kinder for a long walk. A cardboard pull-string ring at the back is the detail that turns a cowboy into a toy. Write the name on the sole of one boot with removable tape, never marker, if the boots belong to anyone who'll want them back.
2. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Costume
Buzz starts with white pants and a fitted white sweatshirt or tracksuit, then a green foam chest panel with purple trim and a row of coloured buttons. I cut that chest panel from craft foam rather than card because it bends with the body when you sit. Purple gloves, a snug purple hood and white sneakers carry the colours top to bottom. Foam-board wings on backpack straps come off in seconds indoors, and I'd leave the clear dome helmet at home for a crowded party; it fogs and narrows your view. A touch of silver liner is plenty for makeup.
3. Jessie Cowgirl Costume
Jessie reads from her shirt first: white with yellow shoulder panels and red Western trim. I make those panels as felt pieces held on with fabric tape or a few hand stitches, so the shirt and jeans go back into the wardrobe in November. Cow-print chaps, a red hat, a wide belt with a gold-toned buckle and brown boots do the rest. A long red braid tied with yellow ribbon matters more than the hat, so if dye isn't an option, a braided wig is worth it. Rosy cheeks, light freckles and a fabric pull-string loop at the back finish the toy effect.
4. Classic Bo Peep Costume
Classic Bo Peep is a pink polka-dot dress with a fitted bodice, puff sleeves and a full knee-length skirt, worn over white bloomers or leggings. A wide pink bonnet and a light blue sash frame her, with soft blonde curls or a curled wig tucked under the brim. I'd skip a hoop skirt unless you're standing all night, because hoops flip up the moment you sit or squeeze into a car. A painted cardboard tube or foam pipe makes a crook light enough to carry for hours. White tights and low pink flats keep it comfortable.
5. Adventure Bo Peep Costume
Adventure Bo Peep is the version I steer people toward if they'll be outdoors or chasing kids. Start with a pale blue sleeveless jumpsuit, or a fitted top with cropped pants, and tie a detachable pink cape at the shoulders. White fabric strips wrapped around the forearms and a wide pink sash give her the layered shape. A high side ponytail with a pink bow, or a short blonde wig, sets the hair. Pale blue ballet flats or soft ankle boots and a light blue crook mean you can move freely all evening.
6. Forky Craft Toy Costume
Forky is the fastest build on this list and the most forgiving, since he's supposed to look homemade. White long-sleeve top and pants form the stick, and a white cap or headband carries the big red felt eyebrow and mismatched cardboard eyes. Keep the red pipe-cleaner scarf loose and well clear of the face, especially on a small child. Red gloves, a rainbow strip across the chest and brown shoe covers shaped like a craft-stick base finish him. A wobbly blue smile in face paint is better slightly crooked.
7. Little Green Alien Costume
The little green aliens need three things to read: green head to toe, three eyes and a single antenna. A green sweatshirt, joggers and sneakers or shoe covers cover the first, with a blue belt or purple collar for the toy's colour blocking. I build the eyes on a padded headband instead of a full mask, because masks get hot and kids pull them off within twenty minutes. Skin-safe green face paint, rounded brows and a wide smile do the face. These look best in multiples, so if you have three or more people, dress everyone the same and let each one hold a different pose.
8. Rex Dinosaur Costume
Rex is comfortable because he's really just a green hoodie and sweatpants. Soft felt triangles run down the hood and back, a light green felt belly panel goes on the front, and a stuffed tail attaches with Velcro so it comes off for the car. I always use felt or foam for the spikes, never card, since anything stiff jabs the person sitting next to you. White fabric teeth around the hood edge make the dinosaur face. Green sneakers or claw shoe covers and a small game controller are all the extras he needs.
9. Hamm Piggy Bank Costume
Hamm starts with a pink sweatshirt, pink leggings or joggers and matching sneakers. A soft oval snout on a headband, or one painted on with darker nostrils, small felt ears and a curled fabric tail all say pig. The coin slot is what says piggy bank, so put a grey cardboard slot flat across the upper back where it won't bend when you lean against a chair. Black hoof mittens and a pink beanie over the hair finish him. Oversized cardboard coins live in a belt pouch when you need your hands.
