TOYS – Whole Heartily

How to Clean – Classic My Little Pony Plushies

Growing up reading The Velveteen Rabbit and then watching the Toy Story films, I became convinced (as I’m sure many children do) that toys are alive and they have feelings. This made giving them up extra hard, and although I had to say goodbye to a lot of them over the years to keep my room and storage from overflowing, I did save a lot of toys that were meaningful to me in the hopes I could pass them on to my future child (like I believe Andy should have done in Toy Story 3). Now we have a daughter and I cannot wait to share some of my beloved toys with her in the hopes that they will be beloved to her too.

I dug through my parent’s garage and found my classic My Little Pony plushies (or Hasbro Softies) from the 1980s! In my memory they were in perfect condition, in reality their bodies are in good condition with no visible stains, but their manes and tails were a matted mess! I also noticed a great deal of their eye paint had scratched off!

I set to work cleaning, repairing and styling my My Little Ponies and now they are all ready for Zoey! I want to help you do the same so you can share them with your little ones, or collect them for yourself, the choice is yours!

First thing’s first let’s assess these ponies! The tags warn that these plushies are surface wash only; submerging them in water could ruin them, so let’s avoid that! I am fortunate that my pony plushies had very little discoloration or staining, so I used soap water to clean them. If I come across a dirtier plush, I will test other methods on them, so stay tuned!

SUPPLIES

Castile soap
Toothbrush
Washcloth
Conditioner
Detangler spray
Comb or wet brush
Small towel
Paper towels
Clothespin
Masking tape
Oil-based paint markers ( I used fine tip and wider)

INSTRUCTIONS

*Do not submerge this pony in water*

Create a sudsy mixture of castile soap and water in a small bowl. Dip your cleaning toothbrush into this mixture as needed and use it to gently clean the pony’s body.
Once you’ve cleaned the whole pony, dampen a soft washcloth and wipe away the soap.
While avoiding getting the pony’s body wet under a faucet, carefully wash and rinse the mane and tail using castile soap or shampoo.
Apply conditioner to the mane and tail. Allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then use a wet brush or a comb to gently brush through any tangles. If any of the knots are really stubborn, spraying a little detangler spray on them will help!
Avoiding the pony’s body again, carefully rinse the hair out and use a small towel to give the hair a couple of squeezes to remove any excess water.
While the pony’s hair is still damp, comb through it again so it’s smooth and set it with paper towels and a clothespin. Whichever way you want the pony’s mane to fall (sometimes it’s already decided for you) place a paper towel under the mane, against the body, then wrap the pony’s mane around its neck in that direction with a second paper towel over it and secure it with a clothespin. The tail could air dry, but you are always welcome to wrap a paper towel around it and tuck it between the pony’s legs to smooth it down.
Allow your pony to completely air dry (overnight or 24 hours), then remove the paper towels.
Once the pony is completely dry, we can repair their eyes. Before painting, use masking tape to cover the fur around each eye. I used oil-based paint pens and began with the pupil, coloring in the pupil. I did not have a color that perfectly matched the iris, so I chose the closest color and re-colored the whole iris to match. Use a finer tip for the eyelashes and liner. Allow this paint to dry and then add white highlight marks to each eye.
Once everything is fully dry, enjoy!

What My Little Ponies plushies do you have? How did they turn out? I hope you and your loved ones enjoy them!

DIY – Felt Pie

What child (or inner child) doesn’t love preparing toy food in a play kitchen?

I had a play kitchen when I was a little girl and loved preparing pie for myself, my sister and my parents. Now that I’m grown and have a daughter of my own, I want to make her some handcrafted play food so she can enjoy making meals for everyone during play, or while we cook in the kitchen next to her!

Please feel free to use these patterns to create some play food for you and yours! This pattern will make one slice of pie. I made 6 slices total to create a whole pie. You can duplicate it as much as you want to make multiple pieces of each food!

