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World Book Day Costumes

Are you struggling for world book day ideas? Here are some guides to help you dress up for the occasion and make their World Book Day costume stand out with face paint.

How to guides

Pick a guide
Rainbow Unicorn Rainbow Unicorn
Rainbow Tiger Rainbow Tiger
Fox Fox
Dragon Dragon
Alien Hero Alien Hero
Pirate Pirate

Unicorn Face Paint

It's easy to make the elusive unicorn appear with this guide and is perfect for World Book Day as they star in some great books such as The Naughtiest Unicorn and Sugarlump and the Unicorn.

Unicorn Face Paint

It's easy to make the elusive unicorn appear with this guide and is perfect for World Book Day as they star in some great books such as The Naughtiest Unicorn and Sugarlump and the Unicorn.

What you will need

Fantasy face paint party kit

Fantasy Face Paint Kit

$20.29

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Girl with simple kids unicorn face paint. Step 3 of 3

3 Step Guides

Girl with simple kids unicorn face paint. Step 1 of 3
1
With the brush paint a white unicorn shaped head on the cheek and fill in.
Girl with simple kids unicorn face paint. Step 2 of 3
2
Create the rainbow swirls by painting on the silver, sparkle lilac, sparkle blue, pale green and pale yellow. Also paint a flowing mane on the unicorn in fuschia pink. Lastly add a sparkle blue eye.

 

Girl with simple kids unicorn face paint. Step 3 of 3
3
With black, outline the unicorn, paint around the eye adding eyelashes, and add some black swirls to your rainbow. Lastly with white add some dots and star bursts and a small dot in the eye.

RAINBOW TIGER FACE PAINT

Proudly stand out and show off your colourful costume on World Book Day as The Rainbow Tiger.

RAINBOW TIGER FACE PAINT

Proudly stand out and show off your colourful costume on World Book Day as The Rainbow Tiger.

What you will need

Rainbow face paint party kit

Rainbow Face Paint Kit

$20.29

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3 Step Guide

Boy with step 1 of Rainbow Tiger face paint design
1
Sponge sky blue around the edge of face. Add grass green inside the blue and bright yellow inside the green. Paint bright red down the nose and finish with white above the top lip.
Boy with step 2 of Rainbow Tiger face paint design
2
Add black tiger stripes, twirling a round brush will help this technique.
Boy with Rainbow Tiger face paint design
3
Finally, add ‘leopard’ spot shapes to the sides of the face. Paint in the muzzle, spots and the black nose. Finish with white blobs to the centre of the large black spots.

Fox Face Paint

Can't beat the classics, use this look to dress up as Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl or Fox in Socks by Dr. Suess for World Book Day.

Fox Face Paint

Can't beat the classics, use this look to dress up as Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl or Fox in Socks by Dr. Suess for World Book Day.

What you will need

Pack of Halloween face paint pens

Brush Pen Halloween Pack

$10.69

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3 Step Guide

girl with step 1 of Fox face paint design
1
Take your white Brush Pen and paint the base for your fox face. Use quick, short strokes under the eyes, on the nose and around the forehead. The Brush Pen’s clever nib will help make short work of this.
girl with step 2 of Fox face paint design
2
Now get your orange Brush Pen ready, as it’s time to add some colour. Enhance the white strokes you’ve already painted with similar orange strokes at the ends to create a fox fur effect.
girl with Fox face paint design
3
Now finish off your design with your black Brush Pen, adding detail to bring out your fox nose, ears and whiskers. Painting outlines and fine details is easy with Snazaroo Brush Pens, so it’s fun to finesse a fab fox with fine flourishes. Fantastic!

Dragon Face Paint

There are countless World Book Day favourites with dragons in it, you can't go wrong with this look: Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, The Hobbit and Zog, just to name a few.

Dragon Face Paint

There are countless World Book Day favourites with dragons in it, you can't go wrong with this look: Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, The Hobbit and Zog, just to name a few.

What you will need

Rainbow face paint party kit

Rainbow Face Paint Kit

$20.29

ADD TO BAG
Boy with Dragon face paint design

3 Step Guide

Boy with step 1 of Dragon face paint design
1
Paint the dragon shape around the face in bright red and fill in with a sponge.
Boy with step 2 of Dragon face paint design
2
Outline the bright red with sky blue. With a brush and white paint, create the horns.
Boy with Dragon face paint design
3
Finally, paint the fangs and detail on the cheeks in white. To finish the look, outline the sky blue, the fangs, horns and the pattern on the cheeks with black and using a thin brush.

Alien Hero Face Paint

Maybe they fancy something a bit more extraterrestrial. Make your fancy dress out of this world with our alien face paint guide and World Book Day characters from There's an Alien In Your Book and Aliens Love Underpants!

Alien Hero Face Paint

Maybe they fancy something a bit more extraterrestrial. Make your fancy dress out of this world with our alien face paint guide and World Book Day characters from There's an Alien In Your Book and Aliens Love Underpants!

What you will need

Adventure Brush Pens Pack

Brush Pen Adventure Pack

$10.69

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3 Step Guide

girl with step 1 of Alien Hero face paint design
1
Start your alien by drawing thick, glasses-style circles around the eyes with the red Brush Pen.
girl with step 2 of Alien Hero face paint design
2
Next twist the base of your blue Brush Pen and use it to paint some forehead antennas, the nose and an alien face shape outline on the cheeks and chin.
girl with Alien Hero face paint design
3
To finish your outer space face, add embellishment to the blue areas with the gold Brush Pen. Draw a line of three gold dots on the chin, horizontal stripes at the side of the cheeks and a diamond and dots to the bridge of the nose to connect the red circles.

Pirate Face Paint

Arrr a swashbuckling pirate is sure to do the trick on World Book Day, seen in many great titles such as Treasure Island and The Pirates Next Door.

Pirate Face Paint

Arrr a swashbuckling pirate is sure to do the trick on World Book Day, seen in many great titles such as Treasure Island and The Pirates Next Door.

What you will need

Adventure Face Paint Kit

Adventure Face Paint Kit

$20.29

ADD TO BAG
Boy with simple kids pirate face paint. Step 3 of 3

3 Step Guide

Boy with simple kids pirate face paint. Step 1 of 3
1
With a wet brush and red paint, draw a shape on the child’s forehead for the bandana. Draw a line diagonally across the forehead with a knot on the side of the face. Fill with a wet sponge and red paint.
Boy with simple kids pirate face paint. Step 2 of 3
2
Then with a brush and white paint, draw a skull-and-crossbones in the middle of the forehead and add some white dots to the forehead.
Boy with simple kids pirate face paint. Step 3 of 3
3
With a small brush and black paint carefully outline the edges of the bandana on the child’s forehead and cheek. Add 3 lines on the sides of the bandana and two eyes and a nose to the skull-and-crossbones. Add a curly moustache above the mouth and a scar on a cheek and lastly draw a thick circle around the eye with a thin line diagonally connecting the eye patch to the bandana.

Make and create

Costume Ideas

Lion Mane Tutorial

Make any lion costume standout with a mane made from yarn and card.

Dinosaur Costume Tutorial

Using some old clothes and felt, create a full dinosaur costume.

Pirate Hat Tutorial

Use an old hat to promote your pirate costume to captain.