Book Week: Easy costume ideas from things in your wardrobe

Book Week – Easy costume ideas from things in your wardrobe

I love Book Week. Maybe as a teacher librarian that would be obvious but I also know it’s a high-stress and very busy time.  Book Week is all about celebrating reading, Australian literature and libraries. However, I have seen first hand when the stress and requirements of the big events can overwhelm the joy.

I personally and strongly believe that Book Week should be fun for everyone. But I know that might not always be the case. Time and time again I have seen that the most stressful element of Book Week celebrations are often the character dress-ups. On the other hand, these character parades are often the highlight of Book Week celebrations. The joy of seeing the children and teen’s faces as they celebrate all things books and reading is so worth it. If we can make costumes easier, hopefully Book Week will be easier for parents, students and staff.

I am going to share below some simple Book Week book character dress up ideas that you can create with things you’ll find in the family’s wardrobes. While there are plenty of ideas, I’ve tried to use a range of books from picture books to YA fiction. I’ve also included some more obscure ideas, in case you want a unique costume and Australian fiction-based characters.

You’ll find below costume ideas for individuals, as well as pairs and groups.

Top Advice

Print out a copy of the book cover and attach it to your costume in some way. You could safety pin it to the front or back of your costume or attach it to string or a lanyard around your neck. It makes it easy for others to see who you are dressed up as, relates it back to the book (which, let’s not forget, what it’s all about) and can make even a simple outfit a character-related costume.

Madison’s Costume Mandates

Here are my personal beliefs about Book Week Costumes

1. Make it easy. Use what you have in your wardrobe, dress-up box or craft box.
2. Homemade costumes are awesome. Costumes shouldn’t have to cost you much.
3. Student-driven costume choices make the student more comfortable in what they are wearing and builds excitement.
4. Plan early but have a back-up plan
5. It’s okay to work backwards from the costume to the book.
6. No costume is wrong. No costume shaming, please. Movie character, book related t-shirt. Honestly, everything is okay if it makes the student (or staff member) comfortable enough to dress up. You can even make a school uniform work.

Costume Ideas You Can Create With Things You Have in Your Wardrobe.

Pig The Tourist

You’ll need

• A Hawaiian t-shirt
• Broad-brimmed hat
• Backpack
• Camera (or a printout of a camera)

 

 

 

 

Fly 

You’ll Need

• Goggles or sunglasses
• Blue stripe shirt
• blue pants
• Toy bird

 

 

Rocky and Louie

• Football jersey
• Football

 

 

 

 

Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas

• Feather boas
• Blue or pink clothes
• Blue or pink gloves
• Blue or pink accessories

 

 

 

 

 

Hark, It’s Me, Ruby Lee

You’ll need

• Hair in pigtail buns
• School uniform
• School books
• Light blue ribbons

 

 

 

 

Bridie’s Boots

• Yellow coat or raincoat
• Red boots or gumboots

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow Dress Day

• Yellow dress
• Yellow ribbons
• Yellow shoes

You might like to use this for a group costume as the character has a different colour for every day.

 

 

 

Meet Weary Dunlop or Meet the ANZACs

• Solider’s Uniform/Camouflage clothes

 

 

 

 

 

Ride, Ricardo Ride

• Cap
• White shirt
• Black pants
• Brown vest
• Bicycle

 

 

 

 

Go Go and the Silver Shoes

• White shirt
• Red pants or skirt
• Silver shoes, glittery if possible

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Key To Rondo

• Blue or silver dress
• Crown or tiara

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nim’s Island

• Shorts and t-shirt
• Binoculars or telescope
• Soft toy bird or lizard

 

 

 

 

 

Tiny Timmy

• Football socks, cleats
• Shorts
• Jersey

 

 

 

 

 

The Midnight Gang

• Pyjamas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ninja Kid

• Green shirt
• Long blue sock or blue cloth to cut holes into to make a mask

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wolf Girl

• Long pants and long-sleeved shirt in dark colours
• Backpack
• Dogs or wolf stuffed toy.

 

 

 

 

 

New Girl Ella at Eden

• Blazer
• Dress or school uniform
• Long socks
• Diary

 

 

 

 

 

Nevermore The Trials of Morrigan Crow

• Black clothes
• Black hair or wig
• Red ribbon for hair
• Umbrella

 

 

 

 

Kenzie and Max Full Speed

• Snow gear, jackets, beanies, gloves

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fozia and the Quest of Prince Zal

• Light blue clothes
• Light blue hijab or cloth to create a hijab
• Cloth to create a magic carpet

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Barnes

• Tan cardigan or jacket
• Hat
• Torch/magnifying glass

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables

• Long coat or jacket
• Blue pants
• Scarf
• Frypan
• Unicycle (optional)

 

 

 

Juliet Nearly a Vet

• White coat
• Play stethoscope
• Toy animal

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Happy As Here

• Pyjamas
• Ugg boots
•  Crutches

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patty Mills Hits the Court

• Basketball outfit
• Basketball

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starlight Stables

• Riding boots
• Jodhpurs
• Shirt
• Puffer jacket

 

 

 

 

 

Marlene from Frizzy

• Embrace your best hair day
• Red and white stripe hoodie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jordan, Drew and Liam from School Trip

• Hoodies
• Rolling suitcase

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games

• Hair in a braid
• Black or green jeans and shirt
• Black or dark jacket
• Face smudged with face paint or makeup for a “I’ve just been hunting for food” look.

 

 

 

Anna from Anna and the French Kiss

• Jeans
• White shirt
• Scarf

 

 

 

 

Clary or Jace from The City of Bones

• Jeans
• Jacket
• Use black facepaint or makeup to draw on marks over the arms and neck

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four from I am Number Four

• Shorts
• Jacket
• Red or orange face paint or makeup to create swirl brands on the leg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

America from The Selection

• Beautiful dress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cammie from the Gallagher Girls series

• White shirt
• Tartan or plaid skirt
• Vest

 

 

 

 

Brienna from The Queen’s Rising

• Blue outfit, dress or cape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valek or Yelena from Poison Study

Valek

• all black clothes

Yelena

• red dress or
• green, black and grey pants and jacket. Long sticks as weapons.

 

 

 

Good for pairs or groups

Goodnight Glow Worms 

• Clothes in a range of colours, pink, red, green, blue, yellow
• Torches

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tottie and Dot

• Pink and aqua clothes and accessories
• Black glasses
• Black bows

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boomerang and Bat

• Cricket whites or white pants
• Purple shirt
• Cricket bat

 

 

 

 

The Dress Up Box

• Anything you have lying around that might possibly look like a costume: broomstick, caps, oversized jackets

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Brother is Beast, My Nana is Ninja, My Mum is a Magician

• Black clothes, knitting needles, hair in a bun, purple scarf
• Beanie, red and white striped shirt, gloves,
• Top hat, cape, wand

 

 

Funny Kid

• Black suit, a life jacket or a red and white striped shirt

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Little Princess Katie Chase

• Princess dress with various accessories to tie into each title.

 

The Bad Guys

• Black jackets,
• Black ties
• White shirts