10. Slinky Dog Couple Costume
Slinky Dog takes two people and one connector, and the connector is where this costume succeeds or fails. Both wear brown shirts, brown pants, floppy ear headbands and brown shoes; the front person adds the snout, yellow belly panel and red collar, the back person wears the tail. A silver fabric tube or painted flexible coil joins them at the belts. I fix it with quick-release clips at both ends, because stairs, bathrooms and crowded rooms all need you to come apart. Walk a lap of the house together beforehand so you learn how much slack you need.
11. Mr. Potato Head Costume
Mr. Potato Head is a brown tunic or oversized brown T-shirt covered in removable felt features: big white eyes, a pink nose, black moustache, red ears and a smile. Blue pants, white gloves and blue sneakers or shoe covers go underneath, with a small black bowler hat on top. Velcro dots are the clever part. Stick the soft side on the tunic and the hook side on the features, and you can rearrange his face all night. A back pocket labelled for spare parts holds the extras.
12. Mrs. Potato Head Costume
Mrs. Potato Head uses the same rounded brown tunic, this time over a long-sleeve top and leggings. Her features are oversized felt eyes with lashes, red lips, a pink nose and detachable ears, and the white hat with a yellow flower is her signature. Pull the hair back under the hat so nothing covers the felt face. White gloves, red shoes and a small red handbag finish her, and a pouch of spare felt expressions gives her a running joke. She stands up fine alone, though she makes most sense next to her husband.
13. Bullseye Horse Costume
Bullseye is one I'd hand to a younger child first, since a soft brown hooded jumpsuit or sweatshirt and pants is about as comfortable as costumes get. Add a tan belly panel, rounded ears, a dark yarn mane and a stuffed tail. Put the felt horse face on the hood so the child's own face stays visible, with a bit of brown paint on the nose. The red fabric-and-foam saddle belts around the waist rather than hanging from the shoulders, which drags. Keep the tail short enough that it won't snag in doorways on the trick-or-treat route.
14. Lotso Strawberry Bear Costume
Lotso is a dusty pink hoodie and sweatpants with a pale cream belly panel and round ears on the hood. Pink mittens, fuzzy shoe covers and a small stuffed tail make him plush. Draw the bear mouth with skin-safe makeup and add pink blush across the cheeks and nose. A strawberry-shaped bag nods to his scent without overdoing it. Fleece gets hot fast indoors, so for a party I'd swap to a pink T-shirt and light pants and keep the hood and ears.
15. Tour Guide Barbie Costume
Tour Guide Barbie lives or dies on how polished she looks. A bright blue fitted dress, or a matching blouse and skirt, with a neck scarf, slim belt and small name badge sets the uniform. A smooth high ponytail with curled ends is the hair; a clip-in ponytail works if yours won't hold. Pointed flats are kinder than blue pumps for a long night. Oversized pearl earrings, a structured mini handbag and a cardboard store directory push it from office wear into costume.
16. Ken Safari Costume
Ken's safari outfit is a light blue short-sleeve shirt tucked into matching shorts, a leopard-print scarf and a wide utility belt. Tall white socks with light blue loafers or sneakers give the retro shape. Short hair combed into a firm side sweep, held with plenty of gel, mimics a moulded doll head better than a wig does. Binoculars or a folded cardboard park map are better props than anything bulky. If it's cold, blue leggings under the shorts keep the colour block intact.
17. Duke Caboom Stunt Costume
Duke Caboom is all about the cape and the moustache. Start with a white jumpsuit or a white jacket and pants, add red maple-leaf patches and stripes, and finish with a flowing white cape edged in red. A wide red belt and white gloves continue the stunt look. Use costume facial-hair adhesive for the horseshoe moustache and test it on the inner wrist the day before; some people react to it. High-top sneakers are lighter than motorcycle boots, and a cape that stops above the ankle won't end up under someone's foot.
18. Gabby Gabby Doll Costume
Gabby Gabby needs a vintage yellow dress with a full skirt, short sleeves and white buttons, with a lace collar or white blouse under it if the neckline is plain. White socks and polished black Mary Janes give the old-fashioned doll finish. Two curled red pigtails tied with yellow bows are the hair, and the curls hold longer if you set them the night before. A soft tulle petticoat adds volume without the scratch of stiff net. Round rosy cheeks and a painted doll lip finish her face.
