Dress-up clothes? Reader Q + A

My daughter is turning three soon, and I want to put together a dress up box for her. Any ideas for a great Etsy costume shop? She wants an astronaut costume but I need it to be something she can get on and off herself. Any other ideas? -Alison Hi Alison, We love your question! Of course, you can start by dumping your own accessories in there--scarves, gloves, handbags, belts are all great for creative play. But if you want some specific costume accessories, here are some great ideas to fill up your daughter's dress-up box: The masks at Mahalo are adorable and won't take up too much room in her dress-up box. I love the entire forest of friends shown above---great for those bigger playdates or fun at a birthday party. Her Flying Horses has some great individual pieces that leave room for lots of open-ended play like these pirate pieces. Plus, her prices are phenomenal. We love her handmade superhero cuffs so much, we just featured them on site. I think every kid needs a cape---one of the most versatile dress-up items you'll buy. Little Capers is a terrific shops that make handmade capes that last. Not just for dress up, Soil hats are lovely but totally inspiring for kids. Pair with a cape, or just a long play silk tied around the shoulders, and see where her imagination takes her. As far as astronaut costumes, I've seen a lot but they all do seem challenging for an almost-three-year old to put on herself. One option is to convo the Little Shepsters Etsy site about her custom-made astronaut costume to find out if she can design one to be as easy as possible for little hands to get on and off. Search our archives under Dress-Up and Costumes for even more ideas.