If you’re creative with costumes

ctgal20

Thu, Jan 07 2021, 9:04 pm

And don’t just buy ready made... where do you find pieces?

MiriFr

Thu, Jan 07 2021, 9:36 pm

Depends what you’re making. What do you have in mind?

ctgal20

Thu, Jan 07 2021, 9:48 pm

MiriFr wrote:

Depends what you’re making. What do you have in mind?

not sure yet but let’s say football players or cowboys

SnowLeopard

Thu, Jan 07 2021, 10:14 pm

When I used to have time, I’d spend months looking around for just the right things! Amazon is always a great bet, but you can look at Etsy, party city, and oriental trading since you have more time! I'd also look in my closet to see what clothes I had that I could use. I'd also recommend thinking of the small finishing touches. Like when we did Cowboys, we bought bolo ties off of Amazon for a few dollars and it really helped complete the look!

shanie5

Thu, Jan 07 2021, 10:34 pm

Goodwill and 2nd hand clothing stores.

byisrael

Fri, Jan 08 2021, 4:42 am

I do a lot of DIY so if I was doing football players I would make my own Helmut
https://www.etsy.com/listing/6.....0Sl9V
http://www.ginatepper.com/milk.....lmet/

t- shirts + leggings amazon/walmart
felt for symbols Michaels/craft store

cowboys I would look for plaid shirts + jeans/jean skirts in thrift stores, buy hats + bandanas in the local costume stores/oriental trading's

If diy is not your style/ your not naturally creative - don't fall for pressure. Just buy. I love this stuff but you do you.

flower2

Fri, Jan 08 2021, 5:56 am

When we did football I found a really cheap sporting website (I got generic football jerseys/Pants for like $5 each). Epicsports.com
It took time to dig thru to find what I wanted but was so much cheaper than anywhere else.

amother

Chartreuse

Fri, Jan 08 2021, 4:01 pm

I've been collecting items with potential forever. The first costume I made myself was Queen Esther, with my long skirt fashioned from several of my mother's large square silky scarves tied around my waist, a necklace made by stringing old buttons on thread, and a crown fashioned from a bracelet bobby-pinned to my head. I was four.

Anything that looks remotely usable for costume purposes is squirreled away, including but not limited to:
fancy trim from ruined formalwear, old evening bags, old hats, and curtains
old jeweled belts and costume jewelry
Feathers from an old feather duster.
Fabric from old coat linings, sheets and bedspreads, towels
Ribbons, fake flowers and other ornaments from candy boxes, mishloach manot packages and other gifts
jewels, buttons, pompoms and googly eyes from my children's preschool art projects,
rattail braid from fancy shopping bag handles

once in a while I'll buy something from a thrift shop or something small like fabric paint or glitter glue or a fabric remnant from the bargain bin.

I take old hats and redecorate with whatever suits my fancy: Kleenex flowers, silk flowers from candy boxes, huge bows made of velvet or satin or poufs of netting saved from onion bags, stuffed birds, you name it. I've taken old felt hats and steamed and reshaped them into something completely different.

I seldom start out thinking 'I want to be a traditional Greek woman, do I have that costume?' Because I don't have costumes; I have materials. One fine day in July or September I might be looking at an embroidered dishtowel and think that it vaguely resembles a traditional Greek woman's embroidered apron.

See

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Greek.....m4598

for the costume I mean.

Then I consider the rest of the costume and look to see if I have or can make the various elements with materials I already have. Let's see, a kerchief...yes, I have a white gauzy one in my scarf collection. Great. Embroidered skirt and tunic...no, but I can use a big white T-shirt for the tunic and make a skirt out of an old sheet or a couple of cafe curtains and embellish them with marker or fabric paint. Braided-trim vest...no, but I can make one by cutting off the sleeves of this old jacket lining....and here's a remnant of gold braid from the hem of an old gown, just enough to trim the front edges. Gold coin trim for kerchief and necklace...no, but I may have some big gold sequins, and if not, I can cut some rounds of thin cardboard and cover with gold foil or paint with gold paint. done!

After Purim I usually deconstruct the costume, fully or in part, to reuse the materials. I have a length of fabric that has served as a sari, a harem girl's veil, a dirndl skirt, at least three times as a cape, and once as the veil attached to a hennin (the conical medieval "duncecap" headdress we associate with princesses in fairytales).

DVOM

Sat, Jan 09 2021, 6:31 pm

Love reading how your creative mind works!!!

I see a little, and have made my boys capes and crowns and armour and quivers and holsters for their 'weapons', not necessarily for Purim, they just really love dressing up!

amother

Silver

Sat, Jan 09 2021, 7:04 pm

dollar stores has wings etc

bigsis144

Sat, Jan 09 2021, 7:22 pm

I specifically choose things that I can assemble with pieces from a thrift shop jazzed up with a few specific items online to make it just right.

I also don’t usually have group themes. One kid has wanted to be a ninja for the past 3 years, and I’m happy to let that be his simchas Purim.

But on the occasions where I have tried to coordinate multiple family members, I just coordinate them. No matchy-matchy. So I pick themes that have some individuality, ex. “pirates” or “nebulously medieval-esque fantasy characters” or “1920s”. I wouldn’t try to make matching UPS delivery people or people from the same sports team, etc.

bigsis144

Sat, Jan 09 2021, 7:39 pm

My eldest likes to have “real” costumes for school dress up day - not cheap nylon stuff.

We’ve done:

- WWI flying ace:
— Thrifted:
Brown leather aviator jacket
Long scarf
Tweed cap
— Already owned:
Black pants
Black shoes and socks
Makeup for old-timey mustaches
— Bought online:
Aviator goggles

- Pirate:
— Thrifted:
Loose cream-colored men’s shirt
2-3 cool looking leather belts
Cool necklaces: one actually had a compass pendant
— Already owned:
Black pants
Knee high leather boots (an old pair of mine with cool buckles)
Makeup for pirate mustaches
— Bought online:
Tricorn hat

Detective:
— Thrifted:
Kids size trench coat
— Already owned:
Old fedora
Black pants
White shirt
— Bought online:
Pack of stick-on mustaches
Magnifying glass

- Barbarian/Viking:
— Thifted:
Solid brown tshirt
Faux suede tunic, I cut the sleeves off
Multiple sheepskin-fleece (brown on one side, wooly white on the other; not real sheepskin/leather, thinner and fake) vests. One to wear as is, other to cut up to make wraps for his knee-high “boots”
— Already owned:
Wide leather belt
Grey pants
— Bought:
Black cord to tie around leg wraps
Dark blue liquid lipstick for “war paint” (I looked up some cool Celtic designs for his face and hands)

amother

Chartreuse

Sat, Jan 09 2021, 9:07 pm

bigsis144 wrote:

But on the occasions where I have tried to coordinate multiple family members, I just coordinate them. No matchy-matchy. So I pick themes that have some individuality, ex. “pirates” or “nebulously medieval-esque fantasy characters” or “1920s”. .

LOL re: bolded.