Build Self-esteem with Fashion Freedom

Fashion Freedom can help build self-esteem in Kids.

Girls (and boys) need to feel like they can do things on their own. They have little control over their own life. As parents, we can help build their independence and self-esteem by letting them choose their own clothing each day. The smile on their little faces shows a sense of pride when someone compliments or notices their outfit. I know it is difficult for some parents to let go, but as long as the clothes are clean, I say give your kids fashion freedom. 

I'd like to introduce my friend Rachael to the world of blogging. This is her very first post...ever. I'm happy to have the debut of a future blogging diva.  In the coming weeks, look for her own blog on fun fashion for girls and their mommas too! 

Lainie, my daughter is only 8, but you can't tell her that when it comes to her fashion sense! Gone are the days of mommy picking out her everyday required collared shirt and pant for school. Oh no, she's not having that, but at least she is subtle about it.

Showing her style.

She has taken to bargaining with me. "Weelll... Mommy, I could wear that shirt, but what if I wore it under this dress?"  Who am I to say no to my little mini-me when all she is trying to do is imitate her mother??  Now that the chunky statement necklaces are such an "in" thing for "grown-ups", Lainie has to pick out a necklace of her own everyday. With the accessories comes the occasional sneaking of the lipgloss, eyeshadow, and blush.

Oh boy... I think I've created a diva-nista!!

For a casual day of fun.

On a positive note, on the weekends, I no longer have to drop what I am doing to pick out clothes for her now that she is so into matching outfits herself.  Surprisingly enough, she does a fantastic job for her age! She has an uncanny ability to pick out clothes for me too! On a recent shopping trip, she was colorblocking and pointing out necklaces to wear with the outfits.  

Impressive, I tell ya!

Probably, her proudest moment in fashion was when she "designed" her own shirt online.  She had a smile from ear to ear and a twinkle in her eyes when it arrived. I have high hopes she will continue to have a unique style she can call her very own.  

You might also like our What She's Wearing Wednesday Series.


Sign up for our free newsletter!
-->

Purple Tutu, Pink Leggings, and Combat Boots: She's back! What's She's Wearing Wednesday to Build a Chicken Coop

What she wore to work on our Chicken Coop

Chickens! Who doesn't love a good purple, Target tutu with a pair of combat boots? Pink leggings and a fancy shirt (worn backward) tie it together. This pairing was planned to help the Daddy build the chicken coop/duck pen. "Cause, it's cold and I need pants and boots."

These don't look very heavy.  I can help build a chicken coop and duck pen.  I've got my boots! (Okay, Jake's boots.)

Later, she added a pair of grippy work gloves. No diva can be without fancy work clothes, right? There's nothing quite like Mayhem fashion. We need to start our own kid's clothing line, don't you think? Maybe, she'll make the pages of J. Crew someday?

Oh! That's heavier than I thought.

"Mommy, Grandma doesn't know that I'm not a girly girl who  likes to wear fancy clothes and keep clean." -Mayhem

I can do this!

Our coop is up, but it isn't ready to been published for the world to see. In the meantime, read about a beautiful chicken coop my friend built: Red Barn Chicken Coop.

Recommended Reading:

Backyard Chickens for Beginners

Building Chicken Coops For Dummies

Sign up for our free newsletter!

What She's Wearing: Valentine's Craft for Kids_Make a Doll Purse by Upcycling Gift Bags

How to make a purse from a gift bag for dolls or girls it makes a cute classroom valentine tote too.

She's wearing red for Valentine's Day, and so is her Teddy Bear with its upcycled gift bag purse craft. Ready to recycle? Grab a gift bag, (we like the shiny ones) and make a clutch hand bag for your favorite Valentine. It's easy and it doubles for a classroom valentine goody bag. Enjoy!

This purse or gift envelope was cut from the bottom of a large, gift bag.

Five Fab Classroom Valentine Crafts

Cut the bottom of a large bag to recycle the existing lines as a pattern or use an easy cheat and make your own pattern with a gift card envelope, separate it where it's been glued, lay it out flat, and trace it onto your gift bag. PDF pattern here tomorrow.  Fold the paper on the lines where the envelope had been glued folding a 1" section at the bottom of the envelope to serve as a base for your doll's clutch bag and also on each side.

