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Angel
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| Posted: May 01 2009 at 10:02am | IP Logged
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How do you organize the dress-up clothes in your house? I have all of them in a big Little Tikes toy box in the closet in my entryway. This is not a terribly good place to keep them, as the entire box is generally emptied all over the floor.
I'm not sure if my little boys would ever remember to put anything on a hook, but I'm wondering how others make dress-ups inviting and easily accessible, but not a mess all the time?
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Angela
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amyable
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| Posted: May 01 2009 at 10:18am | IP Logged
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No answers here, we keep them all in one big box too. I *know* my kids would never use hooks/hangers well, so at least this way, with it all in one big tub, it's easier for *me* to just throw it all back in when they are done. 
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Amy
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Jody
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| Posted: May 01 2009 at 10:37am | IP Logged
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We use one big box for dress-up clothes
another box for hats/helmets/masks/swords/spears/guns
another box for purses/pouches/sacks
the last box is for the pretend jewelry/play money and pretend make-up etc..
Our living space is very small and these boxes are in our living room. Not pretty but it works well.
I used to have the boxes labeled but they all seem to know the drill by now. Clean up is quick and it's all fairly well organized. The labels are great when friends come over to play. That way they know where to put the things when its time to pick up.
Jody
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PDyer
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| Posted: May 01 2009 at 12:55pm | IP Logged
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They are in a big plastic bin on the floor of my daughter's closet.
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Patty
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: May 01 2009 at 2:22pm | IP Logged
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I got new rubbermaid trash cans for ours.. they take less floor space being more upright than the big totes.
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Philothea
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The single biggest thing that helps me is limiting the dress up to hats and equipment -- no clothing. I have a large basket full of construction hats, fire hats, pilot hats, toy tools, badges, etc. that seems to suit my kids just fine. If they want the full effect, they make something from their own wardrobe work, like a plaid flannel shirt for construction, camoflauge pants and top for army, bathrobe and Rosary for priest, etc. We used to have costumes and they just took up space and got tangled and required too much Mommy hands-on-help to get on and off -- hats and tools are easier for small hands to deal with.
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jdostalik
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| Posted: May 01 2009 at 5:46pm | IP Logged
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We have tons of dress-ups in our home despite my quarterly efforts to reduce the old/worn out ones...
I finally found a good solution for our family--a regular plastic bin for shoes, crowns, swords, wands, shields, etc. and a plastic laundry hamper w/lid for the clothing (very tall and wide--it is meant to hold a lot of clothes after all). It was specifically purchased for dress-ups, only. I have them both side by side in my middle kids' room and they do not take up a lot of floor space which is at a premium in my home. I have come to the conclusion doesn't matter what container you use, it is ALWAYS dumped out to find just the "right" outfit.  The hamper works well because it is largish and easy to shove all the clothes back in quickly! 
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Jennifer in TX
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Erin
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Due to the size of our house, dress ups are currently on the front verandah, this has meant we have lost a couple to mold after rain  But I do like (mostly) how they are stored, some hang in an old cupboard, the scarves etc are in the drawers. The cupboard has a mirror attached so that is nice. As ALL the children from the 15 yr old to the baby enjoy dress ups we have quite alot.
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Angel
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| Posted: May 02 2009 at 8:11am | IP Logged
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Hmmm. So it seems the problem may not lie so much in *what* I keep the dress-ups in, but in *where* the container is. I have been thinking of moving the dress-ups to the boys' room closet, so maybe that is the whole solution.
Although, Erin, your set up sounds lovely. Do the kids really hang up the clothes, though?
Most of our dress-up stuff falls into 2 categories: play silks and other fabric pieces, knotted into capes (for playing priest, knights, superheroes, etc.)
helmets, swords, shields, and other military accoutrements
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Angela
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Erin
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| Posted: May 04 2009 at 6:56am | IP Logged
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Angela,
Not without prodding. They will do it when I start the 'clean up' call. But they wouldn't tidy up after play without being told.
I can easily see the drawbacks to having your dress ups in the hallway. Because our dressups are on the front verandah it is the first thing you see when you drive down the driveway, not always pretty.
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Lisa R
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| Posted: May 04 2009 at 3:37pm | IP Logged
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I bought one of those clothes hanging racks you see people using at yard sales from Target. It was about $20 and I LOVE IT! No, my kids don't hang the clothes up unless told but it's so much neater and more organized. We also have an old clothes hamper for things that don't hang well. All the shoes fit under the clothes rack. Dh hung a mirror next to it all. The kids love it!
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Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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jdostalik
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| Posted: May 04 2009 at 4:01pm | IP Logged
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Lisa,
This sounds great--how about a picture--I can't quite visualize the clothes hanging rack... 
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Jennifer in TX
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Lisa R
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Jennifer,
Remember I said they don't always hang things up unless I tell them to? Well......let me clean it up some and get a picture for you!
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Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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jdostalik
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I am patient! 
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Jennifer in TX
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Lisa R
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| Posted: May 11 2009 at 5:24pm | IP Logged
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Jennifer,
I finally got the picture for you but I don't know how to upload it here. It's on my blog. Sorry it took so long!
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God Bless!
Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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jdostalik
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Thanks, Lisa!!
Everything looks so nicely organized! You're a doll to remember!
Hugs! 
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Jennifer in TX
wife to Bill, mom to six here on earth and eight in heaven.
Let the Little Ones Come
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Lisa R
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Your welcome!
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Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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sewcrazy
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I have an old armoire for our dress-up collection. it has a nice shelf on top where we put hats, pegs in the interior for clothing and 4 drawers for accessories.
They do put them away with occasional prodding. It helps, that items left laying around become mine.
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LeeAnn
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Mary K
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we have accessories in a small case, kid size costumes (eldest is in theater, it's not dress-up there) in a large lidded (usually) crate and adult-size hung up.
picked up with reminding and help. "disappearing" for a few weeks, helps the heart (pickup) grow fonder.
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Nedra in So. CA
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n/a
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: organizing dress ups?
