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Whether you have a Halloween party or another occasion, you should look at the best SpongeBob costume ideas. You can be the titular sponge or another famous character.
Think about what you’ll be doing while you wear the costume. Then, you can decide which idea will suit your needs and your budget.
Bottom Line Up Front: The best SpongeBob costume ideas range from SpongeBob to Plankton, but I’d have to go as the sarcastic, musical Squidward. Look for accurate designs as well as normal clothing to emulate a character’s signature outfit.
Best SpongeBob Costume Ideas
When searching for the best SpongeBob costume ideas, you have a lot to consider. You should think about what you like about the show to help narrow down your ideas.
It also helps to think about how or where you’ll wear the costume. That way, you can determine if you’ll need more room to move or if you can go with a square design.
As I looked for costume ideas, I tried to cover a variety of options to suit babies, adults, and everyone in between. Here are some ideas I found or came up with.
The Sponge Himself
Of course, I have to include the idea to dress up as the titular character. You can make or buy a more accurate costume with a rectangle shape.
But I would prefer to simply dress like SpongeBob. In that case, I would get a yellow undershirt to wear beneath a white button-down and a tie.
Pair that with some brown slacks, a black belt, and black shoes to emulate the sponge. If you want to go a step further, you can get some temporary yellow hair dye to make your look more obvious.
Be a Star
Another fantastic costume is to dress up like SpongeBob’s best friend, Patrick Star. I haven’t seen as many ready-made costumes in the shape of a starfish, but there are some, or you could make one.
However, I’d probably be more comfortable making an outfit that looks like Patrick. I have a pink shirt and so would just need to get some green floral shorts or pants.
Wear some pink shoes or go barefoot, and add a pink pointy hat to emulate the tip of Patrick’s head. If you want to look like a star further, find some pink gloves so that your fingers aren’t visible.
Show Off Your Tentacles
Of course, you can also dress up like Squidward, and you can really get into character. You’ll want to get a brown shirt and some blue pants.
If you want to go a step further, get some matching blue fabric and some stuffing to create the two extra legs. That way, you can look more like Squidward, but I would rather keep it simple.
I would probably pair the outfit with a blue rounded hat or make something similar to Squidward’s uniform hat for work. As long as you don’t offend anyone, add a bit of sarcasm to really sell the costume.
Since I’m a woodwind player, I’d probably find a cheap clarinet as a prop. Or I might use a recorder, which is different from the clarinet, but it looks similar.
Be Krabby
If you work in an office, you may already have what you need to create a Mr. Krabs costume. You’ll need a light blue collared shirt and some dark blue pants with a black belt.
Add a long-sleeve red shirt underneath, and consider wearing some red mittens to imitate claws. You can also get a headband and attach two red cones to look like Mr. Krabs’ eyes.
When going trick or treating or using a prop, I would carry a bag with a money sign on it. I’m horrible at accents, but you can do a Mr. Krabs impression if you’re better at them.
Get Envious
Then, there’s Plankton, the main antagonist and another character that makes for a great costume. All you need is to dress head to toe in dark olive green.
You can add two sticks or rods to a headband to represent Plankton’s antennae. Consider making a singular eye that you put on your forehead to emulate the character even more.
I like how simple and easy a costume like this can be. The simplicity makes it easy enough to create for an infant or toddler as well as for an adult.
Dress Cheeky
If you like the character of Sandy Cheeks, you can dress up as the squirrel. You might want to look for an astronaut costume since Sandy frequently wears that sort of outfit.
Add a pink flower to the outside of the helmet to separate yourself from those dressing up as astronauts. You can also add a big, fluffy brown tail and put your hair in small buns to represent Sandy’s ears.
If you’re attending an event for adults, you can dress like Sandy when she’s in her tree dome. I would get a purple bikini top and a purple skirt, then do the same hairstyle to emulate her ears, and add a tail.
Since I know how to knit and crochet, I might buy some fluffy brown yarn to knit something that looks like a squirrel tail.