Poke holes in the sides and insert ribbon for the purse strap. Tie a knot inside the purse at each hole. Get crafty and add a sticky gem or gems from the dollar store. Any American Girl Doll would kill for this purse, now if we could just find her some ruby slippers to match. Yep, I'm a matchy poo-poo.

Mayhem prefers high-top sneakers to ruby red slippers 
and teddy bears to "girly" dolls.

Recommended Reading:


Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse! (If You Give...)*


Valentine Recipe for Kids










ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

What She's Wearing Wednesday - Christmas Fashion

Just walked out of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas with candy cane stockings and Santa cap.

Tweet

What She's Wearing Mayhem Fashion: Things to do with a Paper Bag: Native American Indian Dress Tutorial

How to Make an Indian Costume from a Paper Bag

Paper Bag Indian Costume.

She's wearing a paper grocery bag. We turned it into a Native American Indian Dress, an easy costume for kids.


Hiding somewhere in my garage is a bag with a Pocahontas dress (I hope) or maybe some kid walked away wearing it one day. At any rate, I was short one little Indian costume for our "movie." What's a crazed mom to do? I've made a ton of those Indian Vests and Hula Skirts in after-school programs, so I decided a dress couldn't be too difficult. Right? I guess it depends on  your standards and mine are low.

Native American Shirt from Paper bag.

First, take a paper bag- and good luck finding one. Talk about a tangent. Why, in this day of recycling are plastic bags everywhere, but no one has paper any more? Remember when the sacker used to ask paper or plastic? Now it's plastic or bring your own.

Once you've found the bag, turn it inside out and crumple it into a big paper wad. The more crumples the more it looks like leather. Next, unfold it and pop it open on the table, laying it on the side. Now, cut the sides all the way to the bottom of the bag. The center fold of each "arm" makes a perfect sleeve. Cut fringe about 3" at the end of each sleeve.

Native American Indian Dress.

At the bag's opening or the bottom of the shirt, cut out triangles/zigzags for a decorative edge. At the bag's base or the shirt's top, cut out a "u" or "v" for the neck. Decorate the shirt with Native American symbols. When done, insert kid and tape sleeves at wrists.

Paper bag fringe Indian Skirt.

For the dress skirt, turn bag inside out, wad and crumple, cut the bottom rectangle out, and cut down one seam. Now, cut fringe like a Hula Skirt. Wrap to fit and tape or staple.

We've also made these by punching holes in the waist and weaving yarn through to form a belt which can be tied for a perfect fit. If you want to get fancy, take another bag and cut the panels and then attach inside the sides of the shirt for full coverage.

Native American Indian Dress from Paper Bag.

This was good enough for our day of pretend play. Afterward, Mayhem gathered rocks and twigs to make a fire.


Recommended Reading:

Things to do with a Paper Bag

Sacajawea History Lesson

Native American History for Kids: With 21 Activities *

















ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

What She's Wearing Wednesday: Power Ranger Costume_Girls are SuperHeroes too

Costume Ideas for girls will she be a rock star kitty or a super hero power ranger?

We spent two hours making a Perry the Platypus costume, but Mayhem decided to wear her Power Ranger costume from last year. Good thing, because last year we searched high and low for a Green Power Ranger costume, and she decided to go as a Lady Gaga style, black cat.

Girls are SuperHeroes too.

Green Power Ranger costume accessorized 
with black snow boots, green gloves, and glow sword.

Avatar, Power Ranger, and Headless Scarecrow. 

Trick or Treating.
Turns out no one in the country leaves their lights on, 
so we headed to a safer community event.

Classic cars and candy.  
It was so cold most of the car owners took refuge inside.

It's a hearse! It is a car for transporting the dead. 

A superhero with local heroes.

The Trick or Treat event sponsored by firefighters and police.
 A safe alternative to going door to door.

Recommended Reading:


Halloween past safe alternatives

Kids Creative Chaos Cooks: Kitchen Kids Series: Holiday Recipes

Power Rangers Super Megaforce - Green Ranger Mask*

Power Rangers Green Rangers Costume T-shirt* 

What She's Wearing Wednesday or What Not to Wear

Welcome to What She's Wearing Wednesday.  This week, she wanted her photo taken with her new boots and hat. I didn't understand the hat until she explained.  "It's a cowboy hat to go with my pink, purple, and blue cowboy boots."