Storage for dress-up clothes?

[Curlyfry7]

As this is one of the few things my DS will actually PLAY with, we have a slowly growing collection of dress up clothes. We have currently outgrown the small wicker hinged chest that we had been using, and I am trying to figure out what we should go for next-either a larger chest-type thing with a lid, or something we can hang stuff in, with a space underneath for hats, etc.

My anal, want-things-to-be-organized self says to get something we can hang stuff in, as it will be more organized and the kids can see what they are looking for more easily. However, my kids are currently too young to be hanging stuff up (well, DS should be able to soon, but) which means *I* will be the one picking it all up at the end of the day or at least hanging up what they dump for me.

So my get-what's-easier self says to get the chest-the kids can just dump things in it when they are done. However, they will constantly be digging for what they are looking for and in the meantime strewing the rest of the stuff around.

So, what have you organized moms done? What worked better and why? I am in the process of trying to declutter and simplify our routines (or develop them as the case may be) before #3 gets here in July, so I am on a mission!!

Thanks!

[Momsteader]

We used a long, but shallower wooden hopechest that they could also sit on. It wasn't so deep that things got completely buried under many layers. We also had hooks to hang on.

I'll be watching the thread for other suggestions!

[honeybunmom]

I'd just like to suggest that even though - and maybe especially because - your child does enjoy dressing up, that it doesn't necessarily mean that more will be better.  There may become a point when too many choices inhibit play. Alternatively, you could keep your current available for play solution and incorporate a storage solution for items you may choose to take out of rotation to keep the play fresh.

[BCFD]

Another one of those posts I could have started!  I just went through this with our little dress up chest.  I have 3 girls - 6, 5, and 4 who *LOVE* to play dressup.  I have always said I could get rid of all their toys except their dress up clothes and they would be fine!  We have accumulated  about 20 dresses over time (always take advantage of the Costco dress up chest that comes out around the holidays and the huge sales after Halloween)  I just went through the box with them and asked which could go.  We were given a couple of the really super nice, well made Disney dresses, so we kept those and a couple others that were in good condition.  They have a play veterinarian smock, a really nice astronaut suit, and a couple others that we kept.  The stuff that makes me crazy are all their necklaces, rings, bracelets, shoes....uggghh....

This is what we use:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30079407

[sapphire_chan]

For the clothes, hooks will be pretty quick to hang up and your LOs should be able to handle it quite soon. You'll be able to hang about 2 items on each hook. Sew loops onto the clothes as necessary to make it easier.

Accessories, I'd group by type. Bin for hats, small basket for jewelry, bin for shoes, what have you.

Wings also do well hung from a hook.

If you've got specific costume accessories, e.g. a doctor's kit, make a bag for each type and then you can have a bin of those too.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

We have a folding peg thing that DS hangs dress-up clothes on with a basket underneath, but it is getting a bit too cluttered.  We are moving in about a week and I am hoping to get some more hooks that are spaced a bit further apart to make it easier to see what he has.  I also like the idea of putting some (half?) away so I can rotate it out to make things more exciting.  I think I may move to two baskets for accessories too.  One for shoes and one for necklaces/tiaras, hats/etc.

[AAK]

we affectionately call our area "dress up land"-- have for years.  

We weed out torn/dingy stuff but usually keep everything else.   I used to think that life would be better with less dress up, but my oldest (very into acting) still plays with this stuff (turns 11 this month).  We have enough so that different plays can be produced with costumes at home.  We have stuff that would be for male roles as well.  We also have lots of hat, scarves, jewery, and shoes.  We don't add to the collection anymore, so it seems to remain stable--if someone in the family goes on a trip, they usually pick up something that would go to dress up land. . . and by that time, something else is usually torn or dingy.  

We use a corner of the play room for our dress up land.  On both walls, we have a row of hooks--one wall as a set of 4 double hooks, the other wall has 6 hooks.  (Even three year olds can put stuff on hooks).  Below that, we have two fairly large clear OPEN bins for accessories/shoes/hats/scarves.  We have one small bucket for jewelry.  So, what can be put on the hooks IS put on the hooks. . . everything else is tossed in a bin.  Sometimes the girls try to put shoes and hats in one bin and scarves/purses/misc. in another.  I don't care about that--just so that the stuff remains contained.  If we would have created this space with our kids at their current ages, I would have added a row of hooks above the current rows of hooks.  This would have been for the hats--some don't fair so well in bins.  I would have also added higher hooks for the necklaces, etc.  But, with only little kids at the time--they would have had a hard time reaching up very high.  I also think that a shelf above the hooks would have been useful.  But anyhow, our system works really well.  Sure the dresses sometimes drag into the bins, or the bins are pushed into the dresses, but that is ok.  We provide a true "costume closet" for all their imaginative play.  And, it really doesn't take up much space. 