At a Snail’s Pace
I’ve had pets all my life, but I haven’t always dressed them up. But if I were to dress them up as someone from SpongeBob SquarePants, it would have to be Gary, the pet snail.
You can look for a Gary costume or buy a plain pink outfit for your dog or cat. On either side, draw the signature red curve and purple dots to make the outfit look like a Gary costume.
Look for a headband that you can stick big googly eyes on to emulate Gary’s eyes. Then, you can dress up as SpongeBob or another character and pose with your pet.
Of course, the hard part is going to be getting the pet to actually wear the costume. One of my dogs would downright refuse, and the other would freeze if I tried to put clothes on her.
Be a Jellyfish
If you want a more subtle SpongeBob costume, consider dressing up like a jellyfish. You can wear all pink, and you can create a big pink hat to wear.
Find some pink yarn or fabric that you can cut into long strips to represent the tail of the animal. This is a nice costume if you want to wear it for multiple occasions.
You can dress up like a character from SpongeBob, but you can also fit in at an animal-themed party. Plus, it’s a pretty easy outfit to create since you just need a few items.
One of my favorite examples of a jellyfish costume comes from another Nickelodeon show, H20. This example uses purple and blue, but it gives a good idea of how to structure the costume.
Other Characters
Perhaps none of the main characters is your favorite from the show. You can look into creating a costume based on a character you love.
Maybe you like Pearl Krabs, so you wear a pink dress and use blonde hair dye. Look for some non-toxic gray face paint or a long-sleeve gray shirt to help represent the colors of the whale.
Or you might like Mrs. Puff, the driving instructor. You can pair a red skirt with a blue collared shirt, blonde hair, and a blue hat to dress up like the pufferfish.
If you’re like me and like chocolate, you could dress up as the chocolate-obsessed lady from the episode “Chocolate with Nuts.”
Work at the Krusty Krab
If you want to dress up as a worker, consider that of a Krusty Krab employee. Of course, SpongeBob and Squidward are the main workers, but you can keep your costume more general.
You can get a blank white ball cap and draw the anchor on it. Paint the rim of the hat blue, and you’ve got part of your costume done.
Then, you’ll be able to dress in some sort of uniform, such as a white shirt and blue pants. Or you can combine this idea with that of SpongeBob or Squidward.
As someone who worked in food service, I wouldn’t want to pretend to do it again. However, it’s a fun idea, and you can turn it into a group costume if you have friends who are dressing up as SpongeBob and Squidward.
Be a Building
You don’t have to dress up as a living thing from SpongeBob SquarePants. One option is to dress out as the famous pineapple under the sea.
I’d probably make a pineapple costume by using some round yellow poster board and wrapping it around myself, but you can buy one. Draw the pineapple pattern, and add a green hat with leaves to finish off the costume.
Another option is to dress up like the Krusty Krab or the Chum Bucket. I think the Chum Bucket is probably easier to recreate, and it’s a good choice if you want to dress up your child as Plankton.
Create a Group Costume
You can take almost any SpongeBob costume ideas and turn them into something for a group. However, a few combinations work better than others.
For example, a father and daughter might dress up as Mr. Krabs and Pearl. You can dress up as SpongeBob and put your pet in a Gary costume.
If you and a friend play the clarinet, consider dressing up as Squidward and Squilliam. Use your instruments as props to make the costume more obvious.
As a musician, I love the idea of dressing up as Squidward and getting a friend to be Squilliam. But I might swap out the clarinets for some flutes (my main instrument).
“I’m With Stupid”
A more specific costume idea comes from the episode “I’m With Stupid,” where SpongeBob pretends to be stupid. In it, he wears a red helmet and acts dumb to make Patrick look smart.
Patrick wears an “I’m with stupid” shirt so that you can do that look with a friend. If you don’t like that episode, consider what episode you like, and look for specific costume ideas.
