These are some of the most frequently asked questions we get. Have a different question for us??? Drop us a note in the comments or send us an email via our Contact Us page.
What are the dresses/outfits made out of?
Mostly construction paper, tissue paper, gift bags, tape and/or glue. But we also sometimes use other things we have around the house like silk scarves (from a previous project), old table cloths, athletic tape, tulle, aluminum foil, etc.
How much money do you spend on supplies?
Almost nothing. Mayhem and I have a deal that we don’t make anything that we don’t already have the supplies for. The exception is when we run out of tape and glue. And you’ve never seen excitement like the excitement of buying a giant box of packing tape at Sam’s club on a 4 year old 😉 BUT, we have been gifted some supplies. For Christmas, Mayhem received 3 giant packs of construction paper as well as a 4 pack of wrapping paper. And our good friend Kristin sent her a whole box full of dress making goodies for her birthday. In addition, after we’re done with a #fashionbymayhem outfit, we break it down (take the tape off, etc.) and salvage as much of the paper as we can and keep reusing it. And there was the time I took her to Hobby Lobby and turned her loose with $2. She bought a giant bag of feathers…
Are you some kind of designer or seamstress?
No. And NO!!!! I have zero design experience when it comes to fashion and I can’t sew a straight line to save my life. In fact, I once remarked that Tim Gunn would be horrified at my inability to sew a straight line. I’m pretty sure my sewing machine actually hates me.
Does Mayhem actually help with the construction of the dresses?
YES!!! Some more than others, but that often times has to do with the attention span of a 4 year old. But even when she’s not helping on the dress I’m working on, she’s sitting next to me making something else. Sometimes it’s another dress for herself, sometimes a dress for one of her stuffed animals, or sometimes it’s a kite. She’s obsessed with making kites right now. But she actually helps a LOT! And she actually sometimes makes dresses entirely on her own.
How long does she wear the dresses?
Not very long. You ready for this one? … Usually 5 – 10 minutes. In the early days she wore them longer and and would take them off and put them back on all day long. But not anymore. Nowadays it’s more about the creating than the wearing.
Why do you spend the time to make things that she only wears for 10 minutes?!?!
Truthfully, the dress making is more about spending time with my favorite pint sized person everyday and watching her learn and grow. And seeing the sparks of creativity and completely uninhibited imagination. Her mind is wildly creative and hasn’t been spoiled by the idea that there are things that are impossible. I hope to keep it that way for as long as possible.
How long do the dresses/outfits take to make?
We’ve put one together in as little as 5-10 minutes, but I’d say the majority of them so far have taken 30 minutes to an hour. There have been a handful that have taken 2-3 hours. The longest is somewhere in the 3-4 hour range. And that’s not been done all at once. Not a chance Mayhem could concentrate on a single task for 4 hours straight 😉
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