How to Do a "Project Runway" Challenge for Kids
The television show "Project Runway" is a reality favorite of fashion fans of all ages. The show follows up-and-coming fashion designers who compete weekly by designing and making original outfits. With a few tweaks, the concept of the show can be adapted for kids' birthday parties or a special after-school activity. Since most kids aren't able to use a sewing machine, keep your challenge simple by using used garments or pieces of fabric that can be wrapped around the kids and secured with safety pins.
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Things You'll Need
- Name tags
- Glitter glue
- Pens and markers
- Old dresses and other garments
- Large pieces of fabric
- Ribbon and other decorative fabric
- Scissors
- Dress forms, mannequins or hangers
- Safety pins
- Sewing needles
- Thread
- Fabric glue
Instructions
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1
Invite five to 10 of your child's friends over to participate in the challenge. Ask the children to make themselves name tags with imaginative designer names as a pre-challenge. Supply them with name tags, glitter glue and colorful pens and markers to make the name tags.
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2
Lay out the materials that the kids will use for the challenge in a room separate from the work area. This will simulate the fabric store where the contestants on "Project Runway" shop. Provide old dresses or other pieces of clothing, ribbons, strips of cloth that can be used as belts, feather boas, remnants of fabric large enough to wrap around a child's body, and any other pieces of decorative fabric on hand. Since the children will not be using sewing machines, use materials that can be transformed into new designs by wrapping, tying or pinning.
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3
Open the door to the "fabric store," and let each kid choose their material. To be fair, limit each child to a set amount of fabric and old garments. Give them five to 10 minutes in the shop, before returning to the work area.
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Give the kids 1 hour to work on their creations. If you have access to dress forms or mannequins, have them set up in the work area so that they can use them with their designs. If you do not have any dress forms, the kids can drape their garments on clothes hangers -- or on another child designated as their model, if your group is large enough. Encourage them to cut up the old dresses or create new garments, by wrapping fabric around toga-style and securing with safety pins, or tying them with ribbon or lengths of fabric. Provide needles and thread, so that the kids can do some minor hand sewing and fabric glue to add embellishments.
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Ask the kids to put on their finished creations for a fashion show. Gather two or three other parents together, to serve as the judging panel. Have each judge rate each child's creation on a scale of one to 10. After each girl exhibits her outfit and is rated by the judges, add the scores together and declare a winner. Provide a suitable prize, such as a gift certificate for the local mall, a fashionable purse or a pair of inexpensive earrings.
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Tips & Warnings
If boys are participating in the challenge, ensure that you provide used pants and shirts with the challenge materials.
Do not let young children use sewing scissors or needles unassisted.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Digital Vision/Digital Vision/Getty Images