I like that with this idea, you could make it subtle. You could simply tell people you’re a pair where one person is smart and the other is dumb, or you can add other costume elements to make it obvious.
Fit Like a Glove
Another specific costume idea is to dress up like the gloves from Glove World. This comes from the episode “Rock Bottom,” where SpongeBob misses his bus stop.
You can also dress up like SpongeBob or Patrick. Get as large of a glove as you can find, and wear it as a hat, or simply blow into it and make it a prop.
I also like this idea for more of a prop, especially for a SpongeBob-themed costume party. A lot of people will probably dress up as SpongeBob, so you can make your costume stand out.
Ways to Create a SpongeBob Costume
Once you’ve gone through some SpongeBob costume ideas, you have to consider how to make your idea come to life. Some costumes are a lot easier to recreate, especially if you have what you need.
Other ideas will require some shopping or some creativity to pull off. However, don’t let that stop you from reviewing some of the best SpongeBob costume ideas.
Then, you can determine which of the following ways to create the costume makes sense for you.
Be Accurate
You can make an accurate design if you want to be serious about your SpongeBob costume. For a SpongeBob costume, that means making a rectangle and painting some spots on it to represent the holes.
You’ll also want to paint SpongeBob’s face and clothing, and you can decide if you want to cover your head or not. Some other characters, like Sandy Cheeks, are a bit easier to do.
You can find an astronaut outfit and use your hair to represent ears. So think about how much time you have to put the costume together if you want to go this route.
I’d probably only go the accurate route if I didn’t have to move that much. Depending on the character, an accurate costume can be pretty restrictive.
Bikini Bottom Bounding
You may have heard the term “Disney bounding,” which refers to dressing like a Disney character but in normal clothes. If you want to dress up for Halloween but need to work, this is a practical choice.
All you need to do is find clothing that looks like the outfit your character of choice wears. Then, you can dress up in that outfit, and your costume can be subtle but also recognizable.
Dressing in more normal clothes is good if you want to be able to move freely. But it also won’t look as authentic, so you have to decide what’s most important.
If I were to dress up as someone from SpongeBob Squarepants, this is how I’d do it. I’d be more comfortable, and I could use stuff I already have.
Find a Costume Shop
Of course, you can make things easy on yourself and go to a costume shop to find your outfit. Some shops have specific SpongeBob costumes that are ready for you to wear.
Now, these costumes may be available for kids and not so much for adults. If your child wants to dress up as SpongeBob or another character, it’s worth checking out.
The nice thing about going to a shop is that you don’t have to put anything together. You can find some accessories, but it’s a pretty easy, affordable option.
I’d recommend places like Amazon or Spirit Halloween, where you can find SpongeBob costumes for kids and adults.
FAQs about the Best SpongeBob Costume Ideas
Answer: You should think about who you want to be, how much time you have, and other factors. If you want to focus on authenticity, it makes sense to make your costume.
However, if you’re looking for something at the last minute, consider buying. Then, you’ll be able to get a costume that looks good.
Answer: The price of a SpongeBob costume depends on if you buy or make it. Pricing might also vary based on the materials you use to make the costume and if you have any of the materials already.
If you have everything, you may be able to whip something up for free. However, you could also easily spend tens or hundreds of dollars.
Answer: It can be hard to move in a SpongeBob costume if you make a rectangle. Your arms won’t be as free, and you might not be able to stretch your legs as much.
However, if you choose a costume that is more like real clothes, you should be able to move in it easily. So keep that in mind when choosing the costume idea you want to use.
Final Note on the Best SpongeBob Costume Ideas
When searching for the best SpongeBob costume ideas, you have a lot to compare. You have to decide who you want to be and how you want to create the outfit.
I’d love to dress up as Squidward since I play a musical instrument. But if I were to take my pet with me, I’d probably dress up as SpongeBob and dress my dog up as Gary.
Either way, think about the characters and episodes you like and consider if you’ll dress up with anyone else. Then, you can get as creative as you want to make a costume you’ll never forget.
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