19. Ducky Plush Costume
Ducky is easy to spot because he's so yellow. A yellow hoodie and joggers take an orange chest panel and small wings under the sleeves, and a soft orange beak with a fluffy tuft sits on the hood. Orange tights or shoe covers carry the colour to the feet. I'd avoid loose craft feathers altogether; they shed on every couch you sit on and make some kids itch. Fleece or brushed fabric gives the same plush look and survives a whole night.
20. Bunny Plush Costume
Bunny is the blue half of the carnival pair: a blue hoodie, matching pants and a pale green belly panel. Long floppy ears with green insides, a small blue tail and paw mittens make him read as a stuffed prize. For a child, make the ears from fabric with a little fusible stiffener rather than wire, which pokes through. Blue eye shadow, a pink nose and whisker dots keep the face simple. If you pair him with Ducky, use the same fabric weight for both so the two read as a set.
21. Giggle McDimples Officer Costume
Giggle McDimples is a compact officer in blue and purple. A fitted blue jacket with a purple collar, blue pants or a skirt over leggings and ankle boots form the uniform, with a little cap and badge and a light foam utility belt. A tidy dark bob or short smooth wig sits under the cap. Violet eye shadow and a glossy pink lip are enough makeup. She's tiny in the film, so she's clearest standing beside an Adventure Bo Peep, and for a child keep every badge rounded.
22. Combat Carl Action Figure Costume
Combat Carl is an all-camouflage look: green utility shirt, cargo pants, lace-up boots and a soft vest with empty pockets. A green headband and fingerless gloves make it toy soldier rather than real kit. I swap any weapon for a cardboard walkie-talkie, which also keeps school and party rules happy. A cardboard backing on backpack straps makes him look like a figure still in the box, and it's a good laugh. A few stripes of green and brown paint on the cheeks are enough.
23. Green Army Man Costume
The Green Army Man depends on one matte green covering everything visible: shirt, cargo pants, gloves, boots and helmet. Washable skin-safe green paint goes on the face and neck, and cream paint will transfer onto the collar unless you press setting powder over it. The oval base is the toy detail, but strapping foam board to the shoes is a trip hazard, so carry it as a prop. Binoculars, a radio or a green flag replace weapons. A group of these frozen in different poses is very funny in photos.
24. Stinky Pete Prospector Costume
Stinky Pete is a red shirt, blue overalls, a yellow neckerchief, a brown vest, a wide-brim hat and work boots. A soft white beard and bushy brows come from costume hair or face paint. Carry a foam pick sign or cardboard mining pan instead of a real tool. His collector's box is the joke, so build a narrow cardboard package frame on shoulder straps and measure it against a doorway before you decorate it. Brown eye shadow brushed lightly onto the clothes ages him, though loose powder will mark furniture.
25. Emperor Zurg Robot Costume
Zurg is the one costume here where height and bulk help. A purple tunic, pants and black boots go under a structured red cape and a silver foam chest plate with yellow details. Foam forearm cuffs and gloves bulk up the arms without weight. Make sure the purple hood or helmet leaves full side vision, since that's the first thing to go with big headpieces. A cardboard control panel or glowing battery pack replaces a blaster, and he's at his best standing next to a Buzz.
26. Wheezy Penguin Costume
Wheezy is a black hoodie and pants with a large white belly panel, soft black wings along the sleeves and a penguin hood with white eye patches and a little yellow beak. The red bow tie is the single most important detail, so make it big. Yellow sneakers or shoe covers suggest webbed feet without the wobble of real flippers. A foam or cardboard microphone nods to his singing. Fleece looks more plush, but cotton is far cooler if the party is indoors.
27. Mr. Pricklepants Hedgehog Costume
Mr. Pricklepants is a theatrical woodland gentleman: green vest, white shirt, brown shorts, red neck scarf, brown tights and dark shoes. The hedgehog texture comes from a light hood or cape covered in rounded brown felt points, never hard plastic spikes. Small ears and a painted dark nose finish the animal. A tiny cardboard script is the right prop for a hedgehog who takes acting seriously. He belongs in a Bonnie's-toys group with Dolly, Buttercup and Trixie.
