One of my daughter’s favorite authors is Raina Telgemeier. She owns and has read many of her graphic novels multiple times. When asked what character she wanted to dress up as for Book Character Day at school last spring, she immediately replied, “Raina because she has braces just like me!” Together we created this Raina costume for her with a few owned items and a few crafted ones.
Raina’s Outfit
We took our costume inspiration from notes directly in the book, Smile. These pages not only feature her cute outfit, but call out the details.
We started by searching my daughter’s closet for the main pieces of clothing. She already owned a turquoise shirt and white button down cardigan. We opted for gray leggings instead of denim pants. While she didn’t have any teal socks or black sneakers, her turquoise sneakers worked equally well.
DIY Accessories
One of the key details in creating a costume for Raina is the having the accessories. We ended up making our own scrunchie and peace sign earrings. Both craft projects were super easy.
The scrunchie was made using fabric I already had in my stash. We found a cotton print that coordinated perfectly with her turquoise shirt. I was making my own scrunchies in the 80s so this was throwback sewing project for me. If you haven’t made any or need a refresher, here is a great tutorial for 2 ways to make your own scrunchies.
For the earrings, I purchased some simple silver clip-on earrings from a craft store. Then we used our 3Doodler pen to draw the peace signs in silver plastic. I attached them to the earrings using gray thread. Super simple.
With book in hand (literally reading it while walking to the bus stop!), she went to school ready to enjoy Book Character Day. Afterward she told me several teachers recognized her dressed up as Raina. A big win.
Along with finding a fun character to dress up as for Book Character Day, this is why diversity and representation in books matters. Whether it’s braces, hairstyle, skin color, religious beliefs, etc – every kid deserves to *see* themselves in a book.
If you are looking for more good book ideas and easy character costumes, we have a list here to inspire you.
