Book Week always arrives the same way in our house. The note comes home from school with three weeks notice, everyone nods and says they will sort it out early this time, and then it is Sunday night and someone has decided they no longer want to be a dinosaur, they want to be a character from a book we do not actually own.
After eleven years of running No Nasties Kids and getting two kids of my own through more Book Week parades than I can count, here is what I have learned. The costume is almost never the hard part. The clothes are usually already in the cupboard. What actually sells a character is the face, the hair and a bit of detail, and that takes minutes, not a trip to the shops.
Start with what is already in the wardrobe
Before you buy or make a single thing, have a look at what your child already owns and work backward from there.
A plain dress becomes a fairy tale princess or a Paper Bag Princess with the right hair and makeup. A striped shirt becomes Where's Wally with a red beanie, or a pirate with almost nothing else needed. Pyjamas become Peter Rabbit, Max from Where the Wild Things Are, or any bedtime story character. Denim overalls become a farmer, a Milly Molly Mandy character, or half of Fantastic Mr Fox with a bit of face paint. This one trick solves most Book Week costumes before you have spent a cent.
Then it is over to the face, the hair and the nails to finish the job.
Character looks that come together in minutes
Pippi Longstocking
Two high plaits with pipe cleaners twisted in so they stand out sideways does most of the work. Add freckles by dabbing the Natural Eco Pressed Eyeshadow and Blush Pack blush shade lightly over the nose and cheeks with a stiff, small brush, using a dabbing motion rather than sweeping. A slick of the Plant Based Hair Paste in Fresh Coconut and Zesty Lime through the plaits before twisting helps them hold their shape and stand up properly.
A witch, from any story you like
Room on the Broom, Meg and Mog and plenty of fairy tales all call for a good witch. Scrunch the same hair paste through dry hair for wild, tangled texture under a witch hat, then finish with the Purple Water Based Kids Nail Polish for proper witchy hands.
A fairy, mermaid or unicorn character
For anything from a fairy tale, The Rainbow Fish, or a unicorn story, the Natural Shimmery Kids Play Makeup Eyeshadow swept across the lids and cheekbones gives an easy shimmer, and the Plant Based Kids Hair Gel slicks the hair back into a neat bun or half up style that holds well without going crunchy.
Any animal character
The Cat in the Hat, Fantastic Mr Fox, or Wombat Stew all just need a nose and whiskers. Dab blush on the nose tip, then use a fine brush and a touch of eyeshadow to draw on simple whisker lines. It genuinely takes about ninety seconds and reads clearly from across a classroom.
Finishing touches for anyone
A coat of Bright Pink or Purple Water Based Nail Polish, or the quicker Nail Stickers Pack for wriggly hands, and a swipe of Natural Lip Gloss finishes almost any character off and makes a child feel properly dressed up, even when the actual costume is a school uniform and a bit of imagination.
Why I do it this way
Everything above is water based, plant based or pressed powder, made here in Queensland, free from dairy, gluten, soy and nuts, and washes off with warm water and a soft cloth rather than needing to be scrubbed off after the parade. That matters more on a school morning than almost anything else, because nobody wants to be scrubbing whiskers off a crying five year old at eight fifteen on the way out the door.
Book Week is meant to be a celebration of stories, not a costume competition. A great character can absolutely be built from your own wardrobe, ten minutes, and whatever is already in your makeup drawer.