SUPPLIES

PiePatterns Download

Pie patterns (see above)
Paper scissors
Light tan felt material
Red felt material (or whichever color you want for the pie’s interior)
Fiberfill stuffing
Sewing pins
Sewing scissors
Sewing needle
Embroidery floss (light tan and red or whichever color you choose for the pie’s interior)

INSTRUCTIONS

Print out the pie pattern I’ve provided, then cut the patterns from the paper.
Pin the patterns on the appropriate colored felt, then use sewing scissors to cut the felt.
Thread a sewing needle with red embroidery floss to sew the pie filling together.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing along one of the short edges of the pie filling, conceal the knots in between the two pieces of felt.
Pin the red vent piece to the top crust piece and use red embroidery floss to whipstitch the vent “hole” in place.
Thread a sewing needle with light tan embroidery floss and whipstitch the triangular shape of the pie filling to the triangular shape of the bottom crust. Conceal the knots inside.
Continue using light tan embroidery floss to whipstitch the triangular shape of the top crust to the triangular other side of the pie filling. Conceal the knots inside.
Align the back crust to the open back end of the pie we’ve already stitched together. This piece will be taller than the main pie structure and that’s perfect! We are going to fold the excess down to create the edge of the crust!
Beginning at the top of one side of the filling, whipstitch down the filling, along the bottom crust then up the other side of the filling. Stop here to stuff the pie.
Stuff the inside of the pie with fiberfill, then continue stitching the back crust to the top crust. Conceal the knots inside.
Fold the extra felt down to create the edge of the crust and stitch along where the end meets the back of the pie. Conceal the knots inside.
Stuff the edge of the crust with fiberfill and then sew the sides shut to keep the stuffing in. Conceal the knots inside.
Repeat steps 2 through 12 five more times for a full pie!
Enjoy!

DIY – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Peg Dolls

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that delight her; I want to create lasting, meaningful toys for her that are made with love and will be loved! Wooden toys are classic and beautiful, when created and treated right, they can last a lifetime; so let’s make some!

It’s no secret that Cameron and I love Disney. We’ve begun showing Zoey the classics, starting with the first full length animated feature that started them all! Snow White!

This week I’ll be sharing the steps I took to create a Snow White peg doll, along with her friends, the seven dwarfs.

SUPPLIES

Blank peg doll(s)
Small, flat & fine tip paint brushes
Paint palette (or a tray for your paint)
Non-toxic acrylic paints
Non-toxic varnish (I used Duraclear Ultra Matte Varnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

With a pencil, lightly sketch Snow White onto a blank peg doll.
Begin painting your peg doll with the base layers first. I started with the yellow of her dress and the white of her collar. Allow this paint to dry before moving on to avoid smudging, then apply a few more layers of each until you’re happy with the colors and textures.
Paint the very bottom and its edges of the peg doll black to signify her slippers. Also take this opportunity to paint the black of her hair. Allow this paint to dry and apply a few more layers until you’re happy with the colors and textures.
Move to painting the dark blue of her bodice, the light blue of her sleeves and the red of her cape. Allow this paint to dry and apply a few more layers until you’re happy with the colors and textures.
Paint the red of the accents on her sleeves and the red of the bow in her hair. Allow this paint to dry and apply a few more layers until you’re happy with the colors and textures.
Finish up with outlining and/or adding small details, including a small thin yellow line down the middle of her bodice. Allow this paint to dry and apply a few more layers until you’re happy with the colors and textures.
Taking something small and round (I used the opposite end of one of my smaller paint brushes) dip it in black paint and dot the two eyes. Using the finest tipped paintbrush you can find, give her an eyelash or two on each eye.
Using the same method as the eyes, dip the opposite end of a slightly larger paintbrush into light pink paint and dot the blush under each eye.
Allow for all paint to completely dry, then apply a varnish and allow it to dry. You can apply as many coats as you want for the finish you want, just allow them to dry in between applications and before handing her over to your child.
If you want to paint the dwarfs too, lightly sketch them on blank peg dolls. I used different characteristics to define each one. For example, Grumpy has scowling eyebrows, Bashful has large blush spots on his cheeks, Sneezy has wrinkles above his nose, etc.
The dwarfs are a colorfully dressed bunch! With different colored hats, shirts and pants it may take awhile to paint them all, but take your time and reference the picture for color. Allow each layer paint to dry and keep applying layers until you’re happy with the colors and textures.
Using a fine tipped paintbrush, paint each dwarf’s white beard (except Dopey of course)! Allow this paint to dry and apply a few more layers until you’re happy with the color and texture.
Taking something small and round (I used the opposite end of one of my smaller paint brushes) dip it in black paint and dot the two eyes.
Using a fine tipped paintbrush, paint each dwarf’s nose and cheeks light pink.
Finish up with outlining/and or adding small details like buttons and buckles!
Allow for all paint to completely dry, then apply a varnish and allow it to dry. You can apply as many coats as you want for the finish you want, just allow them to dry in between applications and before handing them over to your child.
Viola! Snow White and the seven dwarfs are done and ready to be played with! Enjoy!

