Mini Take-Along Toy Barn

As promised, here's the travel toy I made for my son . . .
(Also using this tutorial.)

I was really please with how it turned out. I made this one after my daughter's doll house. Things are always so much easier the second time.


Here's the outside:

The inside (I got lazy and didn't add anything cool):

Put together, ready for play . .

I just LOVE these little houses!

So much fun!!!

If you make one let me know. I'd love to see.

Happy sewing!


I'm linking to these parties this week.

Did you know . . .

Tomorrow (June 26) is National Chocolate Pudding Day!!!

So . . .

Go out and buy a box

Make it with your kids

Lick the bowl

And your fingers

You can even use some for a fun edible finger painting project.

But most importantly . . .

Have FUN!!!

Mini Take-Along Doll House

UPDATE:
3/10/2020

I have had a lot of readers contact me about not being able to access the tutorial for this project. It appears UK Lass has made her blog private. That's unfortunate because she had such a great tutorial. I wish I had included a tutorial here on my blog at the time, but that's all in the past. I have however come across this pattern guide. Hopefully it can help give you some guidelines to attempt the project on your own.

I'm really excited to share this project with you.

I've mentioned that I've been thinking up ideas for a while now to keep the kids busy while traveling this summer. I thought it would be so fun to have a little doll house that my daughter could bring along. Something small. Something that could be folded up and then easily put together when we were ready for play.


This is what I came up with:

It turns out that I wasn't the only one with this idea. After coming up with the idea for this little portable doll house I was trying to figure out the details of how I was actually going to construct it. As I was browsing around online one day I came across UK Lass in US and her fabulous tutorial showing me how to make exactly what I had dreamed up. Amazing.

Thanks Dawn! (You'll thank her too if you ever make one.) See her tutorial HERE. It is really great. These are so easy to make. Anyone with basic sewing skills can do it.

And I loved her idea for using the plastic canvas to make the house sturdy. I would have never thought of that. It worked perfect.

Here's the outside:

The inside:

I debated weather or not to add any furniture to the house. Last minute I decided to just do it, but tried to keep it simple. It's more fun with furniture. Don't you think?

. . . And a little fridge that you can actually open up!

Ready for travel??? Just undo the buttons and it folds up nice and flat to put in your bag.

Bring along in the car or airplane and once you get going, put your little house together and you're ready to play.

Here's the happy home for the happy little family . . .

I did make a few changes from what UK Lass did.

• She sewed the back sides up. I added an extra button and loop on the back so that it can be made flat when done playing.
• I fused my batting (I used Warm & White--it's nice and thin) to my fabric with wonder under and left an opening to slide my plastic canvas inside after I had sewed each fabric piece and turned it right side out.
• On the long main piece, after putting in each canvas piece, I sewed along the edge of the canvas, through all layers of fabric, to secure each one.
• For the furniture I used felt and applied it like I did here.

Does that make any sense at all???
If you have any questions please let me know.

And stay tuned . . . next week I'll be showing you the mini travel toy that I made for my son to take along.

Little Wooden Dolls

This is going to be one busy summer. Between weddings, reunions and visiting family I think we'll be away more than we'll be home. Since late winter I've had an eye and ear open for any sort of idea that I could use to keep my kids entertained on our long car and plane rides.

I saw these little wooden craft, um, "things" at JoAnns. I really don't know what they are, but I thought they'd make a fun new toy.

I planned on making them all girls but my daughter thought since there were four of them there should be a doll to represent each person in our family. I did my best trying to make two of the figures look like boys. I drew on the clothes and face with a pencil. There was a lot of erasing going on until I finally felt satisfied with them.

Painting came next. Kind of silly, but I put it off for a few days because I was scared to death to do it. I didn't want to ruin them. The only brushes I have are a cheep set that I bought when I was a poor college student only because I needed them for an assignment. Good brushes probably would have made it a little easier, but in the end I was pretty happy how they turned out . . . although they're far from perfect.

