OT - Cheap fancy dress outfits

blackangeluk

My DS and DD have convinced me to let them ride on a float in the local parade with DS's nursery - they have to dress up as an African Animal.

1) what animals can you all suggest

2) any suggestions for cheap dressing up solutions. The pre DFW me would have gone to a fancy dress shop and paid stupid money for an outfit worn for a few hours. The reformed DFW wants to do a DIY job for as cheap as chips - but I have no ideas! I have got FIL's partner to help me with any sewing as she has a machine and I have no idea how to use one but no ideas forthcoming.

This is my personal DFW challenge, to dress my children to be the belles (or should that be beasts) of the parade on a v. tight budget.

Ideas......................

angelavdavis

What about getting an old white shirt and a sheet and making a hood with ears for the shirt and some mittens and leg coverings. You could then stitch and stuffed tail to the back of the shirt. Paint black stripes on them for a zebra? The face can be painted white with black stripes

Beg borrow or pick up a cheap ladies fake fur coat and make a teddy bear outfit - jumpsuit with hood and ears? Paint the face with whiskers and nose, etc.

This is a kangaroo, but you get the gist - http://www.thekidswindow.co.uk/selling.asp?product=292&cms=139

Rout

I had to do a really quick costume in a similar theme and litterally had a couple of hours to do it. I went straight after work and got some of those disposable white overalls, sprayed black and yellow lines all over them and got the same colour face paint. Sounds daft but worth looking at if you can spend a little more time on it. Felt a bit daft having my 30 year old sister painting my 25 year old face, but luckily nobody could see my red face due to the paint!

angelavdavis

Just found this site for some inspiration:

http://www.charliecrow.com/costume-ideas.htm

See animal costumes on left hand side. Some of these look really simple.

angelavdavis

OK, I'm on a roll...!

Instead of painting faces, you could even get the kids to make paper mache masks - use blown up balloons as the moulds, and half cover with layers of newspaper, flour and water paper mache. Leave in the sun to dry, then cut to size and cut out eyes, nose and mouth holes and they can paint them to match their animal and add an elastic strap to the back to hold it on.

angelavdavis

Even easier, black tights and leotard, and then make some wings painted with bright colours on both sides. Attach wings using a belt and then pop on a pair of boppers (alice band with bobbles on springs). Paint face to match the wings.

blackangeluk

Wow

What a fantastic bundle of ideas!! Very inconsiderately my boss wants me to do some work so I will return and read the full flow :j

All ideas welcome, maybe we could vote the best one :T

Storm

How about a Fwooper?

http://www.pojo.com/harrypotter/fantasticbeasts/fwooper.shtml

lynsayjane

Storm wrote: »

How about a Fwooper?

http://www.pojo.com/harrypotter/fantasticbeasts/fwooper.shtml

random, I've read every harry potter book several times (obviously with the exception of the new one) and have never heard of one of these!

I once did a sabre tooth tiger (could be adapted to fit an african tiger) wore orange trousers and top and safety pinned strips of black bin bag onto it to make the stripes.

Liked the zebra idea too. Similarly most animals could be done from the sheet idea. An elephant would be fabulous, then just use two flaps of grey fabric for ears and trunk.