Handmade toys that I LOVE
I am just in love with these adorable dolls from Bit of Whimsy. I wish she had more than the pdf pattern for sale but maybe she'll be stocking more sometime soon. I might just have to get the pattern anyway. They are just too cute! And I really love the bunny and this lamb.
This is another doll that I just adore from Fabric Farrago. Isn't she just the cutest thing?
I don't know how to crochet so I am going to definitely have to pick up some of these crocheted cupcakes from Puka Shell. She has some other delicious looking crocheted deserts but the cupcakes have to be my favorite.
Also along the lines of play food is felt food. I have been meaning to make some of these up for the girls; I just haven’t made the time to do so yet. And felt is not easy to find here in Germany. There are lots of easy patterns out there that you wouldn’t even need a sewing machine for. You probably wouldn’t even need a pattern for many of the foods, just a picture to look at. The sky is really the limit on these and honestly I don’t think the kids will care too much on how perfect they turn out. This could even be a great project for kids that are a little older and able to use a scissors. Kids are so creative and it would be a lot of fun to hear their idea and see what they come up with. I can’t even decide on a shop to spotlight or even an item, just log on to Etsy and type in ‘felt food’ in the search bar. But if I have to choose I’d say I do love this sushi set and these fruit baskets.
There are lots of things you can make at home like home made play dough. My mom always used to make it for us, and it’s great that you know exactly what it is made of when you make it yourself.
Homemade Play Dough Recipe
makes four 2 1/2 inch diameter balls of play dough
Ingredients:
· 1 cup of warm water
· 1/4 cup salt
· 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
· 1 teaspoon canola oil
· 1 cup flour 15-20 drops of food coloring per ball (4 balls per batch)
Preparation Instructions:
1. In a small, non-stick sauce-pan, mix the warm water, salt, cream of tartar, and canola oil. Slowly blend in the flour, getting rid of clumps.
2. When blended, turn the stove eye to medium heat (medium-low on a gas range). Stir constantly. As it heats, it will begin to clump and turn into dough.
3. When smooth and thickened, remove from heat promptly. Pull the dough out of the pan and let cool a little. Start kneading as soon as possible until well-blended and appropriate consistency. Divide into four even balls.
4. Add food-coloring five drops at a time to each ball until color is evenly mixed in and desired hue. (Wash hands between colors). Let cool.
5. Place the colorful dough balls in plastic bags or airtight containers when cooled.
Another great toy that you can make yourself is play silks. Here is what I found on a tutorial of how to make them.
'What are play silks? Only the best imagination inspiring toys ever! No really, I was skeptical at first too, until I saw children playing with them. They are completely "open ended" which means that the only limit to their use is your imagination. Younger children play peek-a-boo with them and liked to swish them around and watch them gracefully float through the air. Later, they will play a huge role in pretend play. A purple one becomes fairy wings, a black one becomes a wizard's cape, a green one on the ground becomes a pasture for small animal figures and a blue one becomes a pond for boats. A red and orange one can be fire for a pretend bonfire and a white one can be snow...' (taken from here)
The tutorial for making your own is on the site, Make Baby Stuff. And I found another great tutorial for making them here on The Artful Parent (lots of awesome ideas on that site too) They look really easy to make and if you'd rather buy them already dyed there are some great shops on Etsy that sell them.
Well, that is going to be it for now. The editing thing on the blog has been driving me crazy tonight and I've wasted way too much time trying to get everything right and I lost everything just as I finished the first time. So this will have to do. So much for getting to bed early. I hope you enjoy and I will for sure have to do another list of toys I love because there are plenty more...
take care,
juanita
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