World Book Day - Any Suggestions for making a character costume?

Mumof3 · **Posted: 28-02-2009 , 11:28 AM** #1

Given the fact that it is World Book Day next week our local school are asking children to dress up like their favourite character from any well know book. The catch is that the costume is not to be shop bought but to be made or used from clothes or material at home.

Please please help me with this one. My little girl is nine and my son is 7. Any suggestions or help would be most welcome.

Kind regards and thank you for reading.

ireneo · **Posted: 28-02-2009 , 02:56 PM** #2

Hi Mumof3
My nine year old sons school did the same last year and I just dressed him in an old style waistcoat, white shirt and old trousers. I dyed his hair orange with food colouring, gave him little freckles with a brown marker, got a narrow lenght of white plastic piping and sunglasses and he went as a young Louie Braille.
If you Google Louie Braille, you will see the photo of him as a boy when he first started.
My son had his photo taken like that for our local bookshop

mrsl · **Posted: 28-02-2009 , 03:49 PM** #3

Dorothy from Wizard of Oz might be easy to do
White blouse, blue dress/skirt, pigtails, basket, white socks and red shoes complete the costume. See http://images.ozcostumes.com/child-dorothy-costume.jpg

Harry Potter - white shirt, tie, black cloak, and glasses. http://blog.beliefnet.com/pontificat...y%20Potter.jpg

Tin Man from Wizard of Oz - lots and lots of tin foil! http://www.ozcostumes.com/child-tin-man-costume.html

Tracey Beaker from the Jacqueline Wilson stories - Black curly wig, striped rugby shirt, red trousers
http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images...y_beaker_d.jpg

Elmer the elephant - lots of different coloured patches sewn together! http://www.beginningtoinquire.ecsd.net/Elmer.jpg

Little Red Riding Hood http://www.menalto.com/gallery/d/413...iding+Hood.JPG

The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss http://www.afn.org/~afn15301/pics/catnhat2.gif

Mumof3 · **Posted: 28-02-2009 , 09:17 PM** #4

Thanks Ireneo and Mrsl. You have both given me food for thought. Will try tomorrow and see from all the suggestion what I can put together. Many thanks again. Regards.

Mumof3 · **Posted: 01-03-2009 , 11:26 PM** #5

Hi I have to say I have tried to replicate the suggestions that I have been given but unfortunately I dont seem to have whats needed ie. waitcoat... etc etc.. does anybody have any ideas that are foolproof because I really am not that creative... pls help....

Mumof3 · **Posted: 02-03-2009 , 03:42 PM** #6

OMG my 9 year old daughter has just come home from school and informed me that she has to dress up as a fairy-tale character for world book day and to cap it all it absolutely, definitely must be home made even though I have plenty of dress up clothes nothing would be home made.

Can anybody please help me with ideas for this one????

Please please please and thank you.

Regards.

maggiemoo · **Posted: 02-03-2009 , 04:25 PM** #7

what about a white pyjamas with black marker writing all over it .....all the different book titles.....go as a library!!!!

toddler · **Posted: 02-03-2009 , 04:40 PM** #8

How about Cinderella for you daughter? normal dress with off cuts of different materials tacked on, that way you still have the original dress. If you don't have different bits of material about, get some white cotton and food dye, not permanant, but then neither is world book day.
Good luck

ireneo · **Posted: 02-03-2009 , 04:45 PM** #9

If your daughter is not a girlie girl and doesnt mind being a boy character, She could wear a white shortsleeve shirt with a ribbon tied in a bow around her neck, a pair of dugarees cut into shorts, gloves, hat and then straighten out four wire coat hangers, bend the ends around her wrists and join them all together high up over her head and tape them to 2 sticks in an x shape, two rosey red cheeks and you have a pinocchio puppet. If that description makes sense.
You could then paint or wrap wool around the wires to make them look like string.
She can even wear tights, Im sure they will be needed
You might have to join two hangers together to make sure its high enough over her head to let her move around normally.
Ps: lI should have said, loop one hanger around each wrist and the other two hangers going down the back and tied around the belt holes on her dungarees

ireneo · **Posted: 02-03-2009 , 05:14 PM** #10

Or The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Two rectangles cut from a white sheet from her neck to half way down her shin. sew them together, leaving holes for her head and arms, again, a coat hanger from either side of her neck out to just past her shoulders, cut lots of hearts from red material to stick all over her and a crown on her head

Mumof3 · **Posted: 02-03-2009 , 07:04 PM** #11

Great stuff Ireneo, I will go for the queen of heart, seems the simplist option for me and i am not too handy with this type of thing, but that does sound good.

thanks for that

Mumof3 · **Posted: 02-03-2009 , 07:16 PM** #12

Thanks to everybody who has replied to this. I really appreciate it and need to get working on it soon...