Water Table Accessory and Activity Ideas

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that delight her; I want to create fun, educational activities for her that are made with love and will be loved!

With how much young ones love water, water tables are perfection during the hot summer months! Set them up in a comfortable location with some shade, and watch them play to their hearts content! They can play with the table as is, or you can add accessories to make the play even more engaging and fun!

Here to inspire you, I’ve created a list of water table accessory/activity ideas to keep the kiddos entertained for hours!

**If you live in California or any other location where wasting water may be an issue, no worries! Bypass adding any food coloring to the play water and once you’re done, you can use it to water your plants!

Transformed Power Wheels – Barbie to Jurassic Park Jeep

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that delight her; I want to create fun, educational toys for her that are made with love and will be loved! I loved dinosaurs as a child and quite honestly I still do! I see that interest piquing in Zoey too and of course I’m going to encourage it!

I was always fascinated by power wheels as a child and envious of any of my friends who owned one! When my parents found this one at a thrift store, I jumped at the chance to get one for Zoey, but it needed a little work! As you can see it started out as Barbie themed, and while I loved Barbies too this was the opportunity to try something new!

Let’s create a Jurassic Park themed power wheels! Please feel free to use this information to breathe new life into an old toy and, if you have any new tips, please feel free to share!

SUPPLIES

Power Wheels Ride On Jeep
Krylon Fusion All-in One spray paint or similar
Screwdriver
Sandwich bag (to hold the screws)
Cardboard (optional)
Newspaper or scratch paper
Disposable bags
Painter’s tape
Power Wheels decal sheet for Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler

INSTRUCTIONS

Using a screwdriver, dismantle the toy as much as possible without breaking anything. If a piece is not coming off and you’re worried it will break if you force it, don’t force it, and don’t worry! Painter’s tape and paper are your friends!
Remove any old stickers and completely wash/clean the plastic toy and it’s pieces, then allow to dry.
Wipe the toy down with rubbing alcohol to prepare the surfaces before painting, then allow to dry.
Spread flattened cardboard (or something similar) in a well ventilated space to protect the floor.
Paint the removed items first, taking care not to pile the paint on too thickly, instead try misting it on and applying multiple layers.
Tape and paper the wheels surrounding the hubcaps, then paint the hubcaps red in layers.
Once you’re satisfied with the hubcaps, and they are fully dried, you can cover each whole wheel with a disposable bag.
Flip the car over and paint the undercarriage first with whichever color you choose.
Once you’re satisfied with the undercarriage and it is fully dried, you can flip the car back over and place it on the cardboard directly or place it on a couple of sawhorses.
Tape up anything you do not want painted, i.e. the pedal and shifter.
Paint the base layers first (where any surrounding paint can be covered with top layers) and allow to dry completely. This may take a few layers so be patient and wait for each coat to dry a bit before painting another. I started with the red of the dashboard/windshield piece, then the gray of the front bumper.
Using painter’s tape, bags and/or paper, cover the painted items that cannot be removed once they are completely dried. I covered the dashboard/windshield piece, but left the steering wheel exposed. I also covered the front bumper.
Once these layers are covered, paint the next layer up and allow to dry completely. This may take a few layers so be patient and wait for each coat to dry a bit before painting another. For me, this was painting the steering wheel gray.
Using painter’s tape, bags and/or paper, cover everything painted that cannot be removed. In addition to the previously covered items, I also covered the steering wheel with a disposable bag after it was completely dry.
Once everything is covered, paint the body of the toy and allow it to dry completely. This may take a few layers so be patient and wait for each coat to dry a bit before painting another.
Gently remove all of the coverings and reassemble the Power Wheels Ride On Jeep.
Carefully peel and stick the Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler decals to your Jeep.
Let’s go find some Dinosaurs!

