The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Tuesday, 10 October 2017

The Christmas Challenge. Easy felt craft.

It's Wednesday and I haven't even finished replying to Monday's comments yet, I am sorry.  This week is flying by and it is probably because I am keeping super busy while Chloe is away.  That is what I do, clean and cook...

This week I am going to share a really easy craft that makes a good gift for a child.  When I was little we had Fuzzy Felts.  I loved mine!  It was a felt background and a collection of felt shapes and you made pictures from them.  I think mine was farmyard theme.  Anyway I loved it!
I went in search of some for Harper but without success.  So I decided to try and make a set and see how it went.

Our craft store had felt in a few awful colours so I looked online and found I could buy large packs of so many colours much cheaper!  You can even buy glitter felt!

As Harper is ballet mad I decided on a ballet theme. Not being too artistic I bought a ballet sticker book for my patterns.


I traced the ballerinas and some of the clothes onto paper and used these as my patterns.   The book then went into the present cupboard for when she can manage larger stickers.  

The sky is the limit here.  You can do any theme.  Fire trucks, horses, farm yard, zoo.... anything!   A book can give you the shapes, a colouring in book...  pretty easy as you just want basic shapes.

I wanted a base so I considered a large lid from a shoe box or a tray.... I got a plastic tray for $3 which is sturdy, light and has handles.  

I covered this in a larger piece of felt. This bit was from some you can buy by the yard rather than the little squares. EBay once again.


First I cut out the ballerina figures.

Then I started on the clothes...  


We went with subtle and understated outfits haha!  And handbags lol

The glitter felt was a hit.  I ended up adding a little glitter glue as well.   


I just kept on cutting out clothes, bows, tiaras and so on until I had a good collection and endless outfits.


Anyway it was a hit!  And I have a ton of felt to make more of these or other crafts.   Something like this is a good quiet activity to bring out when a child is not well.  Mum always had a stash of things that only came out when we were resting or unwell.  These provided hours of entertainment.

I settled on a snap lock bag to keep the pieces in when putting it away. 

The little ballerina loves it!


This is at class. Her teachers name is Princess Rose.  😊


Princess Rose is VERY popular. 

I hope your week is going well!   How are your Christmas gifts coming along?   
I am going to Aldi this afternoon and hope to then have all the dried fruit I need for my Christmas cakes.  Next week I will get them made! xxx





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45 comments:

  1. Anonymous10 October 2017 at 16:47

    I love this idea! And the little ballerina is so pretty (the real life one!) Andrea

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  2. Anonymous10 October 2017 at 16:50

    Dear Annabel, such a simple idea that is loaded with possibilities. I still have our children's fuzzy felts - they are tucked away with a couple of other things that you can no longer easily find.

    When I was working as a Teacher's Aid I purchased a couple of sets from Aldi and boy were they a hit with two struggling students - I had a boy set (knights) and a girl set (flower shop) and both children used these to make up a story and write about it.

    Lynette
    XXXXX

    PS don't forget the button box is wonderful to help with counting.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Annabel11 October 2017 at 03:16

      Dear Lynette,
      Aldi has them! I haven't seen these yet but will watch out! Good old Aldi has everything over a year! I LOVE the idea of a flower shop! I have a lot of felt left so that might be next! With love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  3. Glenda10 October 2017 at 17:12

    Dear Annabel,
    This is so cute and what a wonderful idea. Harper is very blessed to have such a resourceful and creative Grandmama.
    Love and hugs,
    Glenda

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  4. Anonymous10 October 2017 at 17:18

    What a great idea to use a sticker or colouring book as templates for your felt figures! No wonder Harper loves her special ballet fuzzy felt x
    How lucky she is to have a Princess ballet teacher, she will remember that always :)
    I hope your Aldi trip is successful, and you find all the ingredients you need.
    Have a great week xx Fiona

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 15:43

      Dear Fiona,
      Thank you! Colouring in books are good as the designs are mostly simple shapes. This suits me! Thanks so much for your help with the recipe too! With love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  5. Mimi10 October 2017 at 17:26

    Dear Annabel, well as you know my Ballerina is almost grown up, and whilst she will continue to dance forever I think, she is no longer my 'little' ballerina. So I am going to enjoy living vicariously through your little ballerina. My darling granddaughters look like becoming accomplished little gymnasts over ballerinas, so Cest la Vie. Your little fuzzy felt (how I loved my Fuzzy Felts as a child!) ballerinas are adorable. You are such a lovely Nanna. I bet Harper loves them to bits. Clever, clever, clever. Love, Mimi xxx

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 15:42

      Dear Mimi, I can see gymnastic fuzzy felts! It is great having grandchildren to keep making things for! There are not enough hours in the day basically! Thank you so much, with love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  6. KayeB10 October 2017 at 17:27

    Dear Annabel,

    Absolutely adorable!!! Both the felt ballerina set and the little ballerina herself! 😉
    You are one truly resourceful lady! Keeping Chloe and you all in my prayers. Xoxo

    Love, Kaye xoxoxo

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 15:39

      Dear Kaye,
      This was so easy! Thank you! Thank you for the prayers also! With love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  7. patsi @ a working pantry10 October 2017 at 17:39

    Ananbel, I love this idea! I would have never thought to do this! You have inspired me to try my hand at this. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 15:40

      Dear Patsy, Maybe this is a little idea for the twins? Little activities are so good. Many thanks! Love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  8. Amelia10 October 2017 at 17:55

    Yes, I made my own felt sets for my little girls years ago and I think that is great.

