GEEK PARENTING ON A BUDGET – DRESS UP TIME!
Every kid loves to play dress up and pretend they're someone or something else. As a geek parent, this is one of my favorite things to do with my little geek. We pretend to be superheroes, robots, and talking cats.Costumes are expensive, though. Never mind all the special props like a sonic screwdriver or Green Lantern's lantern. I'm jealous of those geek parents who can afford to buy the awesome outfits so the whole family can be the crew of Serenity or the Power Rangers. And those clever nerds were are talented enough to make spectacular costumes.
Every time I try to sew something, I end up with bandages on all my fingers. We also live on a budget. There are still tons of ways to have dress up fun. Here are a few tips:
1. Post-Halloween sales. Costumes, make-up, and accessories all on sale for 50%. And if you wait a week, it'll be 75% to 80% off. I stock up on the face paint because my little geek loves to pretend he's different animals. Children's costumes do sell out fast, but no worries. Buy adult ones and cut them to fit the kids.
2. Recyclables are your friend. You might only see trash, but through a child's eyes, an empty tissue box can be turned into a treasure chest and the paper towel roll into a telescope. One of my favorite recyclable-made accessories is a jet pack. Grab two 2 liter plastic bottles and tape them together. Have your little geek decorate them and use construction paper to make straps. Then blast off!
3. Second-hand clothes. Whether you get them at a yard sale, a thrift store, or from the back of your closet, don't underestimate the value of these old duds. Adult size button-up shirts make excellent robes. Black for a Hogwarts student and white for White Mage from Final Fantasy. Big t-shirts can be tied around the waist with ribbon or string to make them tunics for knights in training.
What costumes have you made on a budget?
Those are great tips, Christine. When my daughter got older (she has been going out way later than most-like try still while in college), I've had her wear the same costume more than one year.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie! My son has a Batman costume that he's worn a couple of times now. Though I don't think it's going to work this year since he announced Cyborg is now his favorite superhero, not Batman!
DeleteSmart to wait until after the holiday to stock up. And some old clothes and face paint can go a long way.
ReplyDeleteKids are happy with just a little. He's been pretending to be a leprechaun lately, so I've pulling out all our green clothes. (Just wait, in ten years, I have a leprechaun movie to show him! *LOL*)
DeleteThanks so much for hosting me this week, you lovely ladies of RRHA! :)
ReplyDeleteSo happy to have you!!
DeleteI miss the dress up days. And the make-believe. My kids had dog personas and I'd let them eat under the table. People thought I was a nut, but hey...they're all geniuses now. I am vindicated!!
Glad to know I'm on the right track with my kid then! I swear there were days when I thought he would only bark. :)
DeleteHi Tara and Christine - congratulations on your thriftiness .. makes so much sense at certain times in lives .. especially when times are difficult dollar/pound wise ... love his little face x two - brilliant - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Hilary!
DeleteI've never made a costume. My mom made me a Jayne hat a few years back, and my sister-in-law started to help me make a River Tam dress—all to be worn should I ever make it to San Diego comic con.
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to make costumes for us kids when we were younger. She made this amazing dinosaur costume for my brother one year, then made him wear it until he grew out of it. Then the next-door neighbors' kids all wore it.
Great tips!
Thank you, M.J.! I'm jealous of your Jayne hat. My mom was not crafty, but she made a monster costume out of a garbage bag one year for my brother and a construction paper witch hat for me.
DeleteHey, is that soda bottle jet pack just for kids? I'm asking... for a friend. Yeah, that's it ;-)
ReplyDeleteHehehe. You could make the straps any size you want. For your friend, of course. ;)
DeleteI used to make ours, but I've hung up my needle and taken up the pen or the keyboard. Your suggestions are great.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lee! The most I do with a needle is sew holes in the knees of pants.
DeleteMy kids never cared much about their costumes for Halloween. We often recycled from one child down to the next. A new mask here and there fit the dark robes we kept from year to year.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I honestly don't think kids care until they're older.
DeleteVery clever and economical. A cat that flushes the toilet? ROFL you know I always wanted my cats to do that, but never could get them to do it or show interest. Very cool>
ReplyDeleteJuneta @ Writer's Gambit
Thanks, Juneta! I think the cat was just interested in the noise when we first adopted him. Nowadays, he's trying to figure out how to turn doorknobs!
DeleteSo many great tips! It's been a long time since I last had the opportunity to dress up, but yeah, I'm not surprised at all over how expensive it can get. I recently took advantage of a post-Valentine's sale to stock up on some gift-wrapping supplies, so I can just imagine how good post-Halloween ones are for costumes and such!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heather. Oh yeah, I always go to those post-holiday sales. I need a chocolate stash on my desk, and now that I'm old, I don't want the cheap stuff. So I have to wait until the good stuff is on sale!
DeleteThese are great ideas, Christine! It's amazing what you can do with a little creativity and ingenuity. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks to the RRH crew for hosting her!
Thank you, Karen!
DeleteI'm ALL about second hand!!! Clever. And your son is adorable!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tammy! :)
Delete