Make a Simple Fairy Hammock

Most children love helping with craft projects. So, this summer, make a fairy hammock with your child out of twigs and a few other supplies you may already have.

Supplies needed: 

• Leather cord
• Netting about 8" long
• Twigs (Cut 2 sticks that have a "V" shape.  The sticks need to be cut to the same length.) 1 stick that's for the cradle base.
• Jute
• Scissors
• Super glue

1. Make a slip knot at the end of the leather cording.  Attach to the end of the cradle base twig.  Pull the end tight.
2.  Wrap the leather around the base and the legs, creating an "X" as you wrap.

3.  Repeat step 2 to attach the twig onto the other legs.

4.  When finished wrapping the leather cord, your hammock base will look like the first photo.
5.  Bunch the netting with your fingers and tie it onto both sides of the top portion of the cradle bases.
6.  Add a drop of super glue to all the joints and around the netting.  Let dry.
7.  Once completed, your fairy hammock should look like this:

Time to sing a little rock-a-bye song for some little imaginary garden friends as your child plays outside.  xoxo Grandma

Part of this post was originally shared as "Fairy Fun" with Nap Time Creations.

READ THESE POSTS:
A Fairy Cottage:

Or a fairy house like THIS.  

Fairy Named Locations HERE

Fairy Named Locations

Skye Fairy Pools, Scotland - photos copyright by Lindy Minert 

This summer, take your children or grandchildren on a hike or enjoy a peaceful walk to one of these "fairy" named locations throughout the world:

Locations in the United States:
Alabama:  Fairy Alley in Hueytown 
California: Fairy Falls or Pixie Woods Amusement Park
Colorado: Fairy Caves, Fairy Gardens and Fairy Hills
Connecticut: Nature Walk with 100 fairy houses and Fairy Lake
Georgia: Fairyland Elementary in the town of Lookout Mountain 
Idaho: Fairy Gardens
Illinois:  Fairy Festival in South Eljin
Indiana: Enchanted Fairy Trail
Maryland: Faerie Festival
Minnesota: Fairy Lake in Sauk Centre
Mississippi, Fairy Lane in Vicksburg
Missouri: Fairy Cave Lane in Mark Twain National Forest
Montana: Fairy Lake

Nevada:  Fairy Falls and Dry Creek Loop
New Hampshire: Fairy Houses Day
New Jersey:  Fairy Lake in Hudson County
New York: Fairy Trail and Fairy House Tour
Ohio: Fairy Lane in Carlisle
Oregon: Fairy Falls
Pennsylvania: Fairy Festival 2015
Tennessee: Fairyland Caverns
Texas: Fairy Homes in Zilker Botanical Gardens
Utah: Fairy Forest and Fairyland Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park
Vermont: Fairy House Festival
Virginia: Fairy Stone State Park
Washington: Fairy Falls and Fairy Bakery
Wisconsin: Fairy Springs Road in Hilbert

Wyoming: Fairy Falls and Fairyland Basin in Yellowstone National Park

International Locations: Australia: Port Fairy
Canada: Fairyhill, Saskatchewan
China: Fairy Bridge
Jamaica: Fairy Hill
Ireland: Templemore Park Fairy Trail
New Zealand: Fairy Falls
Scotland: Fairy Glen, The Fairy Knoll, Fairy Pools & The Fairy Bridge 
Turkey: Fairy Chimneys
Vietnam: Mui Ne Fairy Stream

You could also go for a drive or take a bike ride down a road with an enchanted name.  For a list with places in the United States to go HERE.  xoxo Grandma

This post was originally shared at Nap Time Creations.

Other Fairy Posts:

READ THIS POST HERE

A Summer of Fairy Magic

This post was originally shared over at Nap Time Creations but if you missed it there, I'm going to highlight a few of the things I shared. This summer I've planned a little extra special magic for my grandchildren when they come to visit us. Since I have some pretty girly little granddaughters, I've planned several activities around fairies, including stories, treats, crafts and fun outdoor activities. Take note of these ideas and join us in the fun!

FAIRY STORIES

To start out that fun, I plan on reading to my three and five year old grandchildren, "The Night Fairy" by Laura Amy Schlitz.  This is a chapter book with beautiful illustrations. The story is about a night fairy named Flory. When she was three months old, her wings were injured by a bat. She falls into a human's garden and because of her injury, she can't fly away. It's a darling book I know they will enjoy.    

Reading chapter books with younger children can also be entertaining. Another fun chapter book to read to older children is "The Fairy Rebel" by Lynne Reid Banks.  This is a fun chapter book about a woman who is sad. When she goes to her garden, she meets a fairy and then confesses to that fairy that she really wants a baby.  Let's just say this fairy livens up this women's life.

If you have younger children, a really enchanting fairy book is "The Faerie's Gift" by Yanya Robyn Batt. The illustrations are beautiful. In the story, a kind woodcutter helps a faerie that's in trouble.  In return, that faerie gives the woodcutter a very special gift. I loved this story and how the woodcutter uses his gift to help his family. 

When you're done reading this book, ask your child what wish they would ask for if they were given just one wish.  My grandson said he would wish for all the bad guys to go away and then all the jails could be taken down.  I told him that sounded wonderful.

FAIRY TREATS

When stories are through, doesn't everyone like a good treat? My grandkids do! We'll be making fairy dust. My grandchildren helped by stirring the ingredients together.  This magical treat is so easy to make and the best part is there is no hot summer baking. Here's how to make it:

Fairy Dust Recipe

•  1/4 c. powdered sugar
•  1/4 c. granulated sugar 
•  Red or pink food dye. 
•  Strawberries, raspberries, grapes or bananas
•  Colored toothpicks

With a spoon, mix together the sugars and stir in two to five drop of food gel or food dye until the sugars have speckles of color.  Cut up fruit as desired and add colored toothpicks to each piece of fruit. Dip the fruit into the fairy dust.  

We'll fill a very small container (I'm talking really small, like a toothpaste cap) with this mixture and then I'll have the children take it to our garden and leave it for the fairies to enjoy.  Make sure you don't put it where ants frequent...that could bring unwanted guests to your party!

ACTIVITIES

Online at Flower Fairies Fun and Games there are free computer games, printable activity sheets, and coloring pages which are always fun for children.

Please join me tomorrow for more fairy ideas.  I'm enjoying my son's family this week.  I hope you get to enjoy family too! -xoxo Grandma

Other posts about fairy crafts:

How to Make a Fairy Cottage go HERE or house go HERE.

Toddler Cascading Ruffle Dress: a Refashion

Last week, a few days before I headed out of town to visit one of my daughters, I asked her if there was anything I could make her cute little girl. She immediately sent me a photo of this dress she'd had her eye on:

This beautiful toddler dress has a soft cascading ruffle down the front and was refashioned from one of my old shirts I no longer wanted. 

For the pattern, I used a free pattern designed by Shwin and Shwin called the Black Bird Tunic.  The pattern was the perfect size for this toddler and it had the same neckline as the dress my daughter wanted. 

I started this task by cutting up a shirt of mine that looked like the one my daughter is wearing in the photo below when she was pregnant with her little girl. Instead of turquoise, my shirt was almost the right color combination as her requested dress. The shirt definitely looks like a maternity top, I realized once I wore it, and so it had to be eliminated from my wardrobe. So glad I got to create something so cute and feminine out of it.

The part of the dress that stumped me a bit was the ruffle on the center of the dress.  I learned that this ruffle is called a cascading ruffle and after asking advice from one of the sewing groups I belong to called "Sewing For Children" on Google, I was given two useful explanations on how to make it.  Using every scrap I could from the sleeves of my tunic, I was able to get the ruffle cut out, but not the facing.  So for the facing, I decided to use a little sturdier fabric and I cut up a white linen shirt I had purchased from a thrift store.

This light weight cascading ruffle dress will be perfect for wearing on a hot summer day, like it was the day I visited my daughter and her family.  I encourage you to go to Shwin and Shwin which will direct you to a site called Craftsy where you will be able to download a free pattern for this tunic. 

Lengthen the tunic, like I did (I needed the finished length to be 18 1/2 inches), and make a light weight summer dress for your little one. I'm sure they will feel cool and comfortable in a dress just like this one.

Look at the back of this dress and how the top layer of the dress flows over the bottom ruffle. 

I'm glad I was challenged to make this dress.  According to my daughter, it's her favorite thing I've sewn to date. I call that successful sewing!  xoxo Grandma

Interested in joining Craftsy?  Just tell them xoxo Grandma sent you. 

Linked to: Creating My Way to Success

Princess and Superhero Summer Pajamas

I wasn't going to participate in Project Run and Play's June sewing challenge, not because I didn't want to, but because I had a lot of other projects that needed to be finished and put away before my grandchildren arrived at my house for an extended summer stay.  

I'm happy to report that these grandchildren arrived last week.  The second day they were at my house, my three-year-old granddaughter asked me if I would make her princess "pajamies".  My five-year-old grandson also said that he needed summer pajamas too. Their mother, my daughter, said he definitely didn't need any more pajamas. Regardless of the need, how could I say "no" to either of them? After all, it's not everyday that I get to make custom sleepwear.

For the pattern, I decided that the Kiki & Company princess dress would be the perfect inspiration for creating my granddaughter's summer princess pajamas.  

I bravely took these two grandchildren fabric shopping. I wasn't surprised when bright pink tricot fabric and matching lace were selected by the three year old. To accent the bright pink, I also picked up white tricot fabric and white lace. My grandson selected a cartoon-looking super hero knit fabric, which his mother wasn't crazy about, but hey... it's his pajamas not hers. (Honestly, I didn't like the cartoon fabric either but, it really did look like his kind of fabric.) 

I've always heard that fabric shopping with children is a good way to let them be involved in the sewing process and I wholeheartedly agree. It was fun to watch them look through the fabrics and excitedly decide on something.

My grandson's super hero summer pajamas were a breeze to sew together. I sewed up a basic tee shirt and shorts. He loved helping me with the process by operating the sewing machine pedal according to my every command.  He also loved trying to bonk me with this giant panda bear!

For the princess "pajamies" I changed Kiki's pattern. On top of a white underskirt, I added a slightly wider pink overlay skirt with an open front seam. I omitted the elastic in the skirt, choosing instead to gather the skirt and sew it to a princess bodice, like on the Kiki & Company Cinderella dress. 

I hand stitched white sequins and clear lavender seed beads to the white lace flowers, because sparkles were also requested by this three-year-old. The raw edges were all finished with the pink lace as the binding.  More pink lace was sandwiched in-between elastic for the shoulder straps. The bodice has pink lace layered onto the front and I finished off the look with pink ribbon streamers and a pre-made pink ribbon rose. 

One night this week she wasn't going to eat her dinner, so I bribed her by telling her that if she ate it she could help me finish her pajamas.  I'm here to report that bribery still works! She too got to be the sewing machine pedal operator as I once again gave the "start and stop" orders. As an added bonus, she also got to push the scissors button on my machine. She thought that button was magical.

After taking these photos this three-year-old said, "Grandma now I need a crown."  Well, of course she does, how did I neglect that detail? We plan on making that happen another day.

Thanks to Project Run and Play and Kiki & Company for the inspiration for these "pajamies."  I've now got two very happy grandchildren with new summer pajamas at my house and we couldn't be happier.   xoxo Grandma

Top 10 designs for June:  Vote Here for your favorite design.

How to Make a Fairy Cottage - a Refashion

I loved making THIS fairy house so much, I've come up with another fairy abode I'm dubbing a "fairy cottage." This little cottage was made from a felted sweater sleeve (though feel free to just use felt).  With summer right around the corner, go ahead, cut off a wool sweater and shrink it to make this toy.  Join me in the fun and make one too!