We even had a birthday party once where the kids came in, got their nails and makeup on, then went down to dress up land and got all "decked out".  They then put on a "fashion show".  It was tremendous fun.

Oh, btw use HOOKS not pegs.  The hooks curve upwards a bit so that clothes don't fall off, where as rows of pegs usually have the clothes underneath in a pile (esp. if young children are trying to do the hanging!).  Don't get stuck thinking that only one item/hook.  Also, if you have a bunch of skirts (and really young kids), sew little loops on the waistbands that can easily slip onto the hooks.

Amy

[Curlyfry7]

Hmmm...I really like the idea of the hooks, but not sure if we could (or would want to) do it-we don't have a playroom, and due to the layout of the house combined with their ages, the toys are in the family room. They only now are very occasonally going upstairs without me to play, and it doesn't last too long. We are hoping to move to a more family-friendly house in the next 1-2 years, and one thing we're going to look for is some kind of play room. Then we can incorporate some kind of hook system.

I think I'll look for either a shallow yet bigger bin, or some kind of stacked/drawer thingie, LOL. The thought of having to hang everything up, plus all the hangers themselves, adding to the chaos, just doesn't sound like what I want to do. But I'll keep watching for any other ideas. :)

As far as rotating stuff, we do that with most of their toys. We JUST now after this Xmas would have enough stuff to even consider doing it for dress up stuff. The bin we currently have is pretty small-20" X 14" X 12", so it doesn't take too much before it's full, esp. considering DS's bicycle helmet is also in there. But as we obtain more stuff (esp. for DD who is just now starting to take any interest) as will certainly be rotating stuff to keep it fresh.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by AAK 

we affectionately call our area "dress up land"-- have for years.  

We weed out torn/dingy stuff but usually keep everything else.   I used to think that life would be better with less dress up, but my oldest (very into acting) still plays with this stuff (turns 11 this month).  We have enough so that different plays can be produced with costumes at home.  We have stuff that would be for male roles as well.  We also have lots of hat, scarves, jewery, and shoes.  We don't add to the collection anymore, so it seems to remain stable--if someone in the family goes on a trip, they usually pick up something that would go to dress up land. . . and by that time, something else is usually torn or dingy.  

We use a corner of the play room for our dress up land.  On both walls, we have a row of hooks--one wall as a set of 4 double hooks, the other wall has 6 hooks.  (Even three year olds can put stuff on hooks).  Below that, we have two fairly large clear OPEN bins for accessories/shoes/hats/scarves.  We have one small bucket for jewelry.  So, what can be put on the hooks IS put on the hooks. . . everything else is tossed in a bin.  Sometimes the girls try to put shoes and hats in one bin and scarves/purses/misc. in another.  I don't care about that--just so that the stuff remains contained.  If we would have created this space with our kids at their current ages, I would have added a row of hooks above the current rows of hooks.  This would have been for the hats--some don't fair so well in bins.  I would have also added higher hooks for the necklaces, etc.  But, with only little kids at the time--they would have had a hard time reaching up very high.  I also think that a shelf above the hooks would have been useful.  But anyhow, our system works really well.  Sure the dresses sometimes drag into the bins, or the bins are pushed into the dresses, but that is ok.  We provide a true "costume closet" for all their imaginative play.  And, it really doesn't take up much space. 

We even had a birthday party once where the kids came in, got their nails and makeup on, then went down to dress up land and got all "decked out".  They then put on a "fashion show".  It was tremendous fun.

Oh, btw use HOOKS not pegs.  The hooks curve upwards a bit so that clothes don't fall off, where as rows of pegs usually have the clothes underneath in a pile (esp. if young children are trying to do the hanging!).  Don't get stuck thinking that only one item/hook.  Also, if you have a bunch of skirts (and really young kids), sew little loops on the waistbands that can easily slip onto the hooks.

Amy

OMG, you just described exactly what I plan to do when our dress up collection no longer works in a bin. Even sewing the loops onto the skirts.