serendipitous journey Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 well, I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't got any real dress-up/make-believe options for my little one; and thanks to relentless shedding of "clutter" (a la Flylady) I'm short on materials for one. What are ideas for a great assortment? Capes come to mind; hats; anything else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisasaysto Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I know it seems a long time off, but the week after Halloween is a great time to find cheap costumes of all sorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morosophe Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 This is kind of a strange idea, but my little sister used to love playing with tin foil. She'd make hats out of it, and shoes, and goodness knows what else. That's something you could supplement a dress-up box with, I guess. Also, do you have a boy or a girl? Since you're listing capes and hats, it sounds like your child is male, or at least won't appreciate tutus and wedding veils. My boys have loved pirate costumes. I even made my son his own pirate shirt out of cheap muslin using the instructions from this blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin0713 Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Play silks! Check out this blog post: http://cultivatedlives.blogspot.com/2011/07/play-silks-inspiring-creativity.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I don't know about near you, but around me, the whole month of October is a costume bonanza at the thrift store. Not just full Halloween costumes, but every kind of dress up bit comes out and gets a huge section. That's how I stocked us up when the kids were little. Costco brings out their Halloween stuff pretty early - it will probably be there within a month. One year, I know they had little 4 costumes in a bag deals - not super cheap, but reasonable. If you don't want to wait, you can often order hats in a collection from places. A collection of pretty, flowy scarves is good for dress up in general - they can be capes, wings, bonnets, slings, sashes, belts, skirts... you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Yep, the day after Halloween....or sometimes even the days leading up to it. That's when I fill my girls dress up box. Playsilks are good too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin0713 Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I've found that a lot of the halloween costumes are really junky and fall apart easily. We have invested in a few sets from Melissa and Doug (conductor, fire fighter) and some things from http://www.littledressupshop.com/ They are great quality. My MIL has bought the kids cheaper stuff and they seriously fall apart so fast. I think play silks are a great investment because you can do so many things with them. The kids do need some guidance at first though in how to use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinRTX Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Check garage sales and thrift stores. Jewelry is usually very cheap. And pretty tablecloths or sheets or towels can be made into many things. There is also old dance costumes and formals. Just pick up a few at a time and soon you have a great dress-up box (or 3). Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I can't believe no one has mentioned play SHOES!! :D We got a pack (can't remember how much it was, but it wasn't expensive) of play shoes for my dd for Christmas one year and she loved them. She wore them all the time even with her regular clothes. They were definitely the most popular items in her dress-up box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Play silks! Playsilks are good too. I third this idea. Play silks are wonderful. I made a bunch of my own. I just got some colorful, wrinkle-resistant fabric and hemmed it. My kids turn them in to dresses, tunics, tablecloths, oceans, fields, boquets of flowers, etc. Plus, you don't have to worry about stuff getting fitting only one child and not the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanaTron Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 My kids loved play silks when they were little. Endless possibilites there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I know it seems a long time off, but the week after Halloween is a great time to find cheap costumes of all sorts. This is what we do. They have Native American outfits made by myself, but the rest are Halloween clearance. They are NOT high quality items but they're fine for 75% off:) My boys LOVE to dress-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my2boysteacher Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I would love to get some dress-up clothes for my boys. What are some good 'historical' costumes for when they play Greek Heroes, or Minute Men, etc?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 hats, purses, sunbonnets, baskets, handkerchiefs and I 2nd looking for old costume pieces at thrift stores, garage sales, and consignment sales. WE have swords, knight hats, dinosaur hats, and I have girls :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Thank you for the excellent ideas! (I do have boys; though I'd like to have some girlie things on hand for friends) We do have playsilks, so I'll try to model creative costuming with them; and the hats & shoes ideas seem like cost-effective ways to start. The Melissa & Doug dress-up materials have caught my eye but I was ambivalent about spending the money; if they last a long time, that suits my general purchasing strategy, so they may be a good bet. -- has anyone a suggestion for a Waldorf source of how-tos for costumes? Like sturdy crowns, etc? One book I got from our library is Growing Up Sew Liberated, with play tent instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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