Dress up costumes help kids to expand their imagination because they love to pretend to be someone else. Store bought costumes and handmade costumes can provide endless hours of play. They can become a favorite character, scary monster, princess, pirate, fairy and the list goes on and on. For those who are shopping for Christmas gifts for kids, dress up costumes make the perfect gift.
A great way to save money on costume gifts for kids is by waiting until the day after Halloween and purchase dress up costumes on clearance. This is also an ideal time to add to the kid’s collection of play dress up clothes.
Both boys and girls love to play make believe by dressing up in costumes and pretending to be someone or something else. For many years, there have been some classic costumes that are popular dress up favorites of children. They will surely continue to be loved by kids for many more years. These would include animal, profession and imaginary costumes.
Popular Dress Up Costumes for girls:
- Fairy
- Butterfly
- Cheerleader
- Pop Star
- Witch
- Majorette
- Nurse
- Cat
- Rabbit
- Zookeeper
- Mermaid
- Bride
- Princess
- Angel
- Ballerina
- Lady bug
- Beautician
- Doctor
- Queen
- Bumble bee
- Tooth Fairy
Popular Dress Up Costumes for Boys:
- Postman
- Golfer
- Astronaut
- Doctor
- Fireman
- Fire fighter
- Soldier
- Construction worker
- Policeman
- Ninja
- Skeleton
- Monster
- Race car driver
- Ghost
- Pilot
- Dentist
- Boxer
- Barber
- Hunter
- King
- Pirate
- Puppy
- Cow
- Horse
Throughout the years there have been numerous character costumes that have become classics with kids. However, children’s fantasy heroes change and there are new dress up costumes continuously being offered for sale on the market. For this reason, costume Christmas gifts for kids are becoming more and more popular every day.
Character Dress Up Costumes for Kids:
- Barbie
- Sleeping Beauty
- Belle from Beauty and the Beast
- Tinkerbelle
- Cinderella
- Snow White
- Hanna Montana
- Jessie from Toy Story
- Dora the Explorer
- Bratz dolls
- Moxi girl dolls
- Divas
- Fiona
- Shrek
- Mario
- Luigi
- Donkey Kong characters
- Harry Potter
- Batman
- Darth Vader
- Skywalker
- Star Wars
- Toy Story characters
- Bakugan
- Transformer
- X=Men
- Spider man
- Pokemon
Christmas is equally a festive time for kids to dress up in Christmas costumes. There are various holiday costumes that kids enjoy wearing for playtime or to participate in passing out gifts. There are quite a few choices to choose from.
Kids Christmas Costumes:
- Snowflake
- Reindeer
- Grinch
- Santa
- Angel
- Nutcracker
- Elf
- Mrs. Clause
- Christmas Tree
- Shepard
- Star
- Ornament
- Sheep
- Mary and Joseph
- Wise men
- Bell
- Christmas present
Individuals can also make homemade costumes and accessories for gifts. Little boys love capes and this is an important piece to many favorite super hero costumes.
Capes can be achieved by obtaining a piece of fabric that measures a little over a square yard. After cutting the fabric it should be folded, using the raw edge; the fold should resemble a triangle shape. Next, starting at the folded edge, a draw a large circle onto the fabric. Then at the top of the circle, a smaller circle should be drawn for the opening for the head. Cut along the drawn circles and unfolded. The edges of the cape should be hemmed and a tie or button can be added to the neck lining in order to hold the cape in place.
Many characters require a tail and kids love wearing one when playing dress up. Fortunately, making a tail is quite simple. Individuals must start out by measuring the child’s waist and then cutting a piece of fabric just a couple inches longer than the waist measurements. Simply attach any type of tail at the center back of the fabric waistband.
Every little girl loves to play dress up using a tutu. For an easy traditional design, purchase stiff tulle consisting of a measurement of four inches, plus the width of the child’s waist. This will be used as the outline for the elastic waist. The short ends should be folded under approximately 1/2 inch and the casing should be folded in half (in length), then basted shut. Next, the tulle should be cut three times longer than the child’s measured waist size, then folded and stitched along the raw edges, throughout the top. All excess material should be cut and elastic should be cut (one inch smaller than child’s waist) and inserted into the casing, then sewed. A tie or button can be added, for proper closure.
Those who are exceptionally talented should think about making complete personalized costumes for the children on their Christmas shopping list. There are various patterns available for almost any type of dress up play clothes. Handmade costumes tend to fit better and last longer than store bought costumes. In addition, there are loads of ideas and instructions online for making them. Just ask the children who their favorite characters are and make them a gift they will remember for years to come.
It is easy to see why kids are so fascinated with costumes and will spend hours on end playing dress up. It is fun for them to fantasize about living in the world of their favorite character or pretending they are something or someone else. Whether store bought or handmade, dress up costumes definitely make perfect Christmas gifts for kids.
Source:
Essortment: Homade Halloween Costumes
Bambi Hokanson - Bambi has worked in the past as an illustrator, editor and proofreader. She is currently working as a freelance writer. Bambi loves ...
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