Today’s question is…
“how do you afford to make so many costumes?”
I’ve already touched on this a little bit before in a previous post about how I make so many costumes, but I thought I’d dedicate a whole post to it, since it’s a common question.
I don’t have an unlimited supply of money to throw at costumes, I wish I did. I’ve made costumes through a large portion of my life, beginning back when I didn’t have a job and was still in school, followed by a part-time job in college, followed by “real life” with a grown-up job and a mortgage.
So through all that I’ve developed a couple of tricks to help me still continue my crazy habit even when there wasn’t a lot of money.
1. Leftovers
The more you sew and craft, the more leftovers you accumulate. If you estimate you’re going to need 4 yards and you only end up using 3 1/4, then you’ve got 3/4 of a yard leftover for another project, and more than likely you’re not going to use that entire bucket of sequins you just bought for that one project. These things become money savers in the long-run. Oftentimes when I’m planning out my costumes for the year (more on that later) I’ll look through my fabric stash and decide to make something based on what leftovers I have. Like – my Moonstone/Ms Marvel costume was completely made of leftover fabric, or fabric I’ve bought for projects that never materialized.
(Do go through your “collection” every once in a while and throw out or sell stuff, lest you become a hoarder!)
2. Reusing costume pieces
Reusing things like wigs and boots are a must for me. It’s another thing I consider when choosing costumes, since boots and wigs can often be the most expensive piece of a costume. I made my Wasp costume and reused tights, boots and gloves from earlier costumes. And there are some items that are basic staples, so if you invest in a quality item you can reuse it multiple times – things like a pair of knee-high black boots, or black gloves, or a basic natural-tone wig (my favourite blonde wig I’ve used for 8 different costumes – one of my black ones I used 6 different costumes).
The reason I used a picture of Wasp at the top of this article is because this costume was mostly made using a little bit of #1 (leftovers) and #2 (reused costume pieces). The only things I bought for it were the wig, headphones, and wing material. Everything else was made of leftover fabric and reused costume pieces.
3. Coupons and Sales
Joann’s and Hancock’s both put out coupons on a regular basis, both by mail and by store app (or text program in Hancock’s case). I also have friends who give me their coupons. If it’s something basic I can buy at one of those stores, I wait til I have a coupon to buy it.
I NEVER buy patterns at full price unless it’s emergency. Both stores go through cycles of sells of pattern brands – Simplicity is one week, McCall’s the next, etc. I will go to Hancocks and pick up as many patterns as they let me (usually 5) during their $1 sales. I’ll just grab whatever looks interesting.
Sometimes if you’re ordering special or specific fabric online, you’re not going to have a coupon, so that’s one of the things you have to budget and plan for. If you have time, and they have a mailing list, sign up for it and see if they have sales or coupons you can use.
4. Plan Ahead
At the beginning of the year I will go through and plan all the costumes I want to make that year. I space them out into a work schedule and estimate how much it’s going to cost, so I can space out buying needed items.
Usually around May I’ll revisit and revise the list because usually I’ve changed/dropped/added something for DragonCon.
Spacing everything out and working on a schedule makes it easier to plan for the money I need to set aside for the costume, so I’m not having to buy all of my materials in one big chunk.
Sometimes you have to drop something because you don’t have the money. I’ve had to, and in that case it’s better to drop it for now and do it later than to half-ass it now.
Buuut sometimes you do end up half-assing it because you want it done. I’ve done it – you know, settling on the less pretty, less accurate fabric just so you can finish something, or wearing a wig that isn’t quite right because you don’t have the money for a new one. It’s those times you just have to NOT beat yourself up over it, and either upgrade in the future or just accept that it’s for fun and enjoy it the way it is.
You can also sell stuff to fund your costumes – I know several costumers who make a costume, wear it, and then sell it to fund the next one. I have a hard time doing that, it’s difficult for me to let go of them. When I do sell them, I do use them to fund either more costumes, or trips. Just be prepared that you’re probably NOT going to get back what you put into it.
You can also try selling prints. After being asked numerous times if I would sell prints, I finally put a few up in my store, and the money from the sales of those go directly back into my costume-making fund. I realise most people don’t want prints of me, but it’s a nice way for people who enjoy my work to support me if they want. I didn’t get a lot from it, but what I did get was appreciated!
So those are some ideas for you. 🙂