How WA Costume Closet Works
A friendly guide for Westminster Academy families — no tech experience needed!
Getting Started
WA Costume Closet is only open to Westminster Academy families. Here’s how to get access:
Click Sign In and choose one of two ways to access your account:
Sign In with Google
The fastest option. One click and you're in — no password needed.
Email Login Link
Enter your email address and we'll send you a one-click login link. No Google account required.
- Click Sign In in the top-right corner and choose Google or enter your email address.
- If using email, check your inbox for a login link and click it — it will sign you in automatically.
- New accounts are sent to an admin for approval — this usually happens quickly during the school year.
- You’ll receive an email once approved. After that, you’re all set to browse, request, and list costumes!
You can always browse the home page without signing in — you just need an account to make requests or list costumes.
Seeing an unfamiliar URL on the Google sign-in screen? You may notice a web address ending in .supabase.co during sign-in. This is completely normal and safe — Supabase is the secure database service that powers this app. It handles your Google sign-in the same way thousands of other apps do. You are not granting access to anything beyond what WA Costume Closet needs to identify you.
Browsing Costumes
The home page shows all available costumes. You can narrow things down using the filters at the top:
- Grade level— find costumes suited to your child’s age group
- Event / Occasion — filter by things like Book Character Day, Halloween, or History Fair
- Listing type — choose from Borrow, Rent, or Purchase
- Size — filter to costumes that will fit
Click any costume card to see full details, photos, condition notes, and pricing.
Requesting a Costume
Found something you like? Owners can offer three types of arrangements:
Borrow
Free to use — just return it when you're done.
Rent
A small fee set by the owner. Great for short-term use.
Purchase
Buy it outright — it's yours to keep.
To send a request, open the costume detail page and click the button for the arrangement you want. You’ll fill in:
- Your name and a way to reach you (phone or email)
- Dates you need it (optional but helpful)
- A short message for the owner (optional)
Once you submit, the owner will review your request and you’ll get an email when they respond — whether approved or declined.
Managing Your Requests
Visit My Requests to see all the requests you’ve sent and their current status:
- Pending — waiting for the owner to respond
- Approved — the owner said yes! Reach out to coordinate pickup or payment
- Declined— the owner wasn’t able to accommodate this request
You can cancel any pending or approved request if your plans change — the owner will be notified automatically. Older requests are archived automatically to keep things tidy.
Listing a Costume
Have a costume sitting in a closet? Share it with the community! Click List a Costume from the navigation bar. You’ll be able to add:
Photo guideline — please read before uploading
Do not post photos showing your child's face. Instead, use the stock photo from the retailer's website, or crop or cover your child's face before uploading. Listings that appear to show children's faces will be periodically reviewed and may be marked unavailable until the photo is updated.
- Photos (highly recommended — they make a big difference!)
- Size and condition
- Grade levels it’s appropriate for
- Event / occasion tags so others can find it
- Which arrangements you’re offering: Borrow, Rent, and/or Purchase
- Pricing for Rent or Purchase options
You can edit or update your listing at any time from your Dashboard.
Responding to Requests (My Dashboard)
When someone requests one of your costumes, you’ll see it in your Dashboard. Each request shows the requester’s name and contact info so you can get in touch if needed.
From the dashboard you can:
- Approve a request — the requester gets an email letting them know you will coordinate pickup
- Decline a request — the requester is notified politely
- Archive old or completed requests to keep things organized
If you approve a Purchase request, the costume is automatically marked as unavailable so it won’t receive new requests.
A Few Good Things to Know
- ✓No children's faces in photos. Use the retailer's stock photo, or crop/cover your child's face before uploading. Listings with visible children's faces may be marked unavailable during periodic reviews.
- ✓Privacy first. Your contact information is only shared with the listing owner after a request is made — it’s never displayed publicly.
- ✓Family-to-family. All pickup, return, and payment arrangements happen directly between families. The app doesn’t handle money.
- ✓Not an official school app. WA Costume Closet is a community tool run by parents. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Westminster Academy.
- ✓Questions? Reach out to whoever shared this link with you — it’s likely a fellow WA parent who can help.