It started with a trickle, then became a flood. Around the time The Monsters Exciting Macaron series dropped and went absolutely nuclear, my social feeds started filling up with something new. It wasn't just shelfies of people's hauls. It was kids. Little kids, waddling around in giant, pastel-colored cardboard boxes with goofy, pointed ears and a single snaggletooth.
The labubu costume for kids had arrived.
As the owner of PopNya, where we live and breathe this stuff, I got DMs and emails almost immediately. "Where can I buy this?" "Do you sell the costume?" "My daughter needs this for Halloween!"
And I have to give the same answer every time: Pop Mart does not officially sell a mass-market LABUBU costume.
Not yet, anyway. Everything you're seeing is either a brilliant DIY project by a creative parent or... Something else. And that "something else" is what we need to talk about.
The Two Paths to a LABUBU Costume: The Sketchy vs. The Soulful
You basically have two options if you want to transform your child into Kasing Lung's adorable, mischievous elf monster. You can buy one, or you can make one. On the surface, buying seems easier. But as someone who deals with the difference between authentic and counterfeit toys every single day, I have to give you a serious warning.
The "Buy" Path: A Minefield of Knock-offs
Go on Amazon, Etsy, or those other sites that shall not be named, and you'll find them. Listings for a complete labubu costume for halloween, often using stolen photos from Instagram accounts of parents who actually made their own.
Here's my real talk as a seller: 99% of these are low-quality, unlicensed garbage.
I've seen them up close. The colors are wrong, a sickly, off-brand mint green instead of the beautiful "Soymilk" beige from the Macaron series. The proportions are a mess; the head is too small or the ears are floppy and sad. The material is often that ultra-thin, flammable-feeling polyester that everything cheap is made of.
The worst offender is the labubu mask. The DIY versions use boxes, which are bulky but have a certain charm. The cheap, pre-made ones often use a flimsy, vacuum-formed plastic that arrives cracked, or a printed fabric mask that looks flat and lifeless. They completely miss the point. LABUBU's head has a specific, rounded, three-dimensional shape. A flat mask just doesn't work.
Honestly, the quality reminds me of the first-wave fake LABUBU figures that flooded the market a few years ago. The paint was sticky, the vinyl felt brittle, and they just felt wrong. These costumes give me that same feeling. You're not paying for a tribute to a beloved character; you're paying for a quick cash-grab that infringes on an artist's work.
So, should you buy one? My professional and personal opinion is a hard no. You'll be disappointed, and your kid will be wearing a sad imitation.
The "DIY" Path: The Real Collector's Choice
This is the way.
Making the costume yourself is not just about saving money or avoiding knock-offs. It's about participating in the culture of designer toys. It's about showing your love for the character in a creative way. It's the same energy that drives people to build custom displays for their figures or photograph them in elaborate scenes.
I know what you're thinking. "I'm not crafty. I can't do that."
You can. I promise. The charm of the viral LABUBU costumes is that they aren't perfect. They're homemade. They look like a kid's drawing brought to life. That's the whole point. You don't need to be a Hollywood prop maker. You just need a box, some paint, and a bit of patience.
The PopNya "Semi-DIY" Playbook for the Perfect Kid LABUBU Halloween Costume
Okay, so you're on board with making it. Let's get practical. I'm calling this the "Semi-DIY" playbook because we're going to be smart and use some store-bought shortcuts. The goal is maximum impact for reasonable effort.
Part 1: The Head. This is 80% of the Costume.
The head is everything. Get this right, and the rest is easy. You have a few options depending on your kid's age and your commitment level.
The Classic Cardboard Box Method (The GOAT): This is the look you've seen everywhere. It's perfect.