DIY – Felt Cookies

What child (or inner child) doesn’t love preparing toy food in a play kitchen?

I had a play kitchen when I was a little girl and loved baking cookies for myself, my sister and my parents. Now that I’m grown and have a daughter of my own, I want to make her some handcrafted play food so she can enjoy making meals for everyone during play, or while we cook in the kitchen next to her!

Please feel free to use these patterns to create some play food for you and yours! This pattern will make one circle cookie, one heart cookie, one star cookie, one triangle cookie, one square cookie and one rectangle cookie, each with frosting. I made one extra of each cookie shape so Zoey will have two of each. You can duplicate it as much as you want to make multiple pieces of each food!

SUPPLIES

FeltCookies Download

Cookie patterns (see above)
Paper scissors
Pale tan felt material
Pale blue felt material
Pale brown felt material
Dark brown felt material
Pale pink felt material
White felt material
Pale yellow felt material
Scissors
Pins
Embroidery floss (pale tan, pale blue, light brown, dark brown, pale pink, white)
Sewing needle

INSTRUCTIONS

Print out the cookie pattern I’ve provided, then cut the patterns from the paper.
Pin the patterns on the appropriate colored felt, then use sewing scissors to cut the felt.
Align and pin the pale blue circle of frosting to one half of the circle of pale tan felt, then thread pale blue embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the outer edges of the frosting using a whipstitch, concealing the first and ending knots underneath the layer of cookie.
One at a time, thread three of the other colors of embroidery floss onto your needle and create randomized stitches within the frosting to make sprinkles. Conceal the first and ending knots of each color underneath the layer of cookie.
Thread a sewing needle with pale tan embroidery floss and pin the bottom cookie layer over the stitching on the back of the frosted top half.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the circle cookie, concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the pale pink heart of frosting to one half of the heart of pale tan felt, then thread pale pink embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the outer edges of the frosting using a whipstitch, concealing the first and ending knots underneath the layer of cookie.
One at a time, thread three of the other colors of embroidery floss onto your needle and create randomized stitches within the frosting to make sprinkles. Conceal the first and ending knots of each color underneath the layer of cookie.
Thread a sewing needle with pale tan embroidery floss and pin the bottom cookie layer over the stitching on the back of the frosted top half.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the heart cookie, concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the pale yellow star of frosting to one half of the star of pale tan felt, then thread pale yellow embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the outer edges of the frosting using a whipstitch, concealing the first and ending knots underneath the layer of cookie.
One at a time, thread three of the other colors of embroidery floss onto your needle and create randomized stitches within the frosting to make sprinkles. Conceal the first and ending knots of each color underneath the layer of cookie.
Thread a sewing needle with pale tan embroidery floss and pin the bottom cookie layer over the stitching on the back of the frosted top half.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the star cookie, concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the white triangle of frosting to one half of the triangle of pale tan felt, then thread white embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the outer edges of the frosting using a whipstitch, concealing the first and ending knots underneath the layer of cookie.
One at a time, thread three of the other colors of embroidery floss onto your needle and create randomized stitches within the frosting to make sprinkles. Conceal the first and ending knots of each color underneath the layer of cookie.
Thread a sewing needle with pale tan embroidery floss and pin the bottom cookie layer over the stitching on the back of the frosted top half.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the triangle cookie, concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the dark brown square of frosting to one half of the square of pale tan felt, then thread dark brown embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the outer edges of the frosting using a whipstitch, concealing the first and ending knots underneath the layer of cookie.
One at a time, thread three of the other colors of embroidery floss onto your needle and create randomized stitches within the frosting to make sprinkles. Conceal the first and ending knots of each color underneath the layer of cookie.
Thread a sewing needle with pale tan embroidery floss and pin the bottom cookie layer over the stitching on the back of the frosted top half.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the square cookie, concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the pale brown rectangle of frosting to one half of the rectangle of pale tan felt, then thread pale brown embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the outer edges of the frosting using a whipstitch, concealing the first and ending knots underneath the layer of cookie.
One at a time, thread three of the other colors of embroidery floss onto your needle and create randomized stitches within the frosting to make sprinkles. Conceal the first and ending knots of each color underneath the layer of cookie.
Thread a sewing needle with pale tan embroidery floss and pin the bottom cookie layer over the stitching on the back of the frosted top half.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the rectangle cookie, concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Enjoy!

