Closet Caper
brought to you by Busy Little Hands

First, separate all of your summer clothes and accessories into one space. Is there anything that you will never wear again or will be too small when summer rolls around in the year 2000? If the answer is yes, then bag those items up to give to a younger sibling or donate to a needy cause.

Sorting through your summer clothes
For most of us, the weather is turning colder and there are many things in
our closets that are not suitable for cooler temperatures. Bathing suits,
shorts, tank tops, thin cotton shirts and sandals come immediately to mind.

Are you still rummaging through these items to find your daily outfits? If
so, here’s a fun caper that can help you find your clothes faster and
easier.

First, separate all of your summer clothes and accessories into one space. Is there anything that you will never wear again or will be too small when summer rolls around in the year 2000? If the answer is yes, then bag those items up to give to a younger sibling or donate to a needy cause. Whatever is left should be placed in the most inaccessible area of your bureau or closet. This will leave all of your heavier clothing in the spaces easiest to reach and save you lots of time when you are looking for things.

Making paper dolls to match your clothes
Now, separate your fall and winter clothes by color, fabric, favorites,
school, church or play. Any way that is comfortable and easy for you. See if you can make outfits out of your separates by listing them on a tablet or in a notebook. Try some of them to see if they look as good on as you think they will. The outfits that please you should be logged in your notebook along with any accessories that match.

Find some clothing catalogs that no one is going to use and see if there are
clothes that look similar to yours. Cut them out, remembering to leave
little tabs on the shoulders and waist. You will use these tabs to help
hold the paper clothes to your model.

Cut out a figure of a boy or girl as a pattern. Trace this pattern to the wrong side of a cereal box and cut this out as your model. Try to make it a size and shape that will closely match the clothing pictures you have cut out. If you need a model pattern, go to:
http://www.beverlyb.com/activities/crafts/PaperDolls7.gif  and print the
page. You can also cut out a picture of yourself, reinforce it with
posterboard or cereal box board and glue it together.

Can’t find pictures close enough to your own clothes? Ask mom for scraps of cloth and cut out your own or use plain paper to draw and color similar
outfits or separates. Don’t forget the tabs.

After you have your finished your ‘mini’ wardrobe, put your pieces in a box
or other safe place.

If possible, attach a piece of Velcro to the inside of your closet door at a
height easy for you to reach. Then attach the matching piece of Velcro to
the back side of your model.

Check the weather and plan your wardrobe
On school nights, check the news or newspaper for the next day’s weather
forecast and plan what you are going to wear by ‘dressing’ your model. When finished, attach the model to the Velcro inside your closet door. Now, when its time to get dressed, your model is all ready, reminding you of the outfit you chose the night before.

Brought to you by Busy Little Hands, a weekly ezine designed with your little one's creativity in mind. Each week you will receive a fun and easy craft, project or activity & an occasional recipe that your children can make. Most projects are designed to use items that should be lying around your house, or can be picked up for very little cost at your local discount or department store.

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