KID independent - handmade for kids » Things to Make and Do

Bright Buttons Toys Treasure Hunt

{MS} indi — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:00:53 +0000

Hey folks, looking for some Thursday evening fun? Our friends at Bright Button Toys are having a Treasure Hunt. It starts at 7:30pm (QLD time). The first 5 people to correctly find all 8 products will win a $25 Gift Voucher, the next 5 people will win Free Shipping Codes, and then 5 prizes will be provided randomly to participants for their participation.

Get all the details and join in the fun at the Bright Button Toys Facebook Page.

It’s true… embroidery CAN be quirky and fun!

{MS} indi — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:00:55 +0000

How’s this for a cute way to pass the time? Embroidery patterns from ‘the story of kat‘. Each one tells a little story with themes including Vintage Shop, Off to College, Farmers Market, Farmhouse Kitchen and World Traveler. Tons of fun!

Grow a Secret Garden with Lotta!

{MS} indi — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:00:58 +0000

I have two fun things to share with you today, firstly and introduction to Lotta Magazine and secondly a fabbo DIY project to try with the kids over the holidays. Lotta Magazine is a newly launched ad-free magazine for 5 – 10 year old kids that is filled to the brim with arts, crafts, activities, colouring pages and storytelling. Here’s one of our favourite activities from the debut issue, Grow a Secret Garden!

You can download the template here.

At Lotta Magazine, we are trying offer kids (and their parents) something different.

No ads. Lotta is ad-free because we believe that children should be children before they are consumers. We don’t want to sell plastic toys or processed food to your kids, just our ideas for fun and creative ways to while away the holidays. Our magazine is 100% fun, no filler.

Gender neutral. Lotta is not a boys magazine or a girls magazine, we are a kids magazine because we believe that all kids should have a variety of experiences, not just those that align with gender stereotypes.

We want to help you make school holidays less painful and banish the dreaded cry of ‘I’m booooored’ Our projects are designed to be accessible to everyone with very clear instructions and free downloadable templates that ensure your crafts will look just like the magazine (in spite of parental artistic abilities). Our holiday fun won’t break the bank — many of our ideas are free (if you have some basic supplies) and the most expensive is just $30.

The Story Issue is on sale now for $10 (plus $2.50 postage) through the Lotta Magazine website.

Crunchy Jellyfish Tutorial by Pinky Higgs!

{MS} indi — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:00:39 +0000

Hello friends, I hope you’ve been enjoying our Christmas 2011 Guest Series this week. We’ve had the chance to introduce you to a few of our creative friends from different parts of the globe, and look forward to sharing a few more eclectic goodies with you between now and the new year. Today we’d like to introduce the amazingly creative Pinky the Toy Maker!

Merry Christmas everyone! Here is a little something for all you crafty mammas or even daddas who feel like making an easy little sewing project for your little one. Never sewed before? Well that doesn’t matter! This pattern is simple enough for the most beginnery of beginners and you can even sew it with a needle and thread if you wish…

The Crunchiness of this jellyfish is due to a bit of cellophane inside so when baby scrunches the toy it makes a great crackling sound to stimulate his senses. You could also change the sound of your jellyfish by inserting a squeaker or a rattle instead. You could even make a band of Jellyfish!

Materials you’ll need:

Scrap of fabric for the body (about 22cm x 16cm)*
Scraps of fabric for the tentacles (about 13cm x 15cm for each tentacle)*
Scrap of felt for the heart (about 3cm x 3 cm)
Embroidery thread for the face and heart applique (black for face and red for heart)
Stuffing ( I use polyester stuffing as it’s machine washable)
Ribbon about 1cm wide and 6cm long (for the loop on top)
A piece of crackly plastic (I find Glad Oven Bags make an excellent crackle but you can use cellophane or clean plastic packaging from anything that sounds good)
Thread for sewing your jellyfish together

Tools:

Sewing needle and/or sewing machine
Sharp scissors
Embroidery needle
Chopstick or stuffing stick for turning and stuffing

* I use polar fleece for the jellyfish I sell, this is because it’s soft and easy to wash because it’s machine washable and dries super fast (my little man is a major drooler) That said, most fabrics would be suitable. Felt is easy to sew but hard to turn the right way out and tends to pill a lot. Wool is a nice natural alternative and so are bright coloured cottons commonly used in Patch-working. If you’re feeling thrifty try using an old sweater for an extra Ooomf of character.

Step 1. Print and cut out your paper pattern pieces. Pin the pieces to your chosen fabric and cut out. You will need 2 body pieces, six tentacle pieces and one heart piece cut from felt.

- Body piece: cut 2
- Tentacle piece: cut 6 (3 pairs)
- Heart: cut 1 from felt (felt doesn’t fray so it’s great for applique)

Step 2. With right sides of the fabric together, pin and sew around the tentacles. Trim the seam allowance back by half (this helps curved seams look smoother). Turn the tentacles right side out, use the chopstick to help turn it out. You should have 3 finished tentacles. Set these aside for later.

Step 3. Using the embroidery guide on the body pattern piece, transfer the markings onto one of your body pieces using a fabric marker. I carefully cut along the smile and eyes on my paper pattern so I can poke the pen through and mark the fabric accurately. Otherwise you can ‘Wing it’ which can give you the best expressions and most unique toy. Embroider your jellyfish face using your embroidery thread start with the eyes, then mouth and finish with the eyebrows.

Step 4. Again, using the placement guide on the body pattern piece, take your felt heart piece and stitch it in position using embroidery thread on the same body piece you embroidered the face on.

Step 5. Using the placement guides on your paper body pattern, pin the tentacles to one of the body pieces with the tentacles facing into the body. Slowly and carefully sew the tentacles down 5 mm from the edge of the fabric (this is just tacking them down in place and also makes sure they won’t pull out during rough play. Notice I don’t stuff the tentacles? That’s because it’s easier for little fingers to grab, chew and bend. I made prototypes with stuffed tentacles and without and my son thought the one without was way more fun. But feel free to experiment.

Step 6. Take your piece of ribbon and fold it in half. Pin it to the top of one of the body pieces as indicated on the pattern pointing it down into the body. Stitch it in place 5mm from the edge of the fabric like you did with the tentacles.

Step 7. ALMOST DONE!!! Now you can put your body pieces together. Pin the body pieces right sides together. Carefully stitch around the body leaving a small section open for turning as indicated on the pattern. Turn your jellyfish right side out.

Step 8. Time to stuff!!! Grab your plastic scrunchy material. Roughly cut 2 rectangles about the size of your jellyfish’s body. You may find you want 3 pieces for extra crunch. Place the rectangles on top of one another and insert into your jellyfish using your chopstick to help flatten it out. You want the plastic evenly distributed. Then take your stuffing and work it in behind the plastic until it’s nicely pudgy, again your chopstick will come in handy.

Step 9. The last step! Now take your needle and thread and stitch up the opening of your jellyfish. TA DAAAAA! You clever thing you, congratulations on making your very own lovable Crunchy Jellyfish for your little one.

Designed for {KID} independent. You can use this pattern to make as many jellyfish for your family and friends as you like but please don’t sell toys from this pattern.

Love from Pinky the Toy Maker xoxo

Woolbuddy Needle Felting Kits

{MS} indi — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:00:13 +0000

Have you ever looked at needle felted creations on Etsy with envy, wishing that you could learn how to create one of your very own? Well now you can! I think these woolbuddy needle felting kits are a fabulous idea. They come with everything you need, including step by step instructions. You can make a frog, an octopus, a sheep, an owl, a cow, a penguin, a piggy, a panda… or a giraffe!

Softies for Mirabel Handmade Toy Drive!

{MS} indi — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:55:10 +0000

Good morning my crafty friends! If you’re reading this post, it’s likely that you’re a lover of all things creative, crafty and handmade… so today I thought I’d give you a little nudge in the direction of the Softies for Mirabel Charity Handmade Toy Drive…

For those of you who haven’t heard of Mirabel, it’s an Australian Children’s Charity specifically addressing the needs of children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental drug use. Around 5 years, Pip Lincolne of Meet Me At Mikes fame, decided to start a toy drive to put smiles on the faces of the Mirabel children…

The toy drive is now up and running, and is open to all crafty participants who wish to knit, crochet or sew a Softie or two! If you’d like to get involved, you can view all the details at the Mirabel website. You can also find tons of inspiration by visiting Meet Me At Mikes.