Halloween Crafts and Homemade Costumes in Utah Valley: Where to Rent, Thrift and Sew the Costume, Get the Pumpkin and Light It Safely

Abigail Giordano Senior Writer, Provo.com How we make Provo.com

Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, which gives families a full day to finish a costume and carve on the 31st itself. The making happens in the weeks before: a costume rented, thrifted or sewn; pumpkins from a farm; a porch or trunk decorated; and the whole thing lit without setting anything on fire. Here is where each part comes from in Utah Valley, and the safety rules that apply to homemade costumes and decorations.

One local fact shapes the costume more than any pattern: by Halloween night the valley has usually had its first freeze. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Provo BYU station put the median first 32-degree night on October 21. Design the costume to go over a coat, or to work with one.

The costume: rent it, thrift it or sew it

Rent the hard parts. Taylor Maid Beauty and Theatrical at 255 West Center Street in Provo rents costumes and sells Halloween costumes, wigs, theatrical makeup and hair supplies. It was listed as open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and closed Sunday, in October 2026. Reviewers note that the rental catalog lives in books you page through at the store rather than online, and they mention colored hairspray and unusual tights. One reviewer reports that clothing sales are final with store credit only, so ask about returns before you buy.

Party stores for accessories. Zurchers carries costumes and party supplies at three Utah County stores, all closed Sunday as listed in October 2026:

• Orem, 340 East 800 South, Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• American Fork, 177 NW State Street, Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Spanish Fork, 1082 North Main Street, Monday to Thursday until 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 9

Thrift the base. Making Space Thrift at 475 North Freedom Boulevard in Provo describes itself as a store for cosplayers, sewists, fiber artists and lovers of vintage, stocked from donations; reviewers say it is mostly fiber-arts supplies with a smaller craft section. It is open Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday until 8. Shoppers' reviews mention felt, ribbon, beads and blank T-shirts at thrift prices. The valley's other thrift stores are good for coats, hats and boots to build around; see our thrift and vintage guide.

Sew what you can't find. The Fabric Mill at 414 East 1400 South in Orem is a fabric store open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; one reviewer bought fabric there for a fairy costume. Harmony at 275 East Center Street in Provo sells apparel fabric, and reviewers mention its inexpensive trim and lace, which is often what turns a plain dress into a costume. For a machine, the Provo City Library lends two small kids' sewing machines for one-week checkouts (cardholders in good standing, $5-a-day late fees), and our sewing machine guide covers the dealers and their classes. Our craft stores guide lists the rest of the fabric and notions shops since JOANN closed.

Four costume ideas that use those sources:

1. A cape with a hood. A rectangle of fabric gathered at the neck covers a winter coat completely. Keep the hem above the ankle (see the safety rules below).
2. A felt-and-cardboard character. Thrift-store felt glued onto a cardboard base becomes armor, a robot front or a storybook character, worn over a coat.
3. A thrifted base plus a rented wig. A secondhand blazer, dress or overalls and one rented or bought wig carries most "famous person" and historical costumes.
4. A coat that is the costume. A brown coat with felt spots and ears becomes a giraffe; a black one with a felt tail and ears, a cat. Warm and done in an evening.

The safety rules for homemade costumes. The National Fire Protection Association advises staying away from billowing or long trailing fabric, choosing material that won't easily ignite if it touches heat or flame, making eye holes large enough to see out of, and giving children flashlights or glow sticks as part of the costume.

The pumpkin: farm-picked, felted or paper

From a farm. A few of the valley's pumpkin sources, as listed in October 2026:

• Jaker's Jack-O-Lanterns, 950 West 400 South, Springville, Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Reviewers single out the pumpkins.
• Rowley's Red Barn Fall Festival, 901 South 300 West, Santaquin, through Friday, October 30, 2026: weekdays 3:30 to 9 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; admission $12 Monday to Thursday and $15 Friday and Saturday. It closes the day before Halloween, so go early.
• Hee Haw Farms at Oliver's Place, 125 South 2000 West, Pleasant Grove, with fall pumpkin displays.

Our pumpkin patch guide covers the rest, including the liability sign farms post at the gate.

5. A carved jack-o'-lantern, lit the safe way. The NFPA says a flashlight or battery-operated candle is the safest light. If you use a real candle, light it with long fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter, keep children supervised whenever it is lit, and set the pumpkin well away from anything that can burn, including trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards.
6. A painted, uncarved pumpkin for small children. No knife, and it keeps far longer, so it can stay out through Thanksgiving.

At the library. The Provo City Library's October 2026 calendar included a Tween Thursdays: Felted Jack-o-Lanterns class on October 22 (4:15 to 5 p.m., registration), and its monthly creator kit for October was 3D paper pumpkins, borrowed at the first-floor reference desk for use in the library. The Haunted Provo Library evening on October 21 filled up, which tells you to register early next year.

7. Felted pumpkins. Wool roving and a felting needle make small pumpkins that last for years. Heindselman's Yarn and Needlework at 176 West Center Street is the downtown yarn and fiber shop; our fiber arts guide covers needle felting.
8. A paper pumpkin garland. Strips of orange cardstock looped into spheres and strung on twine. The Paper Store and More at 1786 South State Street in Orem sells cardstock (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday until 3).

The porch and the trunk

Ward trunk-or-treats and porch displays are where most homemade Halloween decorations end up. The NFPA's warnings apply to both: dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are highly flammable, so keep them well away from open flames and heat sources, use flashlights rather than candles or torches to light walkways and yards, and keep exits clear of decorations.

9. A themed trunk. A blanket or plastic tablecloth as a backdrop, cardboard cutouts, and battery lights. Zurchers reviewers call it the place for any color of tablecloth. Our guide to trunk-or-treats and little-kid Halloween explains how the ward circuit runs and why so many events are not on the 31st.
10. A piñata for the party. Candy Paradise at 1050 South State Street in Orem sells piñatas and Mexican candy, and it is one of the few shops on this page open Sunday (11 a.m. to 6 p.m., as listed in October 2026). Making your own from cardboard and tissue paper is a two-evening project.

Where to see Halloween craft done big

Gardner Village at 1100 West 7800 South in West Jordan runs WitchFest in October, with village hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and until 9 on Saturdays, as its site lists them; our Witchfest guide has this year's details. For the wider October calendar, see Halloween in Utah Valley, and for college students building a costume on a budget, student Halloween in Provo.

Related Guides

• Fall Craft Ideas in Utah Valley
• Thrifting Craft Supplies in Utah Valley
• Fall Farm Festivals in Utah Valley
• Ward Craft Night Ideas That Work

Abigail Giordano

Senior Writer

Abigail Giordano is a senior writer at Provo.com covering student life, family resources, and community events across Utah Valley. Her writing focuses on making Provo more accessible and navigable for newcomers, students, and families — the practical guides that help people feel at home faster.

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