Dress up trunks

[*MamaJen*]

DS is almost 3, and he had such a blast dressing up this halloween that I want to put together a dress up trunk for him for christmas.
Any ideas for making it happen? My sisters and I had a great dress-up box as kids, but it was just a big open cardboard box. What's worked for you in terms of the actual storage? I want it to be kind of cool looking. I was thinking I may get a sturdy cardboard box with a separate lid and glue down some kind of cool wrapping paper on to it, or I may try to find an actual small trunk at a thrift store. I guess a plastic bin would also work.
Also, any ideas for filling it cheaply? One thing I noticed is that DS likes the hats and accessories better than the actual costume, so I'll look for those. I am massively sewing impaired, but I'm going to try to make him a couple of simple things like a superhero cape.
Also, he already has some stuff (a knight's helmet and sword, a train conductor cap, so part of the gift will be arranging stuff we already have).

[HappyMommy2]

Garage sales in Aug/Sept/Oct have lots of costumes for sale. So you can beef up his stash next summer.

Also hit up the after-halloween sales at Target and thrift stores. I-party also had their accessories (hats/glasses/ears/etc.) on sale the day after Halloween. It might still be worth checking before we get too far into November.

As for storage, I have my eye out for a wicker basket with a lid at Bed/Bath/Beyond or homegoods. That way it will be fine in the living room, and DH won't hate it like an eyesore!

[GuildJenn]

For filling it we mostly hit thrift stores - boas, shoes, ties, purses, and hats. Ours is in a drawer of a toy-friendly storage unit. Then I found some things on sale - fairy wings etc.

[joy2grow]

I put DD's dress up outfits & scarves in a large clear plastic bin w/ those flip up closing tabs on the side (from Target I believe). I like that it's clear b/c when things are easily visible DD is more likely to engage with them & the flip up tabs are so easy she's been able to do them herself since 2.5 yo when I put the "trunk" together.

I use those colorful fabric bins (bought mine at Lowe's) for extras - one for hats, one for props like fairy wings, swords, purses, sunglasses, etc. They sit on top of the trunk. This whole set up is in her bedroom - definitely not stylish enough for a living room, but fine in there. She also has a large mirror mounted on a wall near the dress up stuff and that is an important part of the experience for her.

Most of our stuff has come from thrift stores - I'm always on the prowl for fun additions. My best score was oversized tap shoes. They make every outfit super fun

[ollyoxenfree]

We had a hinged wooden trunk that's been in the family since I was a child.

It held all sorts of cast off clothes from me and DH (business suits and bridesmaid dresses), my old lab coats and stethoscope and reflex hammer, clip-on security ID cards, old Hallowe'en costumes, figure skating and dance routine costumes, hats and bags and scarves and sports jerseys... Almost anything was fair game for the dress up trunk.

Every year, I'd clean out the rattiest stuff - the boas that had lost most of the feathers, the warped wands with the sparkle rubbed off etc. and make room for new items.

[Autumn Breeze]

I love checking out the after Halloween clearance stuff

Both of my kids enjoy playing dress up (even though the 9 yr old stashes his stuff away in his closet )

[HollyBearsMom]

We have a huge wicker basket that I found at yard sale that works very well. He is almost 9 and still uses it. Now a days it full of old halloween costumes, hats, my husbands old jackets etc. At 3 it was mostly thrift worthy clothing of ours and hand me downs from my siblings kids.

[ellairiesmom]

On storage...
I have been switching back & forth between a bin that slides under her bed & something like this that everything hangs from & is mounted low on the wall behind her door.

I am liking the hanging dress up storage option more because she can see the items better & everything is staying a bit more organized.

As for our dress up items-my mom got a huge box filled from a co worker-enough to split between our dd & her cousin. ask around because you never know who might have dress up clothes to give away.

she has recd a few new items as gifts too & we may add a couple this year for christmas...i'm looking on ebay, craigslist & sales...

[crazylady]

My son loves dress up! He got hooked after his gma gave him his first dress up box. It was a sturdy cardboard box covered with cool paper. That box was demolished within the first year. We have been using a big tupperware type thing for the big hats and other big things. Then he has small boxes for the accessories. He is 4 and loves that his jewelry is in one box and his tools are in another.