Schools across the country celebrate World Book Day, encouraging children and adults alike to delve into the pages of their favourite books and bring their favourite character to life. But we know that it can get expensive if you have to go out and buy a new costume every year, which is why making your own World Book Day costume can be a fun, rewarding, and budget-friendly alternative.
In this blog post, we explore the benefits of making your children’s costumes, sprinkling in some money-saving tips, as well as talking to Hippychick’s very own costume making whizz about her experience of making her own costumes!
Make memories you can cherish
Get the kids involved! Crafting costumes together can be a great activity for the whole family, offering quality time together that is fun, yet rewarding. It’s a great way to develop your child’s creativity as well as your own, laugh at the inevitable hiccups along the way and ultimately, create something you’re all really proud of – and most importantly that your child is prepared to actually wear to school!
Encourages creativity and sparks imagination
Creating your own costume is a fantastic way to engage your child’s imagination. Getting them involved from the very start of the process means that your child can think creatively about how to represent their favourite character. This can spark discussions about the character, deepening your child’s connection to the story and enhancing their understanding and appreciation of the book.
Teaches your child how to be resourceful
DIY costume making often involves figuring out how to turn everyday materials into something extraordinary. This problem-solving aspect can be incredibly beneficial for children, teaching them to think outside the box and develop solutions to creative challenges. This is also where the money-saving element comes in. Think about what materials you already have at home. Old clothes, newspapers and craft supplies, can all be transformed into costume elements with a little bit of imagination and creativity.
If you haven’t got exactly what you need, head to bargain stores like The Range or Charity Shops to find what you need at a fraction of the cost of going to a Craft Shop, like Hobbycraft.
Customise it to how your child wants it
DIY costumes can be tailored exactly to your or your child’s preferences, ensuring a unique and personalised outfit that stands out from store-bought options. But don’t get too carried away, a great way to save money is to keep it simple. Sometimes just a simple prop can bring a costume to life, for example give someone a wand and some glasses and they instantly become Harry Potter!
Utilise online resources to find inspiration
If you’re thinking you don’t know where to start, don’t let this stop you – there are countless tutorials and design ideas online for creating DIY costumes. Pinterest is a great place to get design inspiration to help get you started.
Recycle and reuse
If you loved your first experience of creating your own costume, you can always reuse and recycle it next year to create a whole new costume!
Hippychick’s own costume designer
Olivia, Hippychick’s Social Media Content Creator, has been creating her own World Book Day costumes for years. Olivia’s approach is all about using what she has at home to bring the costume to life.
Olivia’s top tip is to involve your children in the process “It’s a great way to get the kids involved and invested in their character. It’s a bonding experience not only with me as a parent but for them as siblings as well.”.
Olivia’s top money-saving tip is to reuse what you have at home, and if you need to go out and get something new, then head to The Range, they always have what I need at a really good price”. But it’s not something that Olivia has just picked up recently, she was inspired by her parents who used to make her own costumes growing up “It’s become a bit of a family tradition really, so I wanted to keep this going for my kids”.
Making your own costumes for World Book Day is a rewarding experience that offers countless benefits. It’s a chance to be creative, save money and make memories with your children. By following our money-saving tips and drawing inspiration from the experiences of our very own Olivia, you can create memorable, unique costumes that stand out from the crowd. So this World Book Day, why not embrace the challenge and craft your own costume?