Kimara's blog

 
These colorful eggs and cups are wonderful and safe for the smallest hands. Wee ones will enjoy placing the eggs in the cups encouraging agility, dexterity and small muscle development. As babies turn into toddlers they will begin matching the colors. The eggs and cups can then be used for color recognition, counting and sorting. A wonderful early toy and beautiful addition to any room!
  
  

Materials: 
6 wood eggs
6 wood cups
sandpaper, fine
wood paint
beeswax finish
non toxic wood stain (optional - if you'd like to finish the eggs in natural wood tones for a play kitchen)
 
Note: All materials used should be non toxic and child safe.
 
Directions: 

Using fine grade sandpaper, sand wood pieces smooth. Wipe off to remove any saw dust.
 
  
Using a non toxic, child safe paint, paint the inside and outside of the cups and the eggs. Use 6 different paint colors and paint one cup and one egg the same color. (Optional: if you prefer a natural finish for the play kitchen, stain the eggs/cups now.)

  
 
When the paint is thoroughly dry, seal the wood with a Beeswax Finish.

 
They are now ready to play with! Children as young as 6 months old will love picking up the colorful eggs. 

By the time a child is around 1 year old, they will enjoy putting the eggs in the cups. To begin with, they aren't too concerned about matching colors :)

Eventually, toddlers will be matching the same egg and cup colors, counting eggs, and learning their colors. This is truly a multi-aged toy that grows with the child. 
 
 OTHER IDEAS FOR USING THE WOODEN EGGS AND CUPS

If you prefer, stain the outside of the cups and paint just the inside. The children will still match colors, but will have a very different finished look.

You can stain the eggs or white wash them for a more natural look. These are wonderful in play kitchens.

Give a child a small basket and let them collect the eggs a chicken has laid.

Or... ask a child what to do with them. She'll know :)
 

Memory games of all types have long been a favorite of children. This version has children matching acorns of the same color. Besides enhancing memory skills, color recognition, counting and sorting abilities, it also encourages agility and dexterity in wee hands. And, because they are beautiful, they add to the warmth and charm to any room!

To make your own you will need:

12 wood bean pots - 1 5/8"
12 wood acorns - 1 3/8"
sandpaper, fine
wood stain (optional)
wood paint
beeswax finish

Note: All materials used should be non toxic and child safe.

IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING: The acorns are small and considered a choke hazard. Although generally it is recommended that small parts should not be given to children under 3 years of age, we highly recommended you do not give small parts to any child that still puts toys in their mouth, no matter how old they are!

Using fine grit sandpaper, sand wood pieces smooth. Wipe off to remove any saw dust.

Using a non toxic, child safe wood stain, stain the inside and outside of the bean pots and the caps of the acorns. I found it easiest to use a hard bristle paint brush to apply the stain to the acorn caps.

Note: If you prefer, you can choose NOT to stain the wood or you can pick a lighter colored stain. In this tutorial I am using Walnut Soy Stain but you might want to use a lighter color like Fruitwood. Whatever your choice, the end project will be beautiful :)

Choose 6 different colors of paint and paint 6 pairs of acorns different colors. 

When the paint and stain are thoroughly dry, seal the wood with a Beeswax Finish.

HOW TO PLAY THE WOODEN ACORN MEMORY GAME

Place the 12 acorns in the 12 bean pots. Mix up the pots.

The first player removes 2 acorns from the pots. If they don't match, the acorns are put back in their pots and the play passes to the next player.

If a player matches 2 colors, the play keeps the two acorns and the play passes to the next player. 

Play continues until all the acorns have been matched.

OTHER IDEAS FOR USING THE WOODEN ACORN MEMORY GAME

Of course, children will come up with their own ways to use the bean pots and acorns :) The pots and acorns will undoubtedly be moved to play kitchens, the acorns can be used for counting and sorting, and, bean pots can be stacked to make impressive towers. 

http://www.weefolkart.com
Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2012. All rights reserved.
 

Patterns may be used for personal use only. If you are interested in obtaining a Cottage Industry License so you can sell items made from our patterns, information can be found HERE.

Photos: 4-14-12, 4-14-12

NOTE: Kits for this project will be available in our shop Monday, 4-23-12 :)

The daffodils in our yard are just poking their heads through the ground, but I was aching for some flowers, NOW, so I decided to make my own. You can make a garland or 2 or 3 for yourself, too. Hang your Spring Flower Garland up and you’ll feel like you stumbled upon an enchanted flower fairy garden. With a kiss of spring and a promise of warm summer days, bring the outdoors indoors with this lovely Spring Flower Garland.

To make your own you will need:

Spring Flower Garland Kit from Wee Folk Art's Market Place [Available April 23]

Note: Kit includes 100% wool felt, cotton embroidery floss, 100% wool yarn and directions. To finish the project you will need embroidery needles, Size F or G crochet hook and blunt yarn needle.