    The photo of your real little ballerina is just adorable. I just had to come by and say that...That photo just made me smile! Adorable! What a little doll!

    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 15:40

      Thanks so much Amelia! I really appreciate you stopping by! xxx

      Delete
  9. Leslie McKinley10 October 2017 at 18:52

    These are so lovely! Harper is just glowing!
    I made some felt dolls that the girls could dress. I got the pattern from the Prudent Homemaker. These were portable so I packed them in my purse to use at church or the doctor's office. But they did not have purses...so they were sadly lacking. ;)
    Blessings,
    Leslie

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    Replies
    1. Annabel11 October 2017 at 03:15

      Dear Leslie, haha yes purses are a bonus! Also hair bows! It goes on and on! I will check out the ones on APH as I love her site! She makes beautiful things. Also this makes me think of paper dolls which would be lovely for a bit older children! Thanks Leslie! With love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  10. Cath Armstrong10 October 2017 at 20:53

    I love Fuzzy Felts too Annabel. I have put the ones I had for our children away with a couple I found at a market a few years ago, for when the grandbabies come. Then I can tell them stories about their mummy or daddy and use the Fuzzy Felts to illustrate - well that's the plan - I may be too old to tell stories! Harper is a very blessed little girl.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annabel11 October 2017 at 03:13

      Dear Cath, Mum still has my original one too although it is a bit worse for wear! But to me when I was little it was wonderful! Thank you Cath! Love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  11. Anonymous10 October 2017 at 21:34

    Annabel,
    Your ballerinas are just adorable! I had some when I was little and they were always fun. What a great idea! And Harper is the cutest in her little tutu what a doll!
    XOXO
    Vicky

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  12. Jane11 October 2017 at 00:22

    Little Harper is such a sweet little ballerina. She is so lucky to have Princess Rose introducing her to ballet. The fuzzy felts are adorable. You clever Granny.














    ReplyDelete
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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 03:31

      Thanks Jane! :) YOU are a clever granny! xxx

      Delete
  13. Teresa11 October 2017 at 07:56

    What a lovely gift for a precious little ballerina! I've never seen glitter felt but I'm sure it will be part of my craft stash very soon (I'm off to the craft store today!).

    Annabel, I finally made your Christmas fruit cakes! The fruit I used included raisins, mangoes, cherries, and apricots (plus the pineapple). We add maple icing right before we serve them and they are sooo delicious! I have two medium sized ones to take to family for gifts this week-end. Thank you for the recipe! Love, Teresa

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 03:30

      Dear Teresa, Glitter felt was news to me too! And guess which outfit Harper likes the best? Yep the glitter skirt and top. And she puts them together too I noticed!
      I am glad you love the cakes! They just improve every week that goes by too! Also you can warm them and pretend its pudding and serve with cream or ice-cream. The fruit is very flexible. I need to do mine next week! With thanks, love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  14. Anonymous11 October 2017 at 08:40

    I'd love to do this for the grandchildren. Since I've never worked with felt - do you need to use wool felt or will the acrylic felt work?

    Love your blog!
    Phyllis

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 03:28

      Dear Phyllis, Thank you for commenting and welcome!
      I love wool felt it is gorgeous. For this I didnt worry and went for variety of colours and kept costs down. I knew I needed a few pinks. So it was just cheaper felt. I think any will do just fine. Ebay had great bundles and it came in days. I hope that helps. With love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  15. Cozy Thyme Cottage11 October 2017 at 13:47

    Your felt gift is so darling. I was wondering if there is a recipe on your site for your white sauce enchiladas? Nancy

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    1. Annabel11 October 2017 at 16:20

      Hi Nancy... this is how I make them its in this post... but these days thanks to Vicky I make up my own space first rather than jars. There are a lot of easy recipes for the sauce I just start with tinned tomatoes and make up a lot. Get back to me if you would also like Vickys recipe. Here it is...
      http://thebluebirdsarenesting.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/feather-your-nest-friday-24th-march-2017.html
      They freeze perfectly so in general I make about 20 at a time. Love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  16. Debby in Kansas11 October 2017 at 14:11

    I don't recall a felt toy like that, but we had something vinyl and sticky called Colorforms, I think it was. Loved them and don't know why I never had felt! Especially because we always had Story Boards in pre-school and the early years. Same concept, but a big felt piece on an easel. As I told a story (I taught preschool when I was young), I would put the corresponding felt onto the board.
    The kids LOVED it. They'd stare at that board like it was alive!

