The last minute fancy dress costume dash

 

Having children means having a bottomless drawer of fancy dress costumes and an imagination to rival JK Rowling. Here’s just one example of why….

World Book Day. It’s an annual date that generates panic in this household. One of those that comes on far too fast and suddenly we find ourselves knee deep in costume preparation with less than 24 hours to go.

This year is no different. With nothing more than a craft box, an aging dressing up pile and a bit of imagination I need to conjure up three costumes for my children aged 9, 6 and 4. And I need to do it on a budget!

Most of the major supermarkets do great lines in fancy dress costumes these days but one of the things that I like about World Book Day is that it feels a bit more authentic than most. For one thing it’s not about TV or Film characters, although of course there will have been adaptations of most of the choices my children will make. I also like to think that it’s ok to be a bit more DIY with the costume making than I would for the average fancy dress party (and for DIY read tatty).

The great thing about making your own costumes is that you can involve your children and you can tailor the outfit to be exactly what they wanted to be. My nine year old announced that he wanted to be Fred Weasley from Harry Potter, he’s obsessed with the books and is currently ploughing his way through the last one. On a day where every other boy you bump into will be dressed as Harry Potter I thought this was quite an inspired choice, but it’s not the kind of costume you pick up easily.

Sitting down and planning it with him, we fixed on a jumper with an ‘F’ sewn on, in the style of all good Christmas jumpers, and a black robe with a Hogwarts badge attached – surely not to big a feat for the average sewing basket?

We’re still negotiating with the 6 and the 4 year old to see what they will be. The 4 year old expects to be able to be Upsy Daisy (again) despite the fact that her costume is now 2 years old and very unlikely to fit her, and yes I know – it’s a TV program but there are books as well! The 6 year old, who is much more contrary as a natural state has decreed that despite the fact that her favourite book is about fairies, she really doesn’t want to dress up as a fairy at all. That leaves us with a bit of a dilemma as I’m short on the ground of pretty much anything else.

Still, I have glue, felt and cardboard – surely we’ll be able to cobble something together at the last minute!

NB: The final outcome was Fred Weasley x 1, Maid Marion x 1, and Hello Kitty x1 – Job Done!
 

Monday, 4th April 2011

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