~OR~

Materials:
wool felt - 8 colors for flowers and green for leaves
embroidery floss to match the 9 felt colors
wool yarn
Size F or G crochet hook (it is small for the 2 strands of yarn you will be chaining, but I wanted the chain dense
embroidery needles
blunt yarn needle
pattern

MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN WEE FOLK ART'S MARKET PLACE: [available April 23]
Spring Flower Garland Kit (Items may be purchased separately)
embroidery needles

NOTE: If you want the front and back side finished, you will need to make a second set of flowers, but instead of blanket stitching around the outer edge of a single flower, you would blanket stitch the wrong side of 2 completed matching flowers together.

TIPS for cutting out felt can be found HERE.

ILLUSTRATIONS of stitches can be found HERE.

Directions:
Make a copy of the pattern.

NOTE: In the first few photos there are only 6 flowers and 7 leaves. When I was done with my first garland, I decided I wanted it longer so I added a dark blue and dark purple plus 2 more leaves.

Using 8 different colors of felt, cut out a petal, large circle and center from each color. Cut out 9 leaves. The eight colors I used were light and dark: blue, purple, orange and pink.

Randomly mix and match the flower parts. The only rule... use 3 different colors for each flower.

For each flower:
Using 3 strands of contrasting floss, blanket stitch the edge of the petals.

Using a running stitch and 3 strands of contrasting floss, sew the large circle to the petals.

Using a running stitch and 3 strands of contrasting floss, sew the small circle to the large circle.

Using a straight stitch and 6 strands of green floss, sew 3 lines creating a 6 point star.

Add a French knot to the end of each point on the star using 6 strands of green floss.

For each leaf:
Using a running stitch and 6 strands of green floss, sew a stem down the center of the leaf. Slightly gather and tie off.

For each flower and leaf:
Add a small loop to the top of each leaf and one flower petal using 3 strands of green floss. To control the size, I attached the floss to the wrong side of the leaf and flower. I then wrapped the floss around the base of my crochet hook for sizing, then tied it off. When adding the loop, you want it to be perpendicular to the leaf, so when you later add it to the crocheted vine, it lies flat and the right side faces forward.

Making the vine:
Using 2 strands of yarn, chain 40.

Slip a leaf on the hook with the right side up.

Chain 1 catching the leaf loop in the chain.

Chain 12, then add a flower in the same manner. NOTE: Do not count the chain you use to connect the leaves and flowers.

Continue until all 9 leaves and 8 flowers have been add.

Chain 40.

Pull through your last chain and work the ends at the beginning and end of the chain into the chain.

Ready to hang. Note: when you are hanging the garland, make sure the front of the chain is showing and don't twist the chain. Make sure the front side of all the flowers and leaves are showing, then stand back, and smile at the pretty flower garland!

NOTE: Kit will be available in our shop Monday, 4-23-12 :)

Over the next few weeks we will be featuring some of the items we will be stocking in our shop. Hope you are as excited as we are :)

When I was a little girl, my father made a "knitting spool" for me using a wooden spool from thread (they were all made out of wood back in the old'n days :) and small finishing nails. I remember waiting for the first piece of tubing to make it's way out of spool. It was like magic. As the coil grew I envisioned all sorts of amazing projects that I could make, although, inevitably, I made hot pads :)

When I had children, I discovered knitting towers. I loved them because they were much easier for wee hands to hold. It is also a wonderful way to introduce young children to fibers and knitting. We are delighted to be offering a wonderful knitting tower in our shop. (Opening April 23.) It is made in the USA out of Birch Wood. The knitting tower comes with instructions and a piece of wool yarn to get started. But trust me, you'll want more yarn FAST :)

Some of the suggested project ideas are: 
~run pipe cleaners through the finished tubes and create bendable figures   
~create hair bands and bracelets by inserting elastic through the center of the tube and sewing the ends together to form a loop
~sew multiple tubes together to make flat fabrics
~short tubes can be turned into finger puppets
~sew tubes into a spiral to make doll rugs

I'm thinking they can be:
~sewn on to embellish necklines and sleeves of t-shirts
~make two spirals, sew them together to make bean bags.
~make 3 and braid together to make an awesome belt
~make a big loop for Cat's Cradle

I would like to make this suggestion. The knitting tower is made from raw wood. Whenever I get any wooden piece that has not been finished, I always take fine sandpaper to the wood to remove any burrs that were created in the shaping of the piece. This is especially important since you will be working with fibers that would snag on any rough edges.

Then, I use a natural beeswax finish (we are going to be selling a totally awesome organic beeswax finish in the shop that I will tell you more about later) and go over the entire piece, inside and out. Not only does it give a wood a beautiful paten, it also stops the wood from drying out and splintering. It is a good idea to reapply the wood finish regularly to prolong the life of the wood.

