Santa brought a sweet little girl's vanity table for DD this Christmas and she's asking for the brushes, cosmetics, and other accoutrements that you think of going with a vanity table. I'd like to indulge some of this pretend play, but I can't stand the plastic vanity/cosmetic/beauty sets commercially available. Not only are they mostly cheap plastic that breaks, but they have real makeup which is completely innappropriate for a 5 yr old.
There's one toy, the only one that I can find, that is remotely appropriate, a Wooden Cosmetic Set, [1] that's perfectly adorable, but it's also $60 which shoots it right out of the realm of possibility.
So, my question is, do you have any ideas for creating a little girl's pretend play beauty/cosmetic set with little or no money? I'm in no mood to scrounge around thrift stores--I always end up going to three or four different ones and yet never find what I'm looking for.
I have a dim idea of making a pretend blow dryer out of toilet paper rolls. But I'm blanking on the rest.
Anyone?