Mumof3 · **Posted: 05-03-2009 , 10:12 PM** #13

Now that I am all organised for this, I would like to be super-organised for next year (because this year nearly killed me.... lol.... spent 2 days making the Queen of Hearts idea) yes I am that bad creative wise and kneedle wise.... another lol....

Just an idea if anybody is handy with material and thread, would you be willing, in advance of course, to make up costumes from characters from books.

I do know that we can buy these and I have lots (from Halloween) but when a school is looking for home-made things, I, as a parent, who is not very creative, find it very hard and extremely stressful. And when we have them we could pass them around to whoever needs them.... Would be a great re-cycling idea...

Just an idea and any thoughts would be most welcome.

kind regard.s

ireneo · **Posted: 05-03-2009 , 10:57 PM** #14

Hi
Great idea. I love making costumes. I never buy them, You cant beat homemade original ideas for all occasions. Count me in. The only one I have a photo of at the moment is my 9yr old son at last years Halloween Ball as the invisible man. It didnt cost one cent. I am a true believer in coat hangers.
With coat hangers, any costume is possible.
Count me in

Mumof3 · **Posted: 06-03-2009 , 09:07 AM** #15

Good on you Ireneo, I am hopeless mind you my little girl is quite happy with her costome, will try take a photo when she comes home from school...

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	Posted: 28-02-2009 , 11:28 AM #1
Mumof3 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Leixlip, Co. Kildare Posts: 1,217	World Book Day - Any Suggestions for making a character costume? Given the fact that it is World Book Day next week our local school are asking children to dress up like their favourite character from any well know book. The catch is that the costume is not to be shop bought but to be made or used from clothes or material at home. Please please help me with this one. My little girl is nine and my son is 7. Any suggestions or help would be most welcome. Kind regards and thank you for reading.

	Posted: 28-02-2009 , 02:56 PM #2
ireneo Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 369	Hi Mumof3 My nine year old sons school did the same last year and I just dressed him in an old style waistcoat, white shirt and old trousers. I dyed his hair orange with food colouring, gave him little freckles with a brown marker, got a narrow lenght of white plastic piping and sunglasses and he went as a young Louie Braille. If you Google Louie Braille, you will see the photo of him as a boy when he first started. My son had his photo taken like that for our local bookshop

	Posted: 28-02-2009 , 03:49 PM #3
mrsl Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Newbridge, Co. Kildare Posts: 455	some ideas Dorothy from Wizard of Oz might be easy to do White blouse, blue dress/skirt, pigtails, basket, white socks and red shoes complete the costume. See http://images.ozcostumes.com/child-dorothy-costume.jpg Harry Potter - white shirt, tie, black cloak, and glasses. http://blog.beliefnet.com/pontificat...y%20Potter.jpg Tin Man from Wizard of Oz - lots and lots of tin foil! http://www.ozcostumes.com/child-tin-man-costume.html Tracey Beaker from the Jacqueline Wilson stories - Black curly wig, striped rugby shirt, red trousers http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images...y_beaker_d.jpg Elmer the elephant - lots of different coloured patches sewn together! http://www.beginningtoinquire.ecsd.net/Elmer.jpg Little Red Riding Hood http://www.menalto.com/gallery/d/413...iding+Hood.JPG The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss http://www.afn.org/~afn15301/pics/catnhat2.gif

	Posted: 28-02-2009 , 09:17 PM #4
Mumof3 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Leixlip, Co. Kildare Posts: 1,217	Thanks Ireneo and Mrsl. You have both given me food for thought. Will try tomorrow and see from all the suggestion what I can put together. Many thanks again. Regards.