After you practice on the piece of yarn that comes in the kit, you'll be happy to hear we are carrying a beautiful rainbow of 100% Peruvian wool single ply yarn that is great to work with and felts beautifully. I'm busy making my own tube right now. Not sure what I'm making... hopefully not yet another hot pad... but I'm finding the experience very relaxing.

Knitting towers are suggested for children 5 and up, but my children did use them earlier. One additional comment. It is a good idea to work a little on the loose side. If the tension is too tight, it is hard to slide the loops up and over the prongs. Also, if you tend to work tight like I do, you might find it helpful to use a blunt end yarn needle to help slide the loops over the prongs. Also, this wonderful knitting tower is "reversible". For beginners, use the side with 4 prongs. It makes a looser tube and is easier for wee fingers. Then, the other side has 6 prongs, making a tighter and denser tube. The choice is yours!

I'll keep you posted on what I make, and I'm looking forward to seeing some of your completed projects :) Remember... shop opening April 23! 

In case you are wondering how I join my yarn together so you can't see the knots... it is "magic"! That is, if you are using 100% wool yarn that has not been treated not to felt. The yarn in our shop is 1 ply and has not been treated so it can be felted. To join two threads, begin by separating about 2" of the end of the old yarn and the new yarn.

Intertwine the four tails. 

Next, get this section damp. You can get water from the sink, I usually pop it in my mouth. Ewwww... right? Anyway, when it is damp, simply roll the section back and forth in the palm of your hand until the fibers felt together. It only takes about 15 seconds. You don't want to over felt the yarns or they will become too thin. Rather, just do it long enough so they adhere together. They should stay together if you very gently tug on them.

Now, continue knitting with the yarn and you are knot free. Pretty nifty, right? Of course, if you aren't working with 100% wool yarn, you will have to knot your your. When you are knitting, just make sure that you place the knot and ends on the inside. Sometimes you need to fudge the tension a little so the knot shows up on the inside, but it won't hurt the overall quality of your tube.

Patterns may be used for personal use only. If you are interested in obtaining a Cottage Industry License so you can sell items made from our patterns, information can be found HERE.

Photos: 4-11-12

NOTE: Kits for this project will be available in our shop Monday, 4-23-12 :)

Who can turn flowers into fairies, a dog into a dragon, and a pesky sibling into a troll? Children, of course! With just a flick of their wrist and the help of a magic wand, ANYTHING is possible and probable :) And, if the wand is a beautiful flower, all the better!

To make your own want you will need:

Flower Fairy Wand Kits from Wee Folk Art's Shop [Available April 23]

Note: Kit includes 100% wool felt, cotton embroidery floss, sandpaper square and dowel rod. To finish the project you will need crafting glue, embroidery needles and stuffing.

~OR~

Materials:
wool felt (a light and dark matching color for the petals, green for the leaves, and yellow for the center)
embroidery floss (colors should match the large petals, the small petals and the leaves)
1/4" grosgrain ribbon in 3 colors each 24" long (green, yellow and a color to match the outer petal.)
12" of 1/4" dowel rod
embroidery needles
crafting glue
paint for dowel rod (optional)
beeswax finish (optional)
stuffing
copy of pattern found HERE

Note: All materials used should be non toxic and child safe.

MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN WEE FOLK ART'S MARKET PLACE:
Flower Fairy Wands Kit
embroidery needles
Crafting Glue
Wood Paint
Beeswax Finish

Directions:
Make a copy of the pattern and cut out felt as follows:
2 large petals (light)
2 small petals (dark)
2 leaves (green)
2 flower centers (yellow)

Note: For tips on cutting out felt click HERE.

Note: For stitch glossary click HERE.

I recommend that you cut out the 2 large petals together. They will be stitched together later and cutting them out together will make for the best fit.

After cutting out the 2 large flowers, carefully open up the flowers so they are a mirror image of one another. Make a mark on the inside between 2 petals on corresponding spots. This is where you will later sew on the ribbons.

On the front of each (2) large petal(s), applique the remaining pieces to it in the following manner: (Use the pattern as a placement guide.)
Using a running stitch and 2 strands of matching floss, sew leaves to large petal.
Using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of matching floss, sew small petal over leaves.
Using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss that matches the small petals, sew center
to the small petal.

Cut each piece of gross grain ribbon in half so you have 6 pieces 12" long. Take 3 different colored ribbons and tack them together at one end. Do the same to the remaining 3 ribbons.

Tack the ribbon clusters to the inside of the 2 flowers on the marks you made earlier. Make sure you do not go all the way through to the front side.

Matching the inner markings and ribbons, with wrong sides together, pin or staple your 2 large petals together.

Begin at an inner petal junction. Using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of matching floss, sew the 2 large petals together. Stop at the inner petal junction 1 petal away from the start. Securely tie off the thread, but do not cut. This space will be used for stuffing the flower and inserting the dowel rod.

Lightly sand one end of the dