Blockbuster Video Costume: Easy Halloween Idea

Need an easy costume idea for Halloween or a 90s retro party? You’ll love this simple DIY Blockbuster Video Costume for kids or adults that reminds you to “Be Kind, Rewind”!

Before there was Netflix and RedBox, Blockbuster Video was the #1 go-to place for family movie night. VHS tapes were stacked up and down every aisle and employees dressed in blue and yellow cheerfully reminded customers to “Be Kind and Rewind” whenever they checked out the latest movie to view at home.

It’s simple to make your own Blockbuster Video costume for kids or adults to recreate this look for an easy Halloween costume or to wear to a 90s party.

Costumes on parade

One of the ways our kids’ school decided to celebrate their 100th anniversary was to host a community parade on a Friday afternoon. Each of the grades, kindergarten through 8th grade was given a decade to be their theme. Then all the teachers and kids in that grade dressed in costumes to match their assigned decade.

My husband and I were thrilled when our son got assigned the 1980s for his decade. We were both in elementary and middle school ourselves during that time frame and couldn’t wait to get started on a costume. Some of the costume suggestions from the school included painting a box to be a Rubik’s cube, dressing as classic video game or Star Wars characters and more.

One of the things my husband and I remember most as kids was going with our families to pick out movies at Blockbuster Video. While this franchise was even more popular in the 1990s and the early part of the 2000s, the Blockbuster company was founded in 1985 and therefore qualified for our assignment. We knew it would be super simple to recreate a Blockbuster Video employee uniform and it would be easily recognizable by parents and grandparents along the parade route.

How to Make A DIY Blockbuster Video Costume

This Blockbuster Video costume is simple and easy to make. Plus it works great for men, women or children. You just need a blue short-sleeved collared shirt, khaki shorts or pants, and a few basic supplies.

What you need: 

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Craft/DIY Tools Needed: 

• Computer and printer
• Scissors

Supplies Needed: 

• Kids blue polo style collared shirt (or men’s blue polo shirt, if you’re making the costume for an adult)
• Khaki pants
• Yellow duct tape
• Clear full sheet labels
• White printer paper
• Old VHS cassette cases

Instructions:

1. Cover the collar and cuffs of the blue shirt.

Use the yellow duct tape and scissors to carefully cover the collar of the blue polo shirt. You’ll need several short pieces of tape in order to get it to curve around the neck of the shirt.

Then do the same thing around the ends of each of the sleeves. I used duct tape and clear labels to make the shirt so we could easily remove them and go back to wearing the blue shirt as normal after the parade.

2. Print The Blockbuster Logo And Name Badge.

Do a Google search for “Blockbuster Video” logo or “Be Kind and Rewind” then save those images to your computer for your own personal use.

Use Microsoft Word or Google Docs to get the Blockbuster Video logos to be the size you want for your costume. Then print them in color on a clear full sheet label. For our Blockbuster Video costume, I created two — one large “Be Kind & Rewind” logo for the back of my son’s shirt and a smaller one to look like a name tag on the front of his shirt.

If you’re familiar with Photoshop, here’s the file I used to create our labels (4 MB PSD).

3. Cut and apply the logos to the shirt.

Now use your scissors to cut around the edges of your logos. Firmly press the smaller one on the front of the shirt where a Blockbuster Video employee would wear a name tag.

Then apply the larger one to the back of the shirt. Be careful not to get any bubbles or ripples in your label.

4. Make VHS Tapes as Props.

To complete the project, turn several old VHS tapes into Blockbuster Movie Rental Cassettes. If you do a Google search for “blockbuster VHS cover”, you’ll find several options for the cover. Here’s the specific one that I used (522 KB PNG).

Find one you like and then just print it in color on regular printer paper. Trim it with scissors, if necessary, then slip it into the protective cover of the cassette case.

If your child is going to wear this costume to go trick or treating, I would suggest either strapping the VHS tapes together or putting them in a clear plastic bag. This will make it easier for your child to carry the props around on Halloween night. This trick would also work well for an adult if you are going to be carrying these cassette cases around at a Halloween party. TIP: Take the actual VHS tapes out of the cassette cases to make them lighter to carry.

5. Pair With Khakis and Your Blockbuster video costume is Ready to Go!

Now’s the fun part — putting it all together! The Blockbuster Video costume goes great with khaki shorts or pants, which are a staple in most people’s wardrobes. If you don’t happen to have khakis, you could go with black pant as well. I just wouldn’t wear jeans with this costume as there’s no way a retail employee in the 1980s or 1990s would have worn jeans to work!

Our son proudly wore his costume in the school parade. He got lots of oohs, aahs and chuckles from parents and grandparents as he waved his VHS tapes and shouted “Be Kind! Rewind!” to all those who could hear him along the parade route.

What’s Next? 

While you’re here be sure to check out these Halloween ideas on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –

• Mummy Costume for Kids: Easy DIY Halloween Costume
• DIY Animal Costume: Easy Kid’s Zebra Costume with Free Mask Template
• Firefly Costume: DIY Lightning Bug Idea for Halloween

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