7 Tips on How To Store Costumes

Read on to learn how to store costumes (including how to store Halloween masks).

Mardi Gras, Halloween, Burning Man, and cosplay; What do all these celebrations have in common? They feature gorgeous, intricate, and oftentimes outlandish costumes! The question is, how do you store all these costumes? A multitude of people around the country join in these celebrations each year. And, every year, they bring out their superb costumes to do it.

The truth is many people spend an immense amount of time, energy, and money on their costumes. Thousands of hours to be able to celebrate for a few fleeting moments. And then it’s over. The celebration ends, and you need to store all those delicate costumes for another year. The question is, where? Some costumes are simple. You can just throw them in a box, ready to go when the celebration comes round again. Others, however, are simply too fragile, or too much of an investment, to treat so casually. They need special storage so that they’ll last for a few years, if not a lifetime.

That’s when the question of where and how to store a costume comes up. Many people use temperature-controlled self-storage units to store their works of costume art. That keeps them safe from heat, cold, dirt, dust, and anything else that can damage them. If you’re new to making and storing your costume, however, you might not know the best way to do that. This article will certainly help. In it, we’re going to give you our 7 Tips on How To Store Costumes. That way your beautiful (or scary) costumes will serve you for many celebrations to come. Enjoy!

Tip 1: Buy a Mannequin to Store Costumes

One of the worst things that can happen to a costume is that it flattens and loses its shape. If you have a full-body costume, storing it with a full-size mannequin is perfect. That way, it will keep its normal shape in storage. This will also reduce the amount of stress on things like seams. zippers and buttons. Also, using a lightweight, acid-free cover for the costume and mannequin is a great idea. For ornate, expensive, and fragile costumes, it’s a no brainer.

Tip 2: Acid-Free Containers to Store Costumes

Certain kinds of plastic containers have different acids that can ruin fabrics. Knowing this, many manufacturers now make acid-free plastic containers. If you don’t see whether it’s acid-free or not, look up the details on the manufacturer’s website. You can of course purchase acid-free plastic containers through stores like Amazon. Some big-box stores like Target and Walmart also offer them around the holidays.

Tip 3: Don’t Store Your Child’s Costumes

If there’s one thing that children love to do it’s play “dress up”. After Halloween, a celebration or being in a school play, you should leave their costume out to use again. The truth is, the costume might not even fit them again next year. Being able to use it several times is certainly better than using it once and never again. Most children’s costumes only take up a little room too, so storing them in a dresser or hanging in a closet is easy.

Tip 4: Use Acid-Free Paper Between Costumes and Layers

Just like the acid in plastic will damage your costume, the acid in paper will damage it too. Several manufacturers make acid-free paper these days you can use. Place the paper between costumes or between the layers of fabric in the costumes. This will prevent any color leakage or damage between the costumes. It will also keep them from becoming creased.

Tip 5: Stuff Anything That’s Hollow

When you store your costumes, it’s important to make sure helmets, masks, and armor hold their shape. There’s nothing worse than a smooshed, warped, or shrunken helmet or mask. That’s why you should stuff anything that has a specific shape with paper or bubble wrap. That will keep it looking good and ready for next year.

Tip 6: Store Costumes When Dry

Mold and mildew are two of the biggest enemies of costumes. They can damage fabric quickly and severely and leave you with a stinky, nasty mess. That’s why it’s imperative that you clean and dry your costumes before storing them. Any moisture whatsoever can cause mold and mildew to start and, once it does, it won’t stop. Mold and mildew can destroy a costume in a few weeks, let alone 12 months. So make sure your costume is bone dry.

Tip 7: Use Acid-Free Garment Bags

Like plastic containers, garment bags made often have damaging acid in them. That’s why, if you store your costume with a garment bag, make sure it’s also acid-free. By the way, storing your costume in a garment bag is an excellent idea. It will protect it well and allow you to store it in your closet easily without taking up too much room. Plus, if you store your costume in a garment bag and then in a storage unit, it will be incredibly well protected.

Store Costumes With StorAmerica

Depending on how ornate your costume happens to be, a storage unit from CA Storage would be perfect. Clean, safe, and secure, your lovely costume will be well protected from the elements. That’s especially true if you rent a climate-controlled storage unit.

If you have many costumes to store, StorAmerica Storage is an even better choice. It’s easy to get in and access your costumes whenever you like. 24/7 video security will keep them safe and secure all year long. And our affordable rates mean you won’t pay an arm and a leg to keep them perfect until next year.

If you’ve spent a lot of time, energy, and sweat creating an amazing costume, so store it the right way! When you store your costume with us, you’ll be able to jump right into next year’s festivities! If you have any questions you can chat online right now with one of our friendly managers! Until then, enjoy the celebration!

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