Today’s Hint: A Frugal Pretend Play Purse

Sometimes the best hints come from just watching my 2-year-old daughter in action, seeing how she repurposes my trash into her treasures.

Case in point: Today’s hint is how she transformed an old around-the-neck trade show badge holder of mine into her own frugal play purse, an approach to consider if you’re in the market for a pretend purse and have old trade show badges handy.

Here’s the story behind my tot’s clever upcycling: When I returned home from the ABC Kids Expo baby gear trade show earlier this month, my daughter watched me go through all of the press materials I’d collected.

She seemed especially fascinated with my necklace-like badge pouch from the show, trying it on a number of times. So, I put it away for her in my “magic pitcher of tricks,” a pitcher filled with her trinkets and treasures that I don’t feel comfortable having her play with unsupervised and that I bring out whenever she’s about to have a tantrum.

Since then, whenever I bring the pitcher out, my tot gravitates toward the badge holder, calling it her “purse.” She puts items, like little toy cars, inside the pouch pocket holding my name tag and then carries the badge holder around over her shoulder like it’s a purse.  You can see her with her purse in the images above.

Haven’t saved any of your old trade show badges? Don’t worry. There are loads of other ideas for budget-friendly play purses that you can employ, including donating one of your old purses or wallets to your little one or making a bag yourself. For some inspiration, check out My Frugal Adventures’ “Easy No Sew Children’s Treasure Pouch”, this no-sew required denim purse and All Things Thrifty’s instructions for making purses out of duct tape.

But if you do have old badge holders that you’ve been saving for some reason, consider giving them to someone who will appreciate them – your young child.  Just make that you supervise any badge purse play if your little one is too young to trust alone with necklaces and choking hazards.

How have you repurposed old trade show badge holders, if at all? What are your tips for saving money on pretend play purses and toys?

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