Felt Santa Ornament

HO, HO, HO! 

           It is never too early to start planning for Christmas.  If you like to make handmade ornaments like I do, you need to start thinking about it now!
   
          I was browsing though Christmas ornaments in a small shop in Minnesota a few years ago and came across stuffed felt Santas.  I knew that I could make them. 


      So off I drove off to JoAnn's to pick up some red, black, and white felt.  I was out of town in Minneapolis at the time, so I didn't have all my felt scraps on hand.

     These are the little guys I came up with for my granddaughters that year. A little embroidery and a little stuffing. At about six inches tall, they are the perfect size for little hands. My Santas came together quite quickly. No sharp edges to poke a finger or loose eyes to come off. These little Santas can easily hang on the tree or can be played with and taken to bed for a nap. 


    Happy Santa Making to all and to all a Good Night! 

Beti

Felt Christmas Tree

          Christmas Tree 
 
         Manipulative activities for youngsters is so very important.    I saw a stuffed felt Christmas tree on Pinterest and was intrigued.  It looked like something I could make for my grandchildren and nephews. 
             
           Now is a great time to get started on an activity for you little ones for the Christmas season. 

           I made a form from cardboard which is about two feet tall.  The large triangle shapes were glued together using a hot glue gun.   I used tacky glue to fasten the felt to the cardboard tree.    Then the tree form was filled with styro-foam packing peanuts to keep it light yet firm.       Finally, the felt bottom of the tree shape  was stitched in place to keep the tree together. 
           
          An old Advent calendar with little felt ornaments happened to be in my basement. These felt ornaments hung on to the felt of the tree much like a felt board.  The ornaments were the perfect size for little fingers and my tree.

           My granddaughter is 18 months old.   As you can see, she spend a lot of time arranging and rearranging the ornaments on her little tree. 

               We all need those quiet moments to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas, even the very small child.

  So start working on manipulatives for the young ones in your family.   You will not regret it.

           I have linked up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for the Five for Friday Weekly Linky Party.     Lots of great ideas for the new year and winter months.
  www.doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com 

      Merry Christmas to all 

and to all 

a Good Night!

 

 

Please leave a comment if you have a minute. I'd love to hear from you.

Beti

Felt Snowmen Ornaments

 Snowmen Ornaments

             Every year I make felt Christmas ornaments for my grandchildren.   Each year the ornaments take on a new design.   Last year Christmas trees were sewn.    This year I chose snowmen.   I try to give each their own individual personality.   This way the kiddos will be able to recognize their ornament. 

            On the back,  the year and the child's name is stitched.   I experimented with the decorative stitches in my sewing machine.   As you can see the snowman on the left has the years stitched by machine.    It wasn't exactly what I wanted, so on the other snowmen I did the year by hand.   Granted it took a little longer, but I think it looks much better.

             The faces are slightly different as well as the hats.   Each and every snowman made out of snow looks different.   Some are big and some are small.    Some are wearing hats or a scarf around their neck.   Some snowmen have sticks for arms and a carrot nose.   So these felt snowmen should be individuals, too!

              This smiling fellow has sparkles on his hat and a piece of  red ric-rac  to hang on the tree.

            This jolly  snowman ⛄ has a cute little smile with a green ribbon hanger.

         Give these little felt friends a try for you favorite children this Christmas.   You might even start a tradition, too.    Hopefully, these snowmen will hang on the branches of Christmas trees for many years in the future.

Happy Sewing!

Beti

Advent Calendar

       A Family Tradition

       Many years ago my  children received an Advent calendar from my husband's aunt.  She had made felt ornaments to attach to a felt tree.   All of the cousins used these Advent calendars as they waited patiently for Christmas to come each year for about 30 years. Aunt Marian had made four Advent calendars, one for each family.    Each ornament had its own little pocket, 24 in all.

       Two years ago, my two sister-in-laws and I decided that we would make an Advent calendar for our children now that they were grown and living on their own.    Some were married and having children.    We wanted this tradition to carry on for the next generation. 

       We divided up the 24 ornaments.   Each of us would make 8.    We had to make 12 of each ornament for our combined 12 children.  