28. Trixie Blue Dinosaur Costume
Trixie is a blue triceratops built on a blue hoodie and pants, with a pale blue belly panel glued or sewn on the front. The frill and three rounded horns go on the hood, and I make the frill from craft foam because cardboard creases the first time you lean back. A padded tail and blue claw covers over sneakers finish the body. Braid long hair and tuck it into the hoodie. A game controller is her prop, and a soft headpiece is far easier to sit and travel in.
29. Buttercup Unicorn Costume
Buttercup is a white unicorn with gold and pink touches. A white hoodie, leggings and sneakers form the base, with a gold horn, round ears and a fluffy yellow mane on the hood, a pink heart nose and a small tail. White shows every mark, so I'd dress last and keep a stain pen in a pocket. Pink blush and small gold stars around the eyes make a cheerful face. Light layers beat a plush jumpsuit indoors.
30. Dolly Rag Doll Costume
Dolly is perfect for thrift-store pieces, since she's meant to look handmade. A purple dress with patchwork panels, a yellow collar and mismatched buttons sits over striped tights and flat purple or red shoes. For hair, stitch red or orange yarn loops to a soft cap and tie them into two short pigtails. Temporary adhesive holds the extra patches on the skirt and sleeves. Uneven patterns help here, so don't fuss over matching.
31. Benson Dummy Costume
Benson can stay theatrical without tipping into horror. A black suit, white shirt, red bow tie, polished black shoes and white gloves form his formal toy-box look. Smooth brown hair into a sharp side part. The dummy face is all in the makeup: round rosy cheeks, defined brows and two thin lines from the mouth corners toward the jaw. Keep those lines soft for a family crowd, and stand him next to Gabby Gabby so people get it.
32. Chuckles Clown Costume
Chuckles is a sad, faded clown rather than a circus one. A pale blue jumpsuit or loose shirt and pants with simple yellow and red shapes, a small red ruffled collar, soft red shoes and a tiny blue hat set him up. A tufted red wig or temporary red hair colour gives the clown hair. Use white face paint lightly and keep the brows gently downturned, which is what makes him Chuckles. Soft patches and slightly washed-out colours make him look like a well-loved old toy.
33. Big Baby Doll Costume
Big Baby is an oversized yellow romper over a white long-sleeve shirt and leggings, with a pastel bib, white socks and soft shoes. A bald cap only works if it fits snugly; a loose one wrinkles at the forehead, so a yellow bonnet over slicked-back hair is the easier choice. Rosy cheeks, light freckles and a small pink lip make the doll face. Adults can wear a giant pacifier on a ribbon. Give children a flat decorative one that never goes in the mouth.
34. Etch A Sketch Costume
The Etch A Sketch is a red box costume, and lightweight foam board is the right material because cardboard soaks up paint and warps. Cut a large frame with generous openings for head and arms, add a grey screen panel and two big white knobs at the lower corners. A red long-sleeve shirt, black pants and red sneakers go underneath. Cover the screen with clear plastic and you can draw new pictures on it with a dry-erase marker all night. Adjustable shoulder straps should keep the bottom edge above the knees.
35. Lenny Binoculars Costume
Lenny is a craft project more than an outfit. A blue sweatshirt, pants and sneakers are the base, and two blue cardboard cylinders joined across the chest make the binoculars, with big eyes on the front. Hang them from backpack straps, never from the neck, which gets sore within an hour. A blue cap ties the head in. Check the width against a doorway before you glue anything.
36. RC Toy Car Costume
RC is a green toy car worn around the waist. A green shirt, dark pants and green sneakers go underneath, and a lightweight cardboard body painted green with blue trim, eyes and black wheels hangs from adjustable shoulder straps so the hands stay free. Flat foam wheels won't catch on furniture the way cardboard discs do. A green cap and blue sunglasses pushed up on the head finish him. A friend holding a cardboard remote makes it a pair.
