The time has come to pack up the swim suits, goggles and floaties because fall has arrived! Only a few weeks ago, we were sending our kids off to their first day of school. Now it’s time for changing leaves, pumpkin-spice flavored everything and Halloween costumes!
The thought of coming up with a standout, fancy or fun costume itself can be overwhelming (because we all want that hero shot of our kids looking irresistibly cute, right? ;).
Shopping for a costume can be equally stressful. That’s where Goodwill comes in…with a superhero’s cape! Costuming your kids should be fun and creative. And let’s not forget about easy. Well good news, it can be!
Goodwill has rows of clothes and accessories to choose from, most of which are color coordinated. Now that’s helpful!
Why spend $40+ on a bagged costume? Bringing your child in to your local Goodwill and allowing them to pick and choose items all on their own is not only pleasing to their confidence, but pleasing to your wallet! This gives everyone something to celebrate!
You and your child can literally come to Goodwill with a costume idea in mind and creatively put a look-alike together just by browsing items and coordinating them to look like a particular character.
For example, Star Wars has made a comeback to this generation of kiddos. Cool! So if your little guy or doll wants to dress-up as Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia, I’ve creatively and cost-effectively put together costumes that look like such. Replicating the comfortable hero look of Luke Skywalker and the simple, yet feminine look of Princess Leia.
I kept it simple for Luke Skywalker. A white cotton tee and cotton pants with a pair of UGG style boots and a coordinating costume belt. Everything came to $15.
For Princess Leia, not only did I try to find something that replicated her traditional white flowing fabrics, but items that had gold embellishments from her famous costume in “Return of the Jedi”. I put together a black tutu skirt with gold accents and a lacy white tank. I added a cute white & gold cover-up and gold chain-linked belt. And with the iconic hair buns, this darling costume will be pulled together nicely. Total cost for everything, $11.
While browsing, I also came across this darling denim romper and a yellow button-up and immediately thought, Minion! Ba-na-na! I visited the area of accessories and discovered a yellow beanie and bright yellow Croc-type shoes. Instead of the large, magnified goggles that those adorable little Minions wear in the movie, I simply coordinated some yellow-rimmed sunglasses for a similar effect. And voila! Another Minion has emerged! Total cost of everything was $11.
You or your child don’t have a costume idea in mind? No problem! The Goodwill offers inspiration for fun and creative ways of putting items together!
As I was browsing through the aisles looking for some inspiration myself, I found this funky plaid button-up amongst the boys clothes. So I took it from there and put together a Nerd costume. Adding a pair of hiked-up cotton pants and a checkered backpack along with a few other uncoordinated accessories, for that geeked-out look. Your kid will be ready for hours of “studying”! The total cost for this geeky getup was $22.
When I visited Halloween costume websites to research other popular costume ideas of the season, characters from the Disney movie, “Inside Out” showed up repeatedly.
The key to “Inside Out” costumes is color!
When I stumbled upon this darling girl’s dress with the attached collar ribbon in lime green, it was all about the character Disgust from there! I then found a comfy pair of leggings (so many colors to choose from, but I finally settled on this patterned green pair) and colorful accessories to create my own version of that snippy little adorable character. You won’t be too disgusted with the price at $13 for everything.
Halloween only rolls around one time a year, so keep costuming fun and creative and come browse the Goodwill for inspiration and endless ideas! Like some more ideas? Bring the family and register to attend one of our Halloween events (see details below).
Have a Happy Halloween…and remember, keep it thrifty!;)
Monica
Halloween Family Fun: Thrifting Costumes
Bring the family and join us for some Halloween fun! We will share tips, tricks and ideas to create your own unique thrifted costumes as well as have activities for the kids such as coloring, craft project and face painting!
Register to attend at the links below – each event begins at noon with lunch provided:
- Sept. 26: Kent/Ravenna
- Oct. 3: Waterloo Road
- Oct. 10: Lexington (a new location opening by October in Richland County)