       From the top we made sleighs, angels, train engines, drums, piggy banks, houses, stockings, candles, holly leaves, wrapped gifts, horses, snowmen, bells, gingerbread men, hearts, ornaments, tin soldiers, fish, birds, wreaths, candy canes, apples, mittens, and puppy dogs.   The stars at the top were made by our Aunt Marian. 

      Here is the tree before trimming at the beginning of Advent.   All the ornaments are tucked into a numbered pocket.

         And the tree on Christmas Eve all decorated.    The little ones love to choose an ornament and snap it on the tree.   This is great for eye hand coordination.     Children can talk about the colors and shapes of each ornament while placing them on the tree. 

         We added a Nativity scene under our Advent trees.    My sister-in-law found the darling set of buttons and had to purchase them.    They add a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of Advent and Christmas.

      
     
Beti
 

Turkey Finger Puppets

Gobble, Gobble!

       Thanksgiving will be here before you know it,   but a cute little turkey can be fun to play with any time.  Now is the time to make these cute turkey finger puppets for your kids in time for Thanksgiving!
    

       I know this guy has a frightened or startled look on his face.   You would to if you or one of your friends were on the menu for Thanksgiving dinner.

       I like to create felt finger puppets for my granddaughters, nieces, and nephews.  Having a large scrap box of felt comes in very handy when these little friends need to be made.    As you can see, the smallest scrap of felt can be used for feathers, a beak, or eyes when making a felt finger puppet.

      These little finger puppets are only about 2 1/2 inches tall.  They are appliqued and then stitched together with embroidery floss.    I don't use any glue.   They are very soft and lovable. Each turkey has a little yellow beak that opens.   Gobble,  Gobble!


     

        These turkeys were a lot of fun to make. They would make a great addition to my Old MacDonald felt set. Here is the link if you would like to see the rest of the farm animals.

http://betikempa1.blogspot.com/2017/01/felt-old-macdonald-had-farm.html

Here is the horse.

   If you like finger puppets, give these a try.

Beti

Felt Nativity with Finger Puppets

Nativity Play Scene
and Finger Puppets

     It is never too early to start planning for Christmas!

      I decided to make felt Nativity scenes for my granddaughters to play with.   They needed something unbreakable and quiet to interact with for a quiet play activity.   The Bible story of Mary and Joseph coming to a simple stable for the birth of Jesus was the perfect setting for this felt play set.    Nothing too fancy, just the basics.

      Making the finger puppets a was  the beginning of the project.   Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus were the first to be made.    Two of each were stitched from small scraps of felt and embroidery floss.     Mary is about 3 1/4 inches tall and Joseph is about 3 3/4 inches. Each is about 1 3/4 inches wide.

       A small brown manger with hay has a pocket for the Baby Jesus to sleep peacefully. The manger is attached to a pocket in the stable.   With this pocket,  Mary and Joseph are able stand in front of or behind the manger to watch over their new born child.

     The Three Kings are different heights in the same range as Mary and Joseph.  They are each carrying a different shiny gift.   As I said before,  nothing fancy but durable for many hours of play by little ones.

        This Nativity scene would not be complete without a donkey.    Mary rode on  the donkey's back on the long journey to Bethlehem.   We all remember the "Little Drummer Boy" song during the Christmas holidays.      A little drummer boy finger puppet was added so the girls could sing a song when they play.

          A smiling angel is always around to protect and watch over the Christ Child.   You can see the angel standing behind the manger.    The angel is able to watch over the Holy Family in a small pocket near the star on the top of the stable.    The star will guide the Three Kings or Wise men to see the New Born King.



        The play scene has plastic canvas in between the inside and outside.   This plastic sheet gives the felt strength and helps the Nativity play scene to stand up on its own.   Felt pockets are secured to the insides of each panel.    The pockets are designed to hold the finger puppets in place when the scene is closed after play. 

          As you can see, the " tan colored ground" folds up into the play scene.    The two sides fold in and are secured with velcro.    A handle made of green grow grain ribbon was stitched on so that this play set can be easily carried by a young child.

           I hope this Nativity Play Scene will give you the incentive to make something like this for a young child that you know and love. 

    

Happy Sewing!

