It's locks and locks of fun! Clever Halloween getups for kids needn't be a chore, so don't pull your hair out -- pull theirs up. Kids will go wild for these "natural" styles: Give strands a lift with radical waves (the surfing kind), twirl tresses into a beehive (a real one -- almost), or shape another high-'do. A great costume is easy with a few tricks, plus aerosol hair spray and washable spray-on hair dye (fix hair in a well-ventilated area). Details such as plastic creatures will add extra flair. The products we used are available at beauty, party, and crafts stores. What to wear with the hair? Plain clothes in colors that coordinate with the style won't distract attention from the top. Kids will amaze everyone, but don't (or do) let it go to their head.

Earth

This Halloween, turn your kid's mane into the main disguise. Nicholas, age 9, masquerades as one of nature's elements. His hair, groomed with spray-on dye, has sprouted into lush grass, a stomping ground for plastic critters. This costume is best for a child with hair that's short but not too cropped.

Prepare

Your child should put his costume shirt on first (Nicholas wore brown to imitate dirt) and cover it up with a smock or an old button-down shirt.

Twist and Spray

Dampen, smooth down, and hair-spray the hair on the sides of the head so it's out of the way. For top, hold small sections of hair between finger and thumb, twist up, and hair-spray until it stands up like grass.

Dye

While your child holds an old towel over his face, spray the hair on the top of the head with green dye, holding the can about 6 inches away. (Nicholas's brown hair was left undyed on the sides to pose as dirt.) Finish with additional hair spray.

Embellish

While the hair spray is still sticky, put plastic or rubber snakes, ladybugs, and other creatures in hair, and press in place (use more hair spray if needed). Attach critters to skin with eyelash glue, which will wash off easily later.

Beehive

What to bee? Annabelle, 5, will create a buzz as a bustling hive. Silk flowers, twigs, and bees all find home, sweet home atop her hair (made longer with twisted yarn). We made the bees with pipe cleaners; chenille bees are available at crafts stores. For this style, hair should be medium to long in length.

Watch stylist Anthony Sorensen demonstrate this look on "The Martha Stewart Show"

Prepare

You'll need one skein of yellow yarn cut into 50 three-foot strands; divide into five bundles. Have child put costume shirt on.

Divide Hair

Part hair into five ponytails as shown; secure each with an elastic band.

Add Yarn

For each ponytail, secure middle of a yarn bundle to base of ponytail with elastic band. Take half the ponytail and half the yarn in each hand. Twist the hair and yarn in your right hand together a few times in a clockwise direction; repeat with the left hand. Then wrap the twisted pairings around each other in the opposite direction. Continue until you come to the end of the yarn; secure end with elastic band.

Coil and Embellish

Once all ponytails have been combined with yarn, make the beehive. One at a time, coil each ponytail on head; secure with bobby pins. Tuck ends inside. Use bobby pins to attach pipe-cleaner bees, silk flowers, and plastic twigs.

Ocean Wave

Heads up! This wavy hair is totally gnarly. A surfer hangs loose as he navigates the hair-sprayed wave breaking atop 7-year-old Michael's head. Cotton-ball foam bubbles up, while a plastic dolphin has a swell time. This style works well when bangs are chin-length.

Prepare

Have your child put his costume on (Michael wore a surfing shirt).

Divide Hair

At top of head, divide hair into three sections as shown, and clip the two side sections (one should be extra large) out of the way. Twist middle section into a pin curl and secure flat with bobby pin (later, a plastic surfer figurine will be clipped to this curl).

Tease

Unclip largest section and tease with comb.

Curl

Unclip last section and flip it over so it joins teased section. Wrap hair from back to front around a paper cup and secure with hair clips. Spray with hair lacquer (superstrong hair spray); keep hair in place as you spray by holding the tail of a rattail comb against cup's side.

Blow-dry

Remove cup. Finish shaping curled hair into a wave while blowing it with a diffuser, stopping occasionally to spray with lacquer. When finished, spray well.

Dye and Embellish

Have your child cover his face with an old towel and his costume with an old shirt or smock. Spray wave with blue dye, holding can about 6 inches from hair. For foam, pull apart a cotton ball and stuff into hair with end of rattail comb. To attach surfer, hot-glue bottom of surfboard to a hair clip, let dry, then clip to the bobby-pinned pin curl. You can also hot-glue a dolphin to a hair clip and clip to wave in the desired place.

Wind

Oliver, age 9, possesses a heady power, creating gales wherever he goes. Styling was a breeze; in no time, he had a costume that blew everyone away. To complete Oliver's costume, a piece of wire was slipped inside his tie and bent to imitate the force of a strong wind. For this style, hair shouldn't be very short.

Style

Dampen hair. Have child, in undershirt and dress shirt, lie on a bench so hair hangs over edge; place a rolled towel under his neck and a smock over clothes. Spray hair with hair lacquer and silver dye, twisting ends.

Make Tie

Tie necktie. Cut and bend armature wire to mimic tie's shape, twisting at knot; cover ends with masking tape. Place tie around shirt collar to hang down back. Just below knot, slip wire ends through seams into tie (snip threads if needed). Slip loop inside shirt to lay flat against child's back; tape to undershirt. Bend tie to look windblown.

Rose Garden

Loyal butterfly subjects hover around a glittering garden princess. She wears a picket-fence crown in her hair and a mantle of colorful silk roses glued to a forest-green leotard; vinelike tendrils frame her face. The wired butterflies and additional sprays of blossoms and greenery are tucked into a regal updo.

How-To

Hot-glue flowers and leaves to neckline of leotard. Pull hair into a high bun; arrange picket fence (cut off excess) and bobby-pin in place. Spray glitter onto hair, and use bobby pins to secure additional flowers and leaves. Remove original wires from butterflies. Cut lengths of wire from 8 to 12 inches; hot-glue to butterflies. Wrap wires around bobby pins, and affix to hair.

Resources

Similar leotard, in green, available at danskin.com. Miniature picket fence, available at Enchanted Gardens, miniature-gardens.com. Similar silk flowers in assorted colors, available at Michaels. Butterflies, available at floraltrims.com.

Ice

What costume could be cooler than this? Hair spray froze 7-year-old Gabrielle's hair in place (and functioned as "glue" for the plastic crystals); white hair dye covered it in frost. Body crystals were attached to her face with eyelash glue.