	Posted: 01-03-2009 , 11:26 PM #5
Mumof3 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Leixlip, Co. Kildare Posts: 1,217	Hi I have to say I have tried to replicate the suggestions that I have been given but unfortunately I dont seem to have whats needed ie. waitcoat... etc etc.. does anybody have any ideas that are foolproof because I really am not that creative... pls help....

	Posted: 02-03-2009 , 03:42 PM #6
Mumof3 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Leixlip, Co. Kildare Posts: 1,217	OMG my 9 year old daughter has just come home from school and informed me that she has to dress up as a fairy-tale character for world book day and to cap it all it absolutely, definitely must be home made even though I have plenty of dress up clothes nothing would be home made. Can anybody please help me with ideas for this one???? Please please please and thank you. Regards.

	Posted: 02-03-2009 , 04:25 PM #7
maggiemoo Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cork Posts: 26	costume what about a white pyjamas with black marker writing all over it .....all the different book titles.....go as a library!!!!

	Posted: 02-03-2009 , 04:40 PM #8
toddler Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon Posts: 52	Cinderella How about Cinderella for you daughter? normal dress with off cuts of different materials tacked on, that way you still have the original dress. If you don't have different bits of material about, get some white cotton and food dye, not permanant, but then neither is world book day. Good luck

	Posted: 02-03-2009 , 04:45 PM #9
ireneo Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 369	If your daughter is not a girlie girl and doesnt mind being a boy character, She could wear a white shortsleeve shirt with a ribbon tied in a bow around her neck, a pair of dugarees cut into shorts, gloves, hat and then straighten out four wire coat hangers, bend the ends around her wrists and join them all together high up over her head and tape them to 2 sticks in an x shape, two rosey red cheeks and you have a pinocchio puppet. If that description makes sense. You could then paint or wrap wool around the wires to make them look like string. She can even wear tights, Im sure they will be needed You might have to join two hangers together to make sure its high enough over her head to let her move around normally. Ps: lI should have said, loop one hanger around each wrist and the other two hangers going down the back and tied around the belt holes on her dungarees

	Posted: 02-03-2009 , 05:14 PM #10
ireneo Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 369	Or The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Two rectangles cut from a white sheet from her neck to half way down her shin. sew them together, leaving holes for her head and arms, again, a coat hanger from either side of her neck out to just past her shoulders, cut lots of hearts from red material to stick all over her and a crown on her head

	Posted: 02-03-2009 , 07:04 PM #11
Mumof3 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Leixlip, Co. Kildare Posts: 1,217	Great stuff Ireneo, I will go for the queen of heart, seems the simplist option for me and i am not too handy with this type of thing, but that does sound good. thanks for that

	Posted: 02-03-2009 , 07:16 PM #12
Mumof3 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Leixlip, Co. Kildare Posts: 1,217	Thanks to everybody who has replied to this. I really appreciate it and need to get working on it soon...

	Posted: 05-03-2009 , 10:12 PM #13
Mumof3 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Leixlip, Co. Kildare Posts: 1,217	Now that I am all organised for this, I would like to be super-organised for next year (because this year nearly killed me.... lol.... spent 2 days making the Queen of Hearts idea) yes I am that bad creative wise and kneedle wise.... another lol.... Just an idea if anybody is handy with material and thread, would you be willing, in advance of course, to make up costumes from characters from books. I do know that we can buy these and I have lots (from Halloween) but when a school is looking for home-made things, I, as a parent, who is not very creative, find it very hard and extremely stressful. And when we have them we could pass them around to whoever needs them.... Would be a great re-cycling idea... Just an idea and any thoughts would be most welcome. kind regard.s

	Posted: 05-03-2009 , 10:57 PM #14
ireneo Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 369	Hi Great idea. I love making costumes. I never buy them, You cant beat homemade original ideas for all occasions. Count me in. The only one I have a photo of at the moment is my 9yr old son at last years Halloween Ball as the invisible man. It didnt cost one cent. I am a true believer in coat hangers. With coat hangers, any costume is possible. Count me in

	Posted: 06-03-2009 , 09:07 AM #15
Mumof3 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Leixlip, Co. Kildare Posts: 1,217	Good on you Ireneo, I am hopeless mind you my little girl is quite happy with her costome, will try take a photo when she comes home from school...