Double lions, tigers and bears, oh my! Choosing Halloween costumes for multiples can be quite a challenge.

Last week, at a Mothers of Multiples club in Park City, Utah, friends and I discussed whether or not our twins and triplets would wear matching Halloween costumes. Many moms who regularly dress their twins alike opted for the matching costumes, while others chose complimentary costumes (like Peter Pan and Wendy), and some opted for completely different costumes. So what’s best for your own multiples?

Susan Kohl, author of Twin Stories, a compilation of personal anecdotes from more than 150 sets of twins, and also the mom of 8-year-old identical twin boys, feels choosing costumes differs for every family and depends on children’s ages.

“Dressing them in the same costume is cute if they are babies or toddler age, but as soon as they have the ability to make decisions, ask them what they want to be,” says Kohl. “If they want to dress alike, that's great (and many do). But my boys were very clear from an early age that they wanted to be something different. They have always had different tastes even though they are identical.” At age 3, one of Kohl’s boys chose to be a green Power Ranger, and the other was a cowboy.

Individual Attire
Fourteen-year-old fraternal twins, Laurel and Ashley Willoughby of Park City, Utah, have only worn the same costume once. “We were clowns together when we were in fourth grade," says Laurel. "We had the idea, and our mom helped. But my sister and I have our own style. We usually don’t like the same costume." In contrast, she says, all of her identical and fraternal twin friends usually choose the same Halloween costume.

And she agrees with Kohl that older kids need freedom of choice. “My sister and I could choose whether we wanted different costumes, and my parents supported us," says Laurel. "I think it’s important to let twins choose on their own.”

A Matching Pair
“My twin sister and I always had matching or complimentary costumes, and this tradition continued until we stopped celebrating Halloween as teens,” says Julie Mathis, a 28-year-old fraternal twin in Los Angeles, Calif. She fondly remembers spending several years as a pair of dice with her twin sister, a costume that wasn’t comfy, but was always a huge hit and eventually became a tradition.

“Once my sister and I became adults, and there were still no grandchildren, my dad even made matching dice Halloween costumes for our childhood teddy bears,” she says. And her sister is continuing the tradition with her twin dogs, whom she dresses in complimentary costumes (Batman and Robin last year).

Mathis highly advises multiples to dress in the same or complimentary costumes. “Everybody loves twins!" she says. "Plus, you get more candy that way.” In the future, if the sisters attend a Halloween party, they’ll choose complimentary costumes. “I’d be the devil, and my sister would be the angel," she says, laughing.

Brenda Krebs, president of the Park City, Utah Mothers of Multiples Club, dressed her 2-year-old twins as Dr. Seuss’ Thing 1 and Thing 2 last year. She needed a fast, easy costume that didn’t inhibit the movements of busy toddlers. “The boys wouldn’t wear a regular costume," she says. "I had bought several and had to take them back. I made the outfits out of sweats so they wouldn’t mind wearing them.” To find out how to make Krebs' easy Thing 1 and Thing 2 costume click here.

This year, however, her twins have already developed strong opinions about their own costumes. “This Halloween, they will be dressed differently – as Bob the Builder and a pumpkin – because they have different interests,” Krebs says.

Spooky Savings
While dressing twin trick-or-treaters might be twice the fun, it's also twice the price. So how can moms cut costs?

Kohl recommends saving money by making your own costumes. “Creativity is the key to making Halloween an affordable success with multiples," she says. "When your children let you know their costumes of choice, try to think how you can make it as opposed to buying a pre-made costume that is worn once and put in the closet.”

She also recommends using or buying clothes that the kids can also add to their daily wardrobe. “If you can use clothing items for more than just Halloween, you feel much better about the expense," she says. "The kids will probably be warmer, too.”

For example, for an army costume, Kohl bought green sweatpants and a green sweatshirt and made a vest out of camouflage fabric. For a cowboy, she used jeans, a denim shirt, made a fake leather vest and added a bandana and hat. For a ninja, Kohl used black sweats, a store-bought gray fleece vest and a headband.

Another tip is to buy costumes or parts of costumes at thrift stores. “Some of my friends have found some great vintage stuff, including masks,” says Kohl.

Finally, moms of multiples can save time, money and sanity (we all know shopping with multiples can be challenging) by surfing for bargains online. To find lots of costume discounts, type “Halloween costumes coupon” into your favorite search engine.

Find out how to make some creative costumes for your crew.

Want to see more?

• Homemade Costumes: An Inexpensive Tradition
• Halloween and Preschoolers: Keep It Light!
• Halloween Headquarters
• Just Like Me: The Challenges of Being a Preteen Twin
• Talk about it!