Beti

North Pole Finger Puppets

Finger Puppets

       My latest finger puppet collection centers around the Arctic regions of our world.  Brrr!    These are made of small pieces of felt stitched with embroidery floss so they are warm and cozy little friends.

            A cute white seal pup and polar bear are found in the cold arctic.    The seal pup has a worried look on his face sitting next to the polar bear,  though I don't think the bear will bother him.   The polar bear is very friendly.

        I added a snowman just for some added fun.  We know how Frosty likes to dance and play in the snowy and cold weather.   Of course Frosty has to have a bright red scarf around his neck to keep away those cold winter winds. 

         Lastly, a penguin was added to the group of felt friends.    I know penguins don't live at the North Pole,  but this one begged me to include him with the other cold weather friends.    So, please explain to your little ones that penguins live at the South Pole not the North Pole.

         I find these finger puppets great for dramatic play or a quiet time activity for preschoolers.    Songs  can be incorporated with finger puppets easily.   They can be taken in the car or on an airplane trip to keep a child occupied for a period of time.    Hide and seek is easily adapted with finger puppets in the confined space of a car seat.    The child can close their eyes and the parent could hide one or all of the finger puppets to find.

      

        The little boxes are made from Altoid tins.     I stitched a small piece of North Pole flannel fabric, that I found at JoAnns, to a piece of felt.     The felt was then glued to the top of the tin  with tacky glue.      All four little chilly friends fit perfectly into the tin for safe keeping.

          I made two sets, one for each of my granddaughters.     They are slightly different so there is no confusion when clean up time comes around.  

       You can view other finger puppets ( Halloween collection,  Baby Sharks,  Moose finger puppets,  and Animal Bed Tins) in previous posts if you are interested. 

       Enjoy the wonderful day! 

Beti 

Flannel Stuffies

Flannel Stuffies Pocket Pals

          I love to wander through the flannel aisles at JoAnns!   The colors and patterns are so much fun.    Cars, animals, dolls, monsters, spacemen, holiday designs,  I could go on and on.

              I found a flannel fabric with polar bears holding fish and wearing hats and cozy scarfs.    How Cute!     The tallest bears are about 4 1/2 inches tall and about 2 inches wide. Some are smaller about 2 1/2 inches tall and just as cute. 

      First,   the bears were cut apart so they could be sewn.   Each bear piece was placed on felt and sewn around the figure.   Stuffing was adding and then the open edge was sewn together.   Finally, the edges were cut with pinking shears.

 
        This was an easy little project.  Hopefully the grandkids will enjoy playing with these new soft friends.

Beti 

Ninja Finger Puppets

Ninjas! Ninjas!

            We see ninjas everywhere!    If you have read my blog,  I love to make felt finger puppets for my grandchildren and grand nieces and nephews.   In talking to my nieces, they mentioned that their boys like to play ninjas with their friends.   I should have known that.   So I decided to make a set of felt ninja finger puppets.

            A couple of years ago while on a family vacation, I gave each grandniece and nephew a little Altoid box with a little felt animal inside.    They were a hit with the kiddos.   So now when I get to visit the kids, I like to have some little handmade toy to play with. 

           My felt finger puppets are made from small scrap felt pieces.    These little guys are about 1 1/2 inches wide and 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall.      They are big enough to fit comfortably on your fingers and those of children, too.    I cut the body and other shapes free hand so none are exactly alike.      With a "pattern in my "mind's eye", the finger puppet begins to take shape.    So if you are going to make these, pick up your scissors and begin to snip here and there.      As you can see, black, browns, grays, and a green felt were used for the bodies.      Tiny scraps of red, yellow, and black were used for their belts.
  

             The only part that was hand stitched were the tiny eyes peeking out from each mask. The rest of the sewing was done by machine.   (Many of my finger puppets are completely hand stitched, but I wanted these to be a bit more durable because the boys will be playing with them.  

      Ninjas can be educational, too! 
             These little warriors can always be used for counting, sorting,  and matching activities.    Matching the belts or the color of the clothing could be fun.     Properties of same and different can be used in sorting.   They can also be placed in order from smallest to largest.      The educational possibilities  are endless.


