Toddlers can quickly outgrow their clothing as they pass through growth spurts. They spend a lot of time on their hands, knees and bottoms as they learn to walk and run, often rubbing the fabric off their favorite clothes or staining their clothes with grass and dirt. Learning to eat and drink at the table typically means their clothes get stained with food, no matter how large their bibs are. Common sense indicates that spending a lot of money on costly toddler clothing probably isn't the best use of your cash.
Step 1
Buy your toddler's clothes at discount and consignment stores. Some have regular deep discount sales of 50 percent off at least once a month. Add a monogram or an iron-on design to update and personalize the used clothing.
Step 2
Join a mom-to-mom clothes swap group in your community. These groups typically hold regular swaps of used toddler clothing and other items youngsters outgrow. Internet resources to help you get involved include rookiemoms.com, moneysavingmom.com, peaceloveswap.com and coolmompicks.com. Start a group if one isn't already organized in your area.
Step 3
Buy clothing a year in advance from clearance racks at the end of each season. Be sure to anticipate the larger size your child will need the following year.
Step 4
Establish a mix-and-match dress style for your toddler. Match a couple pair of jeans or solid-color shorts with assorted t-shirts, or match a color-trimmed denim jumper with a variety of undershirts. This can minimize the number of clothing items you need while maximizing the different outfit combinations your child can wear.
Step 5
Sew your toddler's clothes. Restyle old clothing worn by larger family members into simple pants, shirts, skirts and jumpers for your toddler.
Step 6
Buy toddler items in bulk. Retail and discount outlets often sell items like socks, gloves and underwear in large package quantities. Wait for a sale and buy multiple packages at lower prices.
Tips and Warnings
- Recycle your toddler's outgrown clothing by swapping it for larger sizes. You can also donate it to a discount or consignment store in exchange for a reduced price on your next purchase.
- Always wash your toddler's used clothing in hot, soapy water before putting it on your child.
Things You'll Need
- Iron
- Iron-on fabric designs
- Measuring tape
- Fabric scissors
- Sewing machine
