How To Do World Book Day on a Budget

It comes around every year, but still, every time, most of us parents go into full panic mode over World Book Day. It is a pretty big deal in a lot of schools and yes, it can cause quite a bit of stress and often lead to parents hitting the shops and spending far too much on a brand new costume, but with a little planning, a little creativity and some good ideas, you can come up with something that doesn’t have to cost a lot. Here are a few ways in which you can do World Book Day on a budget.

Choose Your Character Carefully

Choosing the character is, of course, the most important job for your child; they want to go as somebody they love, but from your point of view, it needs to be someone/something that you can easily recreate. Take your time looking through their books, discussing who they like in their stories and thinking about how an outfit could be brought together to make this character work. Once you have that choice, the fun bits can start. I have some good last minute ideas here.

Use What You Already Own

I always begin by looking around the house and seeing what we already own. Dressing up box, old clothes, arts and crafts box, sewing kit, etc., all of these may contain items that could help to bring your character to life. As somebody who isn’t overly crafty, but who always likes to give things a go, don’t let a bit of DIY put you off – if I can do it, anyone can! Have a play, throw a few ideas around, use online blogs/Pinterest etc for some inspiration and have a try at sewing. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to make your child happy. Still not sure? Why not check out some of our previous World Book Day Costumes below?

• How to Make a Highway Rat World Book Day Costume
• How To Make A Diary of a Wimpy Kid World Book Day Costume
• How to Make a Mr Tickle World Book Day Costume
• How to Make A Little Green Monster ‘I Can Save The Earth’ Costume
• How to Make a Harry and The Bucketful of Dinosaurs World Book Day Costume

Online Secondhand Sites

If you don’t have all you need to create the look you want, try looking at online secondhand sites such as Vinted, eBay and Facebook Marketplace. These are all fantastic places for finding pieces on a budget. If you have local Facebook groups, freebies groups, etc., you could also try asking in these.

Charity Shops

Charity shops are packed full of clothing, toys, accessories, jewellery, fancy dress, shoes and crafty bits and bobs. If you want to save money, get creative and come up with a unique look, definitely check out your local charity shops first. You may be amazed by what you can find.

If making an outfit yourself is a bit too much (time and creativity-wise), charity shops often have a fancy dress rail in the run-up to World Book Day, so this is another budget-friendly option.

Ask Friends and Family

If you have some items you are struggling to source, why not ask friends and family if they have anything they can lend you? Perhaps they have a great fancy dress collection or they are handy with a sewing machine? They may also have old costumes they could pass on to you.

I hope these tips for creating a World Book Day on a Budget help and that your child has a fantastic time showing all their friends their (and their parents’) efforts!

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