DIY – Felt Pizza

What child (or inner child) doesn’t love preparing toy food in a play kitchen?

I had a play kitchen when I was a little girl and loved preparing pizza for myself, my sister and my parents. Now that I’m grown and have a daughter of my own, I want to make her some handcrafted play food so she can enjoy making meals for everyone during play, or while we cook in the kitchen next to her!

Please feel free to use these patterns to create some play food for you and yours! This pattern will make four slices of pizza with sauce and cheese. Toppings include 4 slices of bell pepper, 4 slices of mushroom, 12 slices of pepperoni, and 6 slices of olives. You can duplicate it as much as you want to make multiple pieces of each food!

SUPPLIES

FeltPizza Download

Pizza patterns (see above)
Paper scissors
Light tan felt material
Red felt material
Dark red felt material
White felt material
Off-white felt material
Green felt material
Black felt material
Stuffing
Sewing pins
Sewing scissors
Sewing needle
Embroidery floss (light tan, red, dark red, white, off-white, green, and black)

INSTRUCTIONS

Print out the pizza patterns I’ve provided and cut them from the paper.
Place the patterns on the appropriate colored felt and pin them in place, then use sewing scissors to cut out the felt pieces.
Align and pin the two halves of pizza crust together and thread light tan embroidery floss onto your sewing needle. Then, with a pencil, lightly sketch a curved line along and about 1/2 inch in from the arc of the crust.
Starting to one side of the pizza slice’s point, whipstitch along that edge and the top arc of the crust, stopping at the far end of the arc and setting that thread aside for a moment.
From the open edge of the pizza slice, use a running stitch along the pencil line to seal off the crust, concealing the first and ending knot between the layers, then use a little stuffing to inflate.
Pick up the previous thread and continue stitching down the remaining side of the pizza slice, concealing the end knot in between the layers.
Repeat steps 3 through 6 to create the three other pizza slices.
Align and pin the two halves of pizza sauce together and thread red embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your pizza sauce using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Repeat steps 8 and 9 to create the three other pizza sauces.
Align and pin the two halves of cheese together and thread off-white embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your cheese using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Repeat steps 11 and 12 to create the three other cheeses.
Align and pin the two halves of bell pepper together and thread green embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the outer and then inner edges of your bell pepper using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Repeat steps 14 and 15 to create the rest of the bell pepper pieces.
Align and pin the two halves of mushroom together and thread white embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your mushroom using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Repeat steps 17 and 18 to create the rest of the mushroom pieces.
Align and pin the two halves of pepperoni together and thread dark red embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your pepperoni using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Repeat steps 20 and 21 to create the rest of the pepperoni pieces.
Align and pin the two halves of olive together and thread black embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the outer and then inner edges of your olive using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Repeat steps 23 and 24 to create the rest of the olive pieces.
Enjoy!

DIY – Felt Sandwich

What child (or inner child) doesn’t love preparing toy food in a play kitchen?

