7 free World Book Day costumes: Ideas that are free for World Book Day 2025

Shopping and money-saving expert at MyVoucherCodes.co.uk Sarah-Jane Outten says there are plenty of ways to whip up a costume for free – but there are also bargain outfits available at supermarkets for around a tenner.

Sarah-Jane Outten is a mum-of-three so she has plenty of experience at getting her kids ready for World Book Day, the annual celebration of books and reading – and, although it can feel competitive, you don’t have to break the bank by splashing out on a costume.

Sarah-Jane says: “We all want our kids to enjoy World Book Day, but it can be very stressful for parents who are often pushed for time. But don’t be tempted to spend money on a costume you may only wear once before checking to see if you’ve got anything you could utilise for free. There are many ways to make a costume work - and you don’t need to be a sewing expert.”

No-sew ideas:

• Matilda: Find a blue dress, a pair of white socks, and give them a book to carry. Add a red ribbon and they are good to go.
• Harry Potter: All you need is a white shirt, black trousers/skirt, and a tie. Then draw a lightning bolt scar with eyeliner.
• Paddington Bear: If your child is a fan of the loveable bear from darkest Peru, you will need a duffle coat, a soft black hat, red welly boots, an old suitcase and of course a marmalade sandwich.
• The Big Bad Wolf (Little Red Riding Hood): Put them in grey or black clothes, make wolf ears from paper or card, and draw a black nose with eyeliner.
• Charlie Bucket (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory): Kids could just wear normal clothes and carry a "Golden Ticket" which you could make from yellow paper or foil.
• Mr Bump (Mr Men series): If you’re happy to part with some of the house supply of loo roll or kitchen roll, then it’s time to dress them in blue and then get creative. Use bandages or plasters if you’d prefer but loo roll is a good last-minute choice.
• Mary Poppins: Put them in a white shirt, long black skirt, black hat (decorated with paper flowers), and an umbrella.

Sarah-Jane said it’s also worth popping into your local supermarket to see what’s on offer. She added: “You can pick up some lovely costumes at Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s that are perfect for World Book Day and for dressing up at any time of the year. Sainsbury’s has a brilliant collection this year with outfits such as a Dorothy dress from The Wizard of Oz or Julian Donaldson’s Zog priced from just £10.50.

“It’s always worth checking out discount voucher code websites too like MyVoucherCodes. If you want to buy some books, you can get 15% extra with this World of Books - Sell Your Books discount code. You can also save 25% on RRP on book pre-orders by entering this Waterstones promo code.”

For these deals and much more, visit MyVoucherCodes at https://www.myvouchercodes.co.uk