Craft Supplies needed:  

• Felted wool sleeve cut from a sweater.
• 1 small container like a Gerber brand item
• Scissors
• Thread or glue
• Embroidery floss
• 1 button
• Light green felt scraps for leaves
• Dark green felt (9" x 9")
• 3 silk flowers
• 15 sequins
• 15 small clear beads
• Pins

How to make a fairy cottage:

1. Cut a sleeve from an old sweater.  If it's not felted, just rinse the wool sleeve in hot water and throw it in your drier.  
2. Cut openings from the container using the patterns found HERE.
3. Cut off the excess of the sleeve from the bottom of the container leaving 1/3" extra length to attach to the leaf base.
4. Cut the cuff of the sleeve into 3 equal pieces.  Make the edges of the cut pieces into points.
5. Using the downloaded patterns (see step 2), embroider the edge of 3 leaves and sew onto the ends of the cut-up cuffs.
6. Using the pattern, make a door as instructed HERE. See steps 8 and 11-14.
7. Cut netting about 1/2" larger than the window openings.  Sew the netting from the back side of the cottage close to the edge of the window.
8. With 3 strands of embroidery floss, embroider around the edges of the windows with a chain stitch and the edge of the door opening with a blanket stitch.

     9.  Make a closure across from where you want a door knob.  To make this,   Sew six strands of floss 3/8" apart and loop stitches all around the floss.  Then pull the tread tight.  Once the floss is covered with the tightly pulled loops, tie the thread off from the back side of the cottage.

     10.  Opposite the closure, sew on a button to the door.

     11.  Cut out the leaf foundation from two layers of felt and one of stiff interfacing.

     12.  Using a different colored green thread from the felt, sewing around the edge of the foundation, using a blanket stitch.  Use a blanket stitch to form the leave's shapes.  Then use a durable stretch stitch.  (This stitch gives the veins of the leaves more definition.)  To save time, I used my sewing machine for all this stitching.

    13.  Pull the sleeve over the container. Around the edges, using an epoxy, glue the cottage to the container.  

    14.  Now, the fun part, which to me is adding extra embroidered leaves and silk flowers to the cottage.  I sewed sequins onto the center of the flowers and secured them in place with small clear beads sewn on top of the sequins. Then I tucked and tacked down leaves as I played with my design.  If you don't want to sew the details down, you can simply glue these components onto your house.

This fairy cottage is so sweet and inviting. This toy can be used with welcome imaginative play or it can easily be turned into a night light by tucking in an LED light through the door's opening.  Please join me tomorrow at Nap Time Creations for more fairy fun.  xoxo Grandma

You also might like these posts:

FAIRY WINGS MAKEOVER

WHIMSICAL LITTLE FAIRIES

Linked at:  Nap Time Creations, AllFreeSewing

A Sunhat From Placemats - a Refashion

Summer is right around the corner and to protect that precious skin, try sewing up THIS free Petal Sunhat pattern designed by The Cottage Mama.  

I'm glad to report that this was an easy sewing project.  To add a lot of detail to the hat, I used two fabric embroidered placemats instead of regular yardage to cut the pattern from. Look at all that darling detail work on this placemat that I snatched for 50 cents each from a second hand store!

From each placemat, carefully center the pattern pieces over the center of the embroidery designs and cut out the pieces. 

You should be able to get three pattern pieces from each placemat. (The piece in the middle was plain white with no embroidered details.) 

I next unpicked some of the details that were too close to the edges as follows:

Then I followed the directions as stated with the pattern except for the part about where to leave the opening in the fabric to turn the hat.  I did not want to hand stitch along the scalloped edge of the hat.  Instead I left my opening to turn it on the side seams of the hat as shown below.

I also omitted the button from onto the top of the crown because I wanted my hat to be completely reversible. 

I liked this pattern so much I made two of these sunhats. 

If you need a cute sunhat, try this pattern and use a fabric placemat to make it look like you spent hours embroidering it when in fact you only spent half the time. xoxo Grandma

You also might like THIS post:

Summer Outfit with Reversible Hat

Linked to:  Threading My Way, Crafty Allie, Nap Time Creations, Diana Rambles, Creating my Way to Success
Featured on: and All Free Sewing