I had a play kitchen when I was a little girl and loved preparing sandwiches for myself, my sister and my parents. Now that I’m grown and have a daughter of my own, I want to make her some handcrafted play food so she can enjoy making meals for everyone during play, or while we cook in the kitchen next to her!

Please feel free to use these patterns to create some play food for you and yours! This pattern will make two slices of bread, a slice of American cheese, a slice of Swiss cheese, a slice of provolone cheese, a slice of deli meat, a lettuce leaf, two slices of tomato, two onion rings, two slices of pickle, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, peanut butter and jelly. I made an extra slice of deli meat and an extra (darker) leaf of lettuce. You can duplicate it as much as you want to make multiple pieces of each food!

SUPPLIES

SandwichPatterns Download

Sandwich patterns (see above)
Paper scissors
Light tan felt material
Light brown felt material
Green felt material
Vibrant green felt material
Pale pink felt material
Purple felt material
Red felt material
Dark red felt material
White felt material
Off-white felt material
Yellow felt material
Dark yellow felt material
Vibrant yellow felt material
Stuffing
Sewing pins
Sewing scissors
Sewing needle
Embroidery floss (light brown, green, light green, vibrant green, pale pink, purple, red, dark red, white, off-white, yellow, dark yellow and vibrant yellow)
Hot glue gun

INSTRUCTIONS

Print out the sandwich patterns I’ve provided and cut them from the paper.
Place the patterns on the appropriate colored felt and pin them in place, then use sewing scissors to cut out the felt pieces.
Align the two pieces of bread crust onto one another and thread your sewing needle with light brown embroidery floss. Whipstitch one of the shorter sides together, then pull open the strips to reveal what will be the dip in the top center of the bread.
Align the joined point of the bread crusts to the dip in the top of one half of the bread slice and begin to whipstitch around and down one side to attach. When you reach the bottom center, stop and tie it off. Begin at the top dip again and whipstitch down the other side of the bread until the two halves of crust meet, then tie it off. Within the piece of bread, join the two ends of the bread crust together and stitch them for reinforcement.
Lay the other half of the bread slice over the bread crust and whipstitch all the way around the bread, stopping 2/3 of the way around to insert stuffing, then complete the bread slice and conceal the knot between layers.
Repeat steps 3 through 5 to create the second slice of bread.
Align and pin the two halves of American cheese together and thread dark yellow embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your American cheese using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the two halves of Swiss cheese together and thread yellow embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges and inside the holes of your Swiss cheese using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the two halves of provolone cheese together and thread off-white embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your provolone cheese using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the two halves of deli meat together and thread pale pink embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your deli meat using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Thread your sewing needle with light green embroidery floss and create the veins on each half of the the lettuce using a backstitch. Check before you begin to make ensure your stitches and knots will be concealed between the two halves.
Align and pin the two halves of lettuce together and thread green embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your lettuce using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the two red halves of tomato (with the dark red base in between them) together and thread red embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your tomato using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Use small dabs from the hot glue gun to secure down the inner ridges of the tomato.
Repeat steps 18 through 20 to create the second tomato slice.
Align and pin the two different onion rings together and thread white embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around and over the white ring of the onion using a whipstitch and concealing the first and ending knots between the layers.
Repeat steps 22 and 24 to create the second onion ring.
Align and pin the two halves of the pickle (with the dark green base in between them) together and thread vibrant green embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the vibrant green of your pickle using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the two halves of ketchup together and thread dark red embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your ketchup using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the two halves of mayonnaise together and thread white embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your mayonnaise using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the two halves of mustard together and thread vibrant yellow embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your mustard using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the two halves of peanut butter together and thread light brown embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your peanut butter using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Align and pin the two halves of grape jelly together and thread purple embroidery floss onto your sewing needle.
Begin sewing around the edges of your grape jelly using a whipstitch, concealing the first knot and ending knot in between the layers.
Enjoy!

DIY – Felt Pancakes

What child (or inner child) doesn’t love preparing toy food in a play kitchen?

