How do you store dress up clothes?

[BeachBum]

We've finally gotten enough of these that I need something to store them in. I had thought about just hanging hooks on the back of the door, but I'm not sure we have enough room for everything. Plus, DS (2.5) isn't good at putting things on a hook to put them away.
Just putting them in a box doesn't seem right. I think the things on the bottom will be "out of sight, out of mind" and never get used.

What's your solution?

[KBecks]

How about a little plastic three drawer dresser storage unit? If you are doing hats, bags and shoes, you may need more room, but it could hold at least a part of her collection. Is there enough room in her closet to section off a part of it for dress up?

[KBecks]

Otherwise I'd think about making a small child size garment rack, or a rod inside a child size box like a wardrobe. Think a box on 3 sides with a rod like a closet rod but small and child size. Maybe see if someone handy could make one for you.

[BeachBum]

My "she" is a he :D
I like the idea of the "wardrobe" but gosh I'm just not sure if I have room. You know how it is--you want the stuff visible so it gets used, but if you have everything "out" then there's no room to play.

[KBecks]

Wow, your 2.5 year old son has dress up clothes? We haven't done that at all yet, DS hasn't shown much interest. Does he play with them and dress up? What kinds of things does he have?

[fivi2]

So I haven't done this, or even looked to see if it would work, but I have randomly wondered (usually when seeing a u-haul truck) if those wardrobe boxes that places like u-haul sell (http://store.uhaul.com/product_detail.aspx?id=6560) would somehow work? like if you covered it with paper or paint and opened it up a little. seems like the right height, has a rod, and cheap.
just a thought, but may be totally impractical.

[MommyAllison]

MIL gave DD a big white wooden toy-box-type-box that we use for all of her dress up stuff. DD loves to dig through there, so everything does get brought out and played with, rather than things at the bottom never getting used. I like having the box because she has lots of little accessories (hats, tiaras, shoes, purses, a bouquet of fake flowers, etc etc) that wouldn't really have anywhere to go if we did hooks. I do love the idea of having a dress up corner with hooks on the wall, a child's size full length mirror, and a big chest of the accessories, but we don't have the space for all of that.

[BeachBum]

Wow, your 2.5 year old son has dress up clothes? We haven't done that at all yet, DS hasn't shown much interest. Does he play with them and dress up? What kinds of things does he have?

Yes. He plays in with it a lot. My kiddo plays a lot of "pretend" stuff and not so much with actual toys.
We have a dinosaur head/ feet, fireman suit, camo overalls, pirate stuff, rain coat, various hats (hard hat, safari hat cowboy hat), cape, play silks, as well as some old stuff of mine.
He will do some role play after the costume is on, but nothing elaborate.

[sdbc]

We just throw them all in a basket. She doesn't have too much, so she can remember what she has and doesn't have to dig too deep. Her playsilks are in a separate basket from the "clothes".

[jamesmom]

My kids have a toy box with a lid to store all their dressup costumes, accessories and playsilks.

[kaitlinsmommy]

I bought a pressure-mounted rod (at Big Lots) that I hung low in our playroom closet to hang her dresses on. We also have a wicker trunk in there where she keeps more dresses & purses & then another bin for shoes, crowns & wands. I will say that I often have the same fear as you with unseen toys being forgotten, but for some reason that doesn't happen with our dress-up clothes. She has dug through those bins almost daily for a couple years to find what she wants. It is so fun to see them dress up all the time.

[MarisaSF]

We have the dowel-type organizer bins (sold at Target, etc http://www.target.com/Storage-Shelf-Bins-Primary-Colors/dp/B000N8KD9C/qid=1204340693/ref=br_1_4/601-6594000-2403355?ie=UTF8&node=3073811&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1).
We put smaller items (masks, hats, bunny ears, etc) in the top smaller bins. Below, in the bigger bins, we keep clothing and bigger accessories.

If you have an IKEA near you, I actually prefer their Trofast line. You can put a couple bin organizers together for accessories and they sell a hanging rod for costumes/clothing. There's a good picture of it here: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/rooms/childrens_room/ Scroll to picture #9 "More Space to Create."

[MamaKath]

Two thoughts.

1.) I saw a program recently which took an unfinished quilt rack, added carabiners and then clipped lightweight baskets to the clips. You could them put hooks on the wall under it to hang up other items and a laundry bin at the bottom to catch things that wouldn't go in.

2.) Family Fun took a wardrobe box for moving, cut it down, put a mirror in the back and decorated it. I am trying to find a link, but with dial-up I make no promises. ;-) I know I have it in one of the Family Fun books too. I'll see what I can find...

[DDowning]

DD's dress-up clothes are stored on this accordian rack I got from Land of Nod:

http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=90&f=1150&pc=16

They also have it in honey color and antique white. It hangs on her wall in her room - next to her vanity. I had stored them in a toy box at the foot of her bed before but like another PP, she never played with them because she forgot about them.

Anyway, I'm sure you might be able to find something at Target that's similiar if this particular one doesn't work for you.

HTH!

[jenmcadams]

We have ours in some big rubbermaid tubs...I'm trying to be more frugal right now, but if I weren't, I would get this

http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=5&bc=1004&pgc=878&sv=333362&cmvalue=MCD%7C5

:)

[purpleeyes]

We have ours in some big rubbermaid tubs...I'm trying to be more frugal right now, but if I weren't, I would get this

http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=5&bc=1004&pgc=878&sv=333362&cmvalue=MCD%7C5

:)


I could post the exact same thing!
Currently we have them in two big baskets, but when he wants something that is on the bottom, everything else gets thrown ALL over the place. I am thinking some cheap hooks from IKEA will work well for us...

Good luck! :)

[squimp]

We have a big lined basket from Target, and it works well. My DD is really into dress up, so for her next room redo, I'm going to get one of those peg racks posted above - LIllian Vernon has a cute one - and put a mirror next to it. The leftover stuff will go in the basket below.

[KBecks]

If you have an IKEA near you, I actually prefer their Trofast line. You can put a couple bin organizers together for accessories and they sell a hanging rod for costumes/clothing. There's a good picture of it here: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/rooms/childrens_room/ Scroll to picture #9 "More Space to Create."

I just started checking out the Ikea Trofast stuff. Have you seen it in person? It would be a 1.5 hour or so hike to an Ikea but it may be worth it. I'm thinking of doing John's big boy room in Ikea when we get to that stage.

[MarisaSF]

I just started checking out the Ikea Trofast stuff. Have you seen it in person? It would be a 1.5 hour or so hike to an Ikea but it may be worth it. I'm thinking of doing John's big boy room in Ikea when we get to that stage.
I love it!!! I know others have posted about it, so you might find pics in another thread. I would be happy to take pics, but can't until the end of this week. We have both the white and the pine.

[kcampbell]

We just have one of those large canvas bins from PBK that it all gets thrown into. My DDs dig thru it to find what they want and all dress up stuff is in there essentially. Purses, hats, bags but shoes are in a plastic Rubbermaid type thing with a lid. I would love to have a big playroom where we could do pegs on the wall in a coner type area but no space for that........