37. Pizza Planet Delivery Driver Costume
The Pizza Planet driver is the costume for the relative who refuses foam and face paint. A white T-shirt with a hand-painted red and yellow space pizza logo, dark jeans, a red cap and black sneakers are the uniform. Fabric paint or iron-on transfer will survive better than marker, which bleeds. An empty pizza box decorated with planets is the prop, and a name tag and red apron help. Put him next to a little green alien and the joke lands right away.
38. Woody And Buzz Couple Costume
Woody and Buzz are my first suggestion for a pair who want something everyone will name, because the cowboy-and-spaceman contrast is so clear. One wears the plaid shirt, cow-print vest, jeans, bandana, hat and boots; the other wears the white tracksuit, green and purple foam armour, gloves, wings and white sneakers. Keep the makeup at the same level on both faces, bright and lightly defined, so one doesn't look more finished than the other. Hats and wings should come off for the car. Add the pull-string and control-panel details to tie them together.
39. Jessie And Bo Peep Duo Costume
Jessie and Bo Peep make a good pair because their silhouettes are so different: chaps and a hat against a cape and a crook. Jessie wears the white Western shirt, cow-print chaps, jeans, red braid, red hat and brown boots. Bo Peep wears the pale blue jumpsuit, pink cape, blonde side ponytail, white arm wraps and blue flats. Give Bo softer pink makeup and Jessie warmer freckles. Pin the capes and hats securely so they don't tangle when the two stand close for photos.
40. Toy Story Family Group Costume
For a family, Woody, Buzz, Jessie and a little green alien give you four characters that each stand alone and still look like one group. Dress one in Woody's shirt, vest, jeans, hat and boots, another in Buzz's white, green and purple with removable wings, a third in Jessie's chaps, red hat and braid, and the youngest walker as the alien. Babies make sweet Forkys or Bullseyes. Rex, Hamm and Bo Peep absorb any extra relatives. Repeating one colour across accessories, like a red bandana on Woody and a red bow on the alien, is what pulls the family together.
Casting the Whole Family From One Toy Box
The hardest part of a family Toy Story group is rarely the sewing. It's matching characters to people so everyone is comfortable and the set still looks deliberate.
Give the youngest the softest toys
Toddlers and babies do best in a single hoodie-based costume with nothing on the head that ties: Forky, Bullseye, Rex, Ducky or Bunny. Anything with a frame, wings or a long cape belongs to older kids and adults, who can be trusted to take it off before climbing into the car.
Let the reluctant adult be the driver
Every family has one person who won't wear face paint. The Pizza Planet driver, Woody or Stinky Pete let them join in with ordinary clothes and a hat, and the group still reads as one film.
Pick one era of the films
Mixing classic Bo Peep with Adventure Bo Peep, or Bonnie's toys with Andy's, can confuse people looking at a group photo. I'd choose one era and cast inside it, then repeat a single shared colour, usually the red of Woody's bandana and Jessie's hat, somewhere on every person.
Wings, Box Frames and Car Bodies in a Crowd
Buzz's wings, the Etch A Sketch, RC, Lenny and the collector-box frames are the costumes people remember, and they're also the ones that come home broken. A few habits make a real difference.
- Measure the widest point and compare it with your narrowest doorway before you decorate. Trimming a painted frame is miserable.
- Hang every structure from two padded shoulder straps, never from the neck or a single strap, so the weight sits evenly.
- Keep the bottom edge above the knee. Anything lower hits the thighs on every step and makes stairs dangerous.
- Pack clear tape and a few spare straps in a bag. A loose wing or popped strap is a two-minute fix if you have them with you.
- If rain is forecast, seal cardboard with a coat of clear sealer or wrap the edges in packing tape, because damp card softens and sags within an hour.
The Toy Box Characters I'd Sew First
Start with each toy's main colours and shape, then add hair, makeup, shoes and one light prop. Felt, foam board, thrifted clothes and removable adhesive will get you through nearly every character here without much sewing. Woody, Jessie, Buzz and Bo Peep are the easiest solo picks, and the side characters are where couples and families have the most fun. Keep masks breathable, capes short and anything cardboard quick to take off, and the costumes will last the whole night.
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