Sesame Street Costume
Sunny days are ahead with these colorful, nostalgic neighborhood character looks.
Sesame Street costumes are a beloved, nostalgic choice for families, groups, and solo dress-ups. Whether you want to embody Elmo, Cookie Monster, or Big Bird, these looks rely on vibrant primary colors and friendly, oversized features. This guide shows you how to assemble a comfortable, highly recognizable character outfit using simple clothing bases and easy DIY accents.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- ~30 min
- Budget
- $20–80
Try it on
See yourself as Sesame Street
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What you need for a Sesame Street costume
Short on time? Buy it ready-made
Spirit Halloween sells the complete Sesame Street costume — one box instead of 6 pieces.
Red plush hoodie
A bright red fleece or cotton hoodie to serve as Elmo's furry body and head base.
DIY: Use any plain red sweatshirt you already own.
Red sweatpants
Matching bright red sweatpants or joggers for a comfortable, full-body color block.
DIY: Wear red leggings or jeans instead.
Styrofoam balls
Two 3-inch styrofoam balls sliced slightly flat on one side to create Elmo's signature wide eyes.
DIY: Cut flat circles out of white felt or cardboard.
Orange pom-pom
A large, plush orange pom-pom or felt ball to serve as Elmo's round nose.
DIY: Roll up a piece of orange felt or use an orange plastic ball.
Black felt sheet
Used to cut out circular pupils for the eyes and a wide, happy mouth shape.
DIY: Use a black permanent marker to draw the pupils directly onto the styrofoam.
Fabric glue
Heavy-duty fabric glue or a hot glue gun to securely attach the face pieces to the hood.
DIY: Use safety pins to temporarily attach the eyes and nose from the inside of the hood.
Rather not assemble it? See ready-made Sesame Street costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗
How to put it together
- 1
Lay the red hoodie flat on a clean working surface with the hood spread out and facing up.
- 2
Cut two small circles from the black felt to act as pupils, and glue them to the center of the styrofoam balls.
- 3
Apply fabric glue or hot glue to the flat side of the styrofoam eyes and press them side-by-side onto the top front edge of the hood.
- 4
Attach the large orange pom-pom directly beneath and between the eyes to form Elmo's nose.
- 5
If desired, cut a wide semi-circle from black felt for a laughing mouth and glue it to the center chest of the hoodie.
- 6
Put on the red sweatpants and the completed character hoodie, pulling the hood up to display the face.
Makeup & hair
No complex makeup or hair styling is required, as the character hood does all the work. You can optionally paint your nose orange or wear red face paint for an extra touch.
Sesame Street for couples, groups, kids & more
- couples
- Go as Bert and Ernie with striped sweaters, or pair Elmo with Cookie Monster for a colorful duo.
- group
- Gather friends to represent the whole neighborhood, including Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Abby Cadabby, and Count von Count.
- kids
- Use a cozy one-piece fleece footie pajama set in red, blue, or yellow and attach felt eyes to a matching beanie.
- Plus size
- Fleece hoodies and joggers offer a highly comfortable, stretchy, and size-inclusive fit for all body types.
- pet
- A simple red or blue pet t-shirt with lightweight felt eyes glued to the hood or collar.
More ways people search for this costume
The most-searched variations of “Sesame Street costume”, and how this look adapts to each.
Sesame street family costume
- Gather friends to represent the whole neighborhood, including Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Abby Cadabby, and Count von Count.
Tips
- Keep the hood lightweight so the styrofoam eyes don't pull the fabric backward off your head.
- Wear comfortable sneakers in a neutral color like white or black to keep the focus on the bright character colors.
- For outdoor trick-or-treating in cold weather, layer thermal underwear beneath the fleece sweatpants and hoodie.
Sesame Street costume FAQ
- How do I make a quick DIY Cookie Monster costume?
- Swap the red hoodie and pants for royal blue. Use styrofoam balls with black felt pupils for the eyes, but skip the orange nose. Carry a prop chocolate chip cookie to complete the look.
- What is the easiest way to dress up as Big Bird?
- Wear a bright yellow sweatshirt and leggings. Attach pink and blue felt strips to the hood for eyelids, add a yellow felt beak, and wear orange striped socks.
- Are these costumes suitable for school or work?
- Yes, because they are based on comfortable loungewear like hoodies and sweatpants, they are highly appropriate, warm, and easy to move in all day.
Did you know? Elmo is the only non-human puppet to have ever testified before the United States Congress, advocating for music education funding in 2002.