World Book Day costume inspiration sought.... desparately please!

[Numberfour]

DS is in Yr 1 and WBD is looming. I am NOT good with needle and thread, and my creativity is a little stunted.

Any ideas?? Please?

He is not a very loud, brave boy and was extremely reluctant last year to dress up, though this year he is lots more confident.

[Gubbins]

I've got one Pippi Longstocking (Can be done from her own wardrobe with only freckles and plaits needing any creativity from me.), but the smaller one wants to be Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk and has very precise ideas about what she should wear based on the edition of the book they're being read at school. Little pest.

[bigbitch90]

Im sending my DS as a pirate, I dont yet know what book I'm going to pass it off from! his costume will consist of: red tshirt, cut up shorts, bandana, a foam pirate hat and foam sword (he got in a party bag afew weeks ago!) and a moustache drawn on with my eyeliner.
Cost : £0

I'm rather impressed with myself
Seen as they only gave out the letters re world book day today

[mumsareglam]

DS 7 was all set to go as gingerbread man. I ordered on EBay and was feeling pretty smug! Now he's changed his mind, telling me the gingerbread man got eaten up. Grrrrr, I must use all my parental powers to convince him it'll be great!! Any words of advice welcome.

[ChippyMinton]

generalhaig -
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, with a large Wonka bar
Alex Rider, with gadgets

[wearymum200]

DS1 (reception) has just decided to go as jamie from Dinosaur cove. One backpack and one "fossil finder" (printed out dino flashcards) and we're good to go. Hurray.

[Lizzylou]

My two boys are a Knight (Ben from Beastquest) and a skeleton, Lazy Bones, they sorted it themselves thank the lord.
All from Dress up box, which I am pleased I didn't offload as I had planned.

[generalhaig]

any inspiration for a year 6 boy who hates dressing up?

please???

[thunderbird69]

I've spent the last few days helping to build a tudor house for a school project, so I'm not in the mood to make anything else this week!
DS is going as Horrid Henry, stripy top, jeans and bugs/whoopie cushion hanging out of his pockets.

[MuddlingMackem]

ryoldmother

Great minds! That's what our two are doing - ds (7) and dd (4).

We have some permanent markers to do the 'charlie' on the t-shirt for ds, but I still need something to make a collar for dd's outfit. Fortunately dd is still blond and ds is fair. Been planning this year's outfit for a while. :)

[FitFlopFlump]

Do you think a Doctor Who costume is acceptable - DS has a suit, bow tie, fez, converse trainers and sonic screwdriver. I know the books are just spin-offs from the TV programme, but it is still a book........?

[ChippyMinton]

My Harry Potter-mad DC are all going as various Weasleys. Not one of them is a red-head though, so we have bought a can of orange hairspray to use .
Picked up some Gryffindor-esque red & orange striped scarves in Poundland, of all places.

[Asinine]

A pair of specs and a scar done with makeup pencil on forehead for Harry potter ( ds1 already has glasses and looks like him which helps)
If he's a red head- Ron weasley, no particular costume necessary. In our school it's not compulsory, and ds2 always says he doesn't want to but takes his pound anyway.
Books are a rip off at book day at school. I take mine to oxfam instead they have great books there

[dilbertina]

If you're still stuck, and as long as your ds is not at same school as my dd.....how about "stickman"? dd is wearing brown trousers and top, face painted brown, hair turned into a "twig" with a couple of leaves attached at end, and she can pick up a couple of small branches to hold on the way to school ....ta da!

[PigeonPie]

paranoid - you are not alone! I loathe these things too and my heart sinks when I see the letters in the book bag. At the moment we seem to have a 'dressing up' Hook Day at the beginning of every term (ie 6 times a year). So far we've had Percy the Park Keeper, Castles, Superheroes and now Jungle.

It makes me grumpy! And I'm quite creative really. This book day DS1 has had to put things relating to his favourite book in a shoe box - I he 'chose' Q Pootle5.

[lemonmousse]

I spent ages making a cardboard top hat for my son to go as The Fat Controller (about 10 years ago) - waistcoat, school trousers and a cushion up his shirt. Then at the eleventh hour the little sod treasure decides he doesn't want to be the Fat Controller as 'people will think he's fat' so I gave him the same costume with a neckerchief, a dirty face and some jewellery hanging out of his pockets and told him he was The Artful Dodger!

[paranoid2]

Ds is going as himself , i.e Horrid Henry and is relishing the prospect!
I hate these threads , it makes me feel like a really bad mother who lacks creativity. Where do people get the time to do this stuff. Its hard enough doing the daily grind of work, homework, after school activities and the constant associated laundry to start thinking about creating outfits . My two dont even have an interest any longer in dressing up much. I just want them to go to school and learn, have some fun, yes, but why do they have to put pressure on parents to do this stuff.
I'm sure I'm on my own in this and I'm sure its all down to my lack of imagination but I find it all too stressful!

[peeriebear]

DD1 went as Coraline last week for a similar event- skinny jeans, boots, stripy top, blue hairspray- she looks rather like Coraline though :)
DD2 went as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, I cobbled a gingham pinny out of a pair of old lady PJ bottoms and she wore it over an old white school blouse of DD1's. Don't forget the red shoes and little dog (DD2 took a pink poodle!) :)
I am equally stuck because DD1's Book Week competition is to recreate a scene from a favourite book in a shoebox. We are completely stumped! So many to choose from we don't know where to start, raaagh.

[Alwaysworthchecking]

My ds (4) is going as Marv from the Charlie and Lola books. He's not that into dressing up but he does own a green parker and I found him a stuffed dog that is vaguely Sizzles-like, so he's happy. Other than that it is jeans, a long-sleeved top and messy hair.

I may also offer him the 'Ben' from Polly Dunbar's 'Penguin' book option - pjs and a stuffed penguin. Ds rates his days by how long he's been able to stay in his pjs so I think this may appeal.

Love the poster who said they are sending their ds as a...boy. Genius!

[crw1234]

My DS (5) is going as Captin Hook - he has a pirate outfit - his idea - v glad as school only send the letter today

[itssnotfunny]

dd wants to go as horid henry , m going to send ds as bucket of dinos one unless dh can make a corcodile hat for thurs as re\zlly he wants to go as the selfish crocodile.

[QueenOfFuckingEverything]

DD (7) is going as Minnie The Minx

Red and black stripey dress, black beret with a red pom pom, plaits, freckles painted on face, catapult in hand...

[Numberfour]

Wow! Thanks for all the brilliant ideas. I am a childminder so I do have a few things in my dressing up box. I have a fantastic fireman outfit - anyone know a book about a fireman?

I must confess to not having heard of some of these books that have been mentioned!

[startail]

brill ideas for a 10 year old "teenage" girl needed.
No way she'll go as a rainbow fairy this time.

She likes Cathy cassidy and Jacqueline Wilson books, but they are just ordinary people.
The only thought I've had is own clothes, small suite case and a toy rabbit and go as The suitcase kid from the J W book of the same name.

[PigeonPie]

We've got a dinosaur / dragon costume and last year DS1 went in that and put a green top and trousers on with a pair of DH's old (clean!) boxer shorts on as Dinosaurs Love Underpants.