If you haven’t guessed from the series I’ve been writing the past few Mondays, I’m a big fan of creativity. Any time I can jump on an opportunity to encourage kids to create and have ownership in a project, I am all for it. And so it was quite serendipitous when I stumbled upon this post on fairy wings for clothespin dolls from Made By Joel and also received an invitation for my son to attend the birthday party of one of his “friends-who’s-a-girl”. This little girl had been to our home just a few months earlier when we were making these gnome leprechaun dolls from Wee Folk Art . She just took off with the idea, creating her own designs and really enjoying herself. I instantly knew I had to make a doll kit full of “loose parts” for this artist to create with! (Knowing her home and family, I’m sure she’ll find a few more loose parts to add as well!)
I put together a shoe-boxed size kit including several half-sheets of felt, fabric glue, some of Joel’s fairy wings, a small batch of various patterned fabric scraps, embroidery floss (for hair), and of course a big bag of doll-shaped clothespins. I printed out a label, slapped it onto some scrapbook paper, and sealed it up with protective Contact paper before securing it to the lid. (Now there could be no question in her family of eight, exactly who and what this box was for!)
It was a gift that I enjoyed giving and she’s been able to enjoy using. And as icing on the cake, it only cost a few dollars (and helped thin out some of my overloaded craft cupboards- I knew I was saving those cool pieces for SOMETHING!).
Here’s how I interpreted Joel’s fairy wing idea:
1-Start with your plastic cup (though you could also re-purpose milk jugs and pop containers as well).
2-Trim the top and bottom and cut down the sides so that you have two sheets of plastic (or more with other containers).
3-Fold each sheet in half and cut your wing pattern out.
4-Unfold, and you’re set!
Here’s to little kids with big imaginations!
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