    I think that's a wonderful Christmas gift idea. I shall pass it on to my friends that have grands.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Debby in Kansas11 October 2017 at 14:15

    I wanted to see if I could find a Colorforms photo to show you. I hope this works! https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124271270946293064/

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 03:26

      Thanks Debby this worked and I saw it. Very similar! I actually think we had something like it as there were stickers that you could move around...
      I like the idea too of the easel story board. It is amazing how these things are so loved! Really this was a very easy craft and fun to do. The sky is the limit too! xxx

      Delete
  18. Mrs. Gillam11 October 2017 at 16:27

    Hi Annabel,
    You did a great job on the ballerinas! Of course the real one is adorable!
    I need to go through the things I have set aside for gifts and stockings to see what I have and what is still needed.
    I am scheduled to have knee replacement surgery on December 19, so want to have all of the Christmas things ready and also have some meals in the freezer for when I am recovering.
    I have some things that I plan to bake that will need to wait. Last year, I made a list of the things I wanted to bake and concentrated mainly on one recipe per day. That seemed to work well.
    You'll laugh at this. I bought a really soft, fuzzy and beautiful little hooded jacket for our youngest granddaughter and thought it would be part of her Christmas. They were in town unexpectedly from Colorado. Guess what I gave her while she was here!
    love from Arizona,
    Elaine

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    Replies
    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 03:23

      Dear Elaine,
      Yes having everything organised will be the best idea. Meals plus shopping too. Also to have lots of things lined up to keep you happily occupied. Think of it as a jump start on new presents to make while your knee is healing!
      Elaine I do this too, put things away then end up giving them! But the little jacket sounds gorgeous! With love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  19. Debbie11 October 2017 at 18:07

    What a fantastic idea for your granddaughter! My siblings and I played with fuzzy felts as children, and my own daughters had some too. You brought back some good memories with this post.

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 03:18

      Thanks Debbie! It is funny how such a small thing can bring back good memories! Low technology toys too! xxx

      Delete
  20. Cozy Thyme Cottage11 October 2017 at 19:43

    Hi Annabel, I get tired of tomato based things so was thinking yours was white sauce based. I do have a recipe for the cream chicken soup mix. Is that the white sauce you use? I have never made any kind of enchiladas! Nancy

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 03:20

      Dear Nancy, I just use my homemade greek yoghurt in the place of sour cream in my enchiladas. It works so well. And nearly costs me nothing! So that is all it is! Plus cheese of course. With love Annabel.xxx

      Delete
  21. Anonymous11 October 2017 at 22:12

    How wonderful these are. I bet Harper thinks they are fabulous. You have the most precious little ballerina. I love that her teacher's name is princess rose. How fun do you get to watch them dance sometimes.
    Love,
    Patti

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 03:21

      Thanks Patti! What I love is little kids just believe you are a princess if you say so! :) so cute! xxx

      Delete
  22. Cozy Thyme Cottage12 October 2017 at 05:52

    Thanks Annabel! Nancy

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  23. Anonymous12 October 2017 at 08:32

    I never had felts when I was growing up, but I do remember Colorforms, Debby! I had many paper dolls and absolutely loved them.

    Your ballerina felts are great and as always, your little ballerina Harper is just adorable! She is so pretty in pink!

    I think I am making crocheted elf slippers and hats (complete with pointed ears) for the grandsons to give on Christmas Eve. Will try the patterns out while I am out of work for two weeks. Am scheduled for ACL repair and cyst removal in my left knee on Monday, so should be able to get quite a bit accomplished while I'm home!

    Jeanette

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    1. Annabel12 October 2017 at 15:38

      Dear Jeanette, I hope it all goes well on Monday! I know you will use the downtime well! It is good having things lined up and ready to do.
      The little boys will love their slippers! Christmas is so much fun with children. Its just gorgeous! I cant wait! With love Annabelxxx

      Delete
  24. Jacki12 October 2017 at 19:33

    Love your craft Annabel. I'm 57 and was raised by my grandmother. I had regular paper dolls but I remember grandma telling me when she was a girl they didn't have or couldn't afford paper dolls so they made their own. She taught me. A shoe box became a car and the Sears & Roebuck or Montgomery Wards catalog (US) was used to cut out the dolls and outfits of your choice. Then you "drove" to each other's house to visit, etc. Does anyone else remember this?

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  25. Anonymous12 October 2017 at 19:38

    Dear Annabel,
    I love this idea! I had to look up Fuzzy Felts and ended up on Etsy where there are so many more good felt toy ideas. I can see a felt farm yard in John's future.
    Harper's ballerina felts are perfect for her. She looks so cute and sweet in her outfit. I bet she dances all around!
    Love, Kelsey

    ReplyDelete

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