Dress-up: Fun and CHEAP!Aug 20 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Keep your child's age in mind, choose safe fun clothes, get the items from stores, friends and even your own closet. Have fun!
Dress-up can be fun for the whole family. Invest in a nice sturdy dress-up chest to store all your beautiful clothing, shoes and accessories. Hit closeout sales, thrift shops and dollar stores to find the best bargains, and don’t be afraid to put in some of YOUR old clothes too! Below are some suggestions for the perfect dress-up box. Where to put it: Make sure you don’t skimp in this department. You want a dress-up box that can and WILL stand the test of time. If your kids are anything like MY kids (And the kids I care for) they will tear through that box everyday! Buy a nice sturdy chest with a hinged top. I suggest Rubbermaid, they have the best track record in my home. The box we have is lightweight, about 4 feet across, 2 feet deep and has a strong and light hinged top (If it were to fall on the kids while rummaging through the box, it’s light enough that it won’t hurt.). The Cover is so strong I can sit on it without it bending or buckling under me. Even if you don’t have a lot of room, you can still get a big box! Take advantage of all that dusty space under the bed or in the back of the closet. Kids will love to dig out the dress-up box and discover the “Treasures” within. If you don’t want it in the bedroom, choose a box or chest that goes with your living room furniture and store it off to the side in the family room, the dinning room or the basement if you have too. What to put in it: Anything goes in a dress-up box. We have gone from the elegant (Butterfly Princess Barbie dress) to the mundane (Dad’s old wallet) and even the STRANGE (a bright pull over shirt with orange, red, green, blue, pink pin stripes Contributed by my sister.) Dig in your closet for those long forgotten shoes from the 70’s, or that ugly orange purse collecting dust in the basement. How about one of Dad’s old work shirts or overalls? Who said it has to be all girl clothes! We have old wallets, baseball caps, work shirts and men’s shorts as well as all the “Girly” things. My mother has given several old purses in many shades as well as old skirts and dresses. I suggest a SMALL box to go inside the dress-up box to store jewelry and small items (Please keep your selections appropriate for the age of children you have. No small jewelry or buttons for babies and toddlers!) Put in rings, necklaces, clip on earrings, bracelets and the like. You can even make and art project out of this! Take an old shoebox, paint it a pretty color, add stickers and glitter and you have a hand-made jewelry box your kids can be proud of! But where do I GET all this stuff?: This is easy! Look in your closet, your husband’s closet, even in your kids’ closets! You never know what is lurking in Grandma’s attic or in the basement at Auntie’s house, so go ahead and ask around. Thrift store, Second Hand shops, Factory closeout sales and clearance racks are all GREAT places to find cheap and fun clothes. Don’t forget the family outing to the neighbor’s yard sale! Go for Bright and outrageous styles; add in some frilly pink things, some plain everyday clothes and you have the perfect dress-up box. You can always go to the toy store and buy the feather boa, white gloves and fancy dress-up shoes to add flare. There is a wide selection of dresses, shirts and jewelry in the toy store. You can also find less feminine things like Hardhats and tool belts (Which my two girls LOVE!) to add to the box. Final Thoughts: My sister is the one who started the dress-up box for my kids, she included many items from her own closet as well as store bought clothes and jewelry. Over the years out box has grown and changed to fit the style and taste of the kids. Don't forget to wash the clothes every now and then. I like to go through the box every few months and throw out the things the kids don’t use anymore, or just fold them and stick them in storage for a later time. I add in new items all the time, then wait to see how long until they notice the new things! Everyone has heard me say it before, and I will continue to say it: Above all, HAVE FUN! They are only young once; so let them have fun pretending and playing and dressing up to be anything they can imagine! Make sure to have your camera ready at all times, you never know when you may get an impromptu show!  |
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