          Give these little fellows a try if you enjoy making felt finger puppets!  I  do hope some lucky little boys and girls enjoy their ninjas!


Beti

Black Cat Finger Puppets

     Black cats are so much fun at Halloween!  So I decided to make a set for my granddaughter 's preschool class.

     These little guys are about two inches tall made from scraps of black felt and embroidery floss.   Tiny seed needs were seen in the face for the eyes andnose.  A few simple straight stiches were seen for the mouth and whiskers.

     Each black 🐱 has his or her own personality.  All my finger puppets are cut free hand.  So everyone is a little different.   Now, if you are a pattern person, draw your pattern and work from it.

     I find that preschool children love to play with finger puppets and make them talk, sing, dance, and play.

I hope you find these little friends an enjoyable experience for you and your children.
 Happy Sewing!

Beti

Felt Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Old MacDonald Had 
a Farm  
                 A felt Old MacDonald Barn sounded like a good idea when my 18 month old granddaughter wanted to watch a "Old MacDonald" video over and over, and OVER again.  I wanted her to be able to have a more hands on experience with Old Mac Donald Had a Farm than just screen time.

            So,   I found a little candy box, about  4 by 4 inches.  Covering with felt to resemble a small barn was done with Tacky glue  to adhere the felt to the box. I know this is a Very basic barn.

  
       Then I worked on  some small felt animals to fit into the barn. You will have to excuse my hand sewing because it is really not very good, but I think they are kind of cute. 

       This  barn is made from a tin  Altoids box. It has a different shape with a hinged top. All the animals fit quite well.

          
           A duck is always a popular animal on the farm, with a quack, quack here, and a quack, quack there.

        
            A chick, chicken, or hen makes a good sound in the barnyard," Peep, Peep"!

                 This quiet little lamb makes a nice Baa- Baa sound on the farm.

          You can't sing "Old MacDonald had a Farm" without a pig.  The Oink- Oink here is very special to little ones.

      Last but not least is a cute brown cow that says Moo.

         Singing the Old MacDonald song is  a staple in every child's young learning life.  The tactile experience of opening the barn to pick up the next animal is enriching. As we sing the song, and make the animal sounds, each animal moves around the farm.  Then the barn is opened for the next animal in the song. This animal can be the next on the pile or the choice of the child.

         I feel this type of experience is more beneficial to the young child than watching the videos.  Watching videos for our children is so much fun, but screen time should be limited and not over done.

        Please, interact, sing, dance, and read with your young children. These are so very important event in their lives. They are young for such a short time.  They will grow up so very fast and this experience will be gone forever.

        I remember my mother and grandmother singing a song to me.  "When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother what would what would I be? Would I be pretty , would I be rich? Here's what she said to me. Que sera, sera, what ever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see, Que sera, sera."  This song is from 1956 written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Doris Day sang it so beautifully.

       Please leave a message if you have a minute to spare in your busy day. I'd love to hear from any readers.

Beti  

Felt Hands

Little Felt

Hands

          We love to have our kids dip their hands in paint to make those cute little hand prints.  I thought it would be nice for my daughter and son-in-law to have a little hand of their child.  Daddy could keep it in his pocket, wallet, backpack, or brief case when he was at work or away from his precious child.  Mommy could keep this little keepsake in her purse, notebook, binder, bible, or wallet wherever she went.

       I started out by a simple outline of the child's hand. 

       The hand print was cut from felt. (Two hands were cut).  I hand stitched a small pink heart to the palm of the hand. Then the two hands were stitched together. You don't have to be proficient at sewing to make one.
       This one I added the year to the heart.

      One little hand for Mommy, and one little hand for Daddy. I made the hands for Valentine's Day gifts. 
     
      This is something that could be added to a baby book as a keepsake. Grandma would love to have one, too.  This could be a great beginner sewing project for a grade school child or for a Girl Scout sewing badge.

     These felt hands would be a simple gift to send to a mother or father who is in the military and has been deployed. Not too big, not too small.  Just the right size.  Your child's hand.

Enjoy your children now! 

They grow up so very fast.

     Please leave a comment if you have the time.  I'd love to hear from you.

  Beti