The Midnight Pumpkin Blog

Cosplay costumes aren’t just fabric and thread—they’re wearable art! And how you store your cosplay costumes and wigs makes a big difference in keeping them looking great for years to come.

I’m no storage expert, but I have been cosplaying for 30 something years, and during that time I’ve amassed quite a costume collection. Much more than what I can hang in a closet.

So, here’s how I store my costumes, props and wigs to keep them in their best condition. I’ve also updated the post at the end with how I store my costumes when I travel.

A Guide to Storing Your Cosplays

Step 1: Clean Costumes and Props

Let’s start with the number one thing you need to do before storing anything, which is clean it! Don’t store dirty, smelly costumes, because they only get worse.

Storing will also bring out stains you didn’t even know you had. Stuff like sweat and anything with sugar (like a spilled drink) will darken over time and be nearly impossible to get out later.

Click here for tips on cleaning your cosplays first.

Everything clean now? OK, you are ready for the next step, figuring out where to store.

Step 2: Figure Out Where to Store Your Cosplay Costumes

First, I’ll share what not to do- don’t ever store them in a shed in your backyard. That’s where my mom put all of mine when I went away to college, and every single one was ruined.

It was a sad day for me to find them water damaged from flooding, heat damaged and eaten by bugs. So, find a nice safe temperature-controlled space.

Your closet – Some things real need to be hung up, so sacrifice a little closet space for these items.

The attic – My attic gets over 100 degrees in the summer, so I only put things up there that can handle the heat. Don’t ever store cosplays made with hot glue or Worbla, or basically anything that can melt in the attic.

Storage Containers anywhere– This is my main solution to storing my cosplay costumes. Stackable storage containers. They are piled high in a spare bedroom, and all labeled.

Step 3: Organize and Store Your Cosplays

My method for storing my cosplays is to keep everything together and labeled.

For example, if I’m storing my Velma cosplay, then I’ll keep it all together with the top, skirt and even the magnifying glass in the same drawer.

Fold it, bag it, label it and then add as many cosplays as you can fit securely without things getting too squashed.

The only thing I don’t keep together with my cosplay is the wig, because I often use the wig for more than one cosplay. So, wigs get their own drawer and organization system!

Step 4: Store Your Wigs

Some more elaborate wigs need to be stored on wig heads so they don’t get deformed, but most wigs can be simply placed in plastic bags and labeled.

Before storing them in bags, you need to comb them out and make sure they go in the bag looking good.

Place them in the bag neatly, so nothing is bent or crunched up. Make sure the bangs aren’t stuck up at weird angles. Longer wigs can be rolled into the wig cap and sealed on the bag.

Then press the air out and label the bag with the main character or style.

For example: some of mine says things like, “long blond layered with bangs” while others say character names like “April O’Neil.”

The wig in the bag may look a bit squashed, but all I have to do is pull it out and give it a little shake and it springs back to its normal shape.

Step 5: Store Your Cosplay Props

Cosplay props can take up a lot of space, and honestly, I do not have a good storage solution for some of mine.

I have two large storage tubs in the closet, one filled with wings and one with various cosplay weapons.

But if you look behind the door of my office, you’ll see a whole pile of swords, shields, bow and arrow, a giant scythe, several wizard staffs and an enormous pair of scissors I have yet to even find a use for.

I wish I could put them in the attic, but most of them would not withstand the heat up there and they would get warped.

Proper Storage Will Extend the Life of Your Cosplay

With proper care and storage, your cosplay costumes, wigs and props can last for many years! I have had some of mine for 15+ years and still wear them.

However, all things do wear out over time, and even with the best care things will degrade.

I live in Florida, and it is really rough on shoes. No matter where I store them, they all get dry rotted eventually and come apart. And the fabric on some costumes will sometimes crack after many years of use. Anything vinyl will completely fall apart!

So, nothing lasts forever, but you can extend the time you get to enjoy your cosplays by remembering to keep them clean and carefully stored after each use.

Traveling with Your Cosplays

A popular search that brings up this page is for travel cases for cosplay, so I figured I should update it with how I travel with my costumes.

A suitcase usually isn’t the best thing for cosplay costumes that you don’t want crushed, especially if they have delicate details or armor.

Many cosplayers favor large cases on wheels. These can be very convenient if all your things fit into a single box.

There are many styles, but Rubbermaid makes a decently priced large one, shown below. Click here to see it on Amazon.

Packing for Multiple Costume Changes

If I’m doing a large event with multiple costume changes, then I prefer packing my costumes in smaller containers and putting them in a wagon type cart.

I got the large one below for around $100, and it holds everything I need. Each smaller box has 2-3 costumes, along with the wigs and accessories, so everything stays together.

This makes it a lot easier to organize everything, plus you have room for larger props and accessories that don’t fit in your containers.

You won’t need any help or extra trips to unload, which came in very handy when I travelled to DragonCon a couple weeks ago!

Click here to see this one on Amazon. It has since been upgraded with brakes on the wheels.

The whole thing folds back together very easily for storing it. I can’t count the number of times this cart has come in handy since I got it a couple years ago!