I had a play kitchen when I was a little girl and loved preparing pancakes for myself, my sister and my parents. Now that I’m grown and have a daughter of my own, I want to make her some handcrafted play food so she can enjoy making meals for everyone during play, or while we cook in the kitchen next to her!

Please feel free to use these patterns to create some play food for you and yours! This pattern will make one pancake, one dollop of syrup and one pat of butter. I made two extra pancakes for a stack of three underneath the syrup and butter. You can duplicate it as much as you want to make multiple pieces of each food!

SUPPLIES

PancakeButterSyrup Download

Pancake patterns (see above)
Paper scissors
Light tan felt material
Dark tan felt material
Light brown felt material
Yellow felt material
Stuffing
Sewing pins
Sewing scissors
Sewing needle
Embroidery floss (light tan, dark tan, light brown and yellow)

INSTRUCTIONS

Print out the pancakes pattern I’ve provided, then cut the patterns from the paper.
Pin the patterns on the appropriate colored felt, then use sewing scissors to cut the felt.
Thread a sewing needle with yellow embroidery floss and pin the two layers of yellow butter to one layer of the syrup.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the butter, attaching it to the syrup, then tie it off underneath the syrup layer.
Thread a sewing needle with light brown embroidery floss and pin the second brown syrup layer over the stitching on the back of the first.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the syrup, concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Thread a sewing needle with dark tan embroidery floss and pin each dark tan toasted circle of pancake to a lighter tan larger circle.
For each half of the pancake, completely sew the darker tan circle onto the lighter tan circle using a whipstitch, then tie it off underneath the lighter tan circle.
Thread a sewing needle with light tan embroidery floss and pin the two halves of the pancake together with the stitches concealed between the two halves.
Begin sewing the two halves together with a whipstitch. About 3/4 of the way around the pancake, stop sewing and gently stuff the pancake. Once you’re satisfied with the fullness of the pancake, complete stitching around the pancake and concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Enjoy!

DIY – Felt Bacon and Eggs

What child (or inner child) doesn’t love preparing toy food in a play kitchen?

I had a play kitchen when I was a little girl and loved preparing eggs and bacon for myself, my sister and my parents. Now that I’m grown and have a daughter of my own, I want to make her some handcrafted play food so she can enjoy making meals for everyone during play, or while we cook in the kitchen next to her!

Please feel free to use these patterns to create some play food for you and yours! This pattern will make two eggs and two pieces of bacon. You can duplicate it as much as you want to make multiple pieces of each food!

SUPPLIES

EggsandBacon Download

Eggs and bacon patterns (see above)
Paper scissors
White felt material
Yellow felt material
Dark red felt material
Pale pink felt material
2 pinches of stuffing
Sewing pins
Sewing scissors
Sewing needle
Embroidery floss (white, yellow, dark red, and pale pink)

INSTRUCTIONS

Print out the eggs and bacon pattern I’ve provided, then cut the patterns from the paper.
Pin the patterns on the appropriate colored felt, then use sewing scissors to cut the felt.
Thread a sewing needle with yellow embroidery floss and pin the egg yolk to a piece of the egg white.
Begin sewing the yellow yolk onto the egg white felt using a whipstitch. When you reach 2/3 of the way around the yolk, stop and place a small pinch of stuffing underneath it, then complete the circle and tie it off underneath the egg white layer.
Thread a sewing needle with white embroidery floss and pin the second egg white layer over the stitching on the back of the first.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the two layers of egg white, concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Thread a sewing needle with pale pink embroidery floss and pin two pieces of marbling onto one side of two different bacon strips.
Begin sewing the pale pink marbling onto the dark red felt bacon using a whipstitch. When completed with each streak, tie it off underneath the bacon layer.
Thread a sewing needle with dark red embroidery floss and pin the second bacon layer over the stitching on the back of the first.
Using a whipstitch, begin sewing around the edges of the two layers of bacon, concealing the first knot and end knot in between the layers.
Enjoy!