* The Box: Do NOT use a flimsy Amazon shipping box. It will get crushed in minutes. Go to a hardware store like Home Depot or Lowe's and buy a small or medium moving box. The cardboard is thicker and more durable. You want a box that your kid's head can fit inside with a little wiggle room. * The Shape: Tape the top flaps shut. For the bottom, you can either cut the flaps off or fold them inside for extra neck support. * The Eyes & Mouth: This is critical for safety. Place the box on your child's head (gently!) and mark with a pencil where their eyes are. Cut out two large circles for LABUBU's eyes. Make them bigger than your kid's actual eyes, this is for vision and ventilation. The mouth is your kid's real viewport. Cut a wide, slightly curved rectangle at their mouth/nose level. They will be looking out of the mouth, not the eyes. * The Paint: Get sample pots of paint from a hardware store. It's way better than craft paint for covering cardboard. Match the color to your kid's favorite figure. Is it the pink "Lychee" or the light blue "Sea Salt Coconut"? This is a fun way to connect the costume to the actual toys. You can show them the figures from our LABUBU collection and let them pick their hero color. * The Ears & Hair: The ears are simple triangles. Cut them from the leftover cardboard from the eyeholes. Don't make them too big, or they'll be floppy. Attach them with a hot glue gun. For the little tuft of hair on top, you can use a small piece of black felt or just paint it on. * The Tooth: One single, glorious tooth. Cut a small rectangle from white craft foam or a piece of a yogurt container. Glue it so it hangs down over the mouth opening. Done.
The Soft Method (Great for a Baby LABUBU Costume): If you have a toddler or a baby, a hard box might be too much. This is a gentler approach.
* The Base: Start with a snug-fitting beanie or a fuzzy pilot's cap in the color you want. * The Ears: Instead of cardboard, use felt. Get two sheets of stiff felt in the ear color and two slightly smaller sheets of pink for the inner ear. Glue them together and then stitch or glue them onto the sides of the beanie. You can stuff them with a little cotton batting to make them stand up. * The Face: Use felt cutouts for the eyes and tooth and stitch them onto the front of the beanie. This creates a soft, wearable labubu mask that's much more comfortable for a very little one.
Part 2: The Body. Keep It Simple.
This is the easiest part. Don't overthink it.
You need a monochrome sweatsuit. That's it. A simple crewneck sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. The key is getting the color to match the head.
This is where a site like Primary.com is your best friend. They have basics in every color imaginable. You can find the perfect pastel pink for a Macaron-themed girls labubu costume, or a simple grey or brown for a classic LABUBU look.
The goal is to create a solid-colored silhouette that lets the head be the star of the show. No logos, no patterns. Just pure color.
Part 3: The Details That Matter.
* The Ruffle Collar: Many LABUBU figures, especially in the Macaron series, have a little ruffle collar. You can easily replicate this. Take a wide piece of white felt, cut a wavy edge on it, and then cut a slit in the middle to pop over your kid's head. It just sits on their shoulders under the sweatshirt's collar. It's a small touch that really elevates the look. * The Hands and Feet: Don't worry about them. Just have them wear matching sneakers. Trying to make monster gloves or feet is overkill and just makes it harder for them to run around and collect candy. * The Prop: The ultimate accessory? The actual LABUBU figure the costume is based on. Have your kid carry their "Tycoco" or "Zimomo" figure. It completes the picture and connects their costume directly to the world of collecting. It's the kind of detail that makes other fans and collectors smile when they see it.
Our Take: The Real Talk on LABUBU Costumes
Look, as someone who sells these toys, I love the passion this costume trend represents. It means Kasing Lung's creation has broken out of the collector bubble and into mainstream pop culture. But I'm also protective of it. The flood of cheap, soulless knock-offs on Amazon and Etsy bums me out because they miss the entire point. LABUBU is about artistry, character, and a specific feeling. A flimsy polyester suit with a poorly printed face doesn't have any of that.
My honest advice? Embrace the DIY. Even if you think you're "bad" at crafts. Your "imperfect" cardboard box costume, made with love and a bit of hot glue, will have more heart and soul than any pre-made one you can buy online. It will be a truer tribute to LABUBU. The process of picking the color, painting the box, and cutting out that one little tooth with your kid is a memory that's worth more than the $40 you'd spend on a knock-off.
The joy of seeing your kid as a real-life version of one of the LABUBU figures you have on your shelf is just unbeatable. It's turning a collectible into an experience, and that's what this hobby is all about.
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