Here's a side view of the girlies so you can see their cute piggy-tails.

After they were all painted and dry I added a top coat that made them shinny. I still can't decide if I like them better this way . . .

Happy little family . . .

Stay tuned to see the mini doll house that I made for these cute

dolls to live in . . .


I'm linking to THESE parties this week.

A Book for Dad

While I was browsing around Darlybird one day I came upon these blank board books. I just had to have one! I knew just what I would do with it too--make a book for my husband for Father's Day!

Here are the supplies I used:

*scrapbook paper

*photos

*crayons

*white printer paper

*sharpies

*stickers

*mod podge

First I decorated the cover. I just used scrapbook paper and mod podged it to the front.

The boys and I had fun coming up with what to put on each page. Some pages I covered in colored paper but most I left white. If I didn't have a photo of the activity we were describing I had the boys draw a picture of it for me. Here is a sampling of some of our pages:

Normally, I'm all about printing my journaling in some cute font and color from the computer but I haven't had great luck with mod podging over computer ink. It tends to smear. Instead, I chose to hand write everything with permanent marker.

On one of the last pages I interviewed the two older boys about their dad (ie: What is dad's favorite color?  What do you like to do with dad? etc.)

For the back cover I cut traced and cut each of the boys hands out of scrapbook paper (which coordinated with what was on the front.

We'll find out Sunday if it's a success... but I have a feeling it will be!

p.s. I have since found blank board books for a cheaper price here.

Dinosaur Play Mat

Vacation is coming up and I've been working hard to come up with some ideas to keep my kids entertained on our various trips this summer.

Since my kids love dinosaurs I decided to make a dinosaur play mat that we could take along with us on our trips.

I kept it small (8 1/2" x 11") -- just the right size for the fold down trays on the airplane or for your lap.

First I drew up a template. I made it the mirror image of what I wanted the end result to be.

(Click to enlarge)

Once I was satisfied with my template I placed it right under my Wonder Under and traced the different parts onto it.

I then cut around each piece. I purposely didn't cut on the line at this point. It makes it easier when cutting out the felt.

I then placed each piece on the color felt I wanted . . .

and ironed it on. I always use a press cloth when doing this. It keeps my iron from getting ruined and protects my project from melting from too much heat. Always spray a little water on your press cloth before you iron.

I then cut each piece out on the line. I find it's best to wait about an hour after I've applied the Wonder Under before I peel the backing off. If I try to do it right away it's hard to peel, but after I've given it some time to cool it come right off.

After you have all your pieces lined with Wonder Under and cut out . . .

You're ready to assemble your picture on the blue felt. Once everything's lined up and where you want it cover your project with your press cloth, spray a little water and get those pieces ironed on.
I did mine is phases, ironing and securing on the bottom layer first and then ironing the others after that.

I then trimmed the excess blue felt off, added a backing, and did a zig-zag stitch all the way around to bind them together.

All Done . . .

And ready for some serious dinosaur travel play!

Hope that makes sense. It really is an easy-peasy project. All you have to know how to do is tract, cut, and iron. Let me know if you have any questions . . .

Father's Day Bookmark

I saw this bookmark idea over at Make and Takes around Mother's Day. I loved the idea and decided I'd have to do it with my kids for Father's Day.


I used this site to make my list of Father's names in different languages.  I just picked the ones that I liked.

My daughter has always been curious about the photo booth at our favorite museum.  She was happy that we finally got to try it out.

I mounted the Father's list and the pictures on cardstock back to back.  Then I laminated the bookmark and it was ready.

What kinds of homemade gifts are you doing this year?

Hope you have a happy Father's Day at your home!

Reading Game

You know when you get carried away blog hopping and then don't remember where you found something?  That's what happened with this one.  So . . . it's not my idea, but I loved it . . .





This is a reading activity made out of paint chips.  Genius!  Put the ending sound on the card with the cut-out and then the different starting sounds down the strip.  Move the card down the strip and sound out the different words.
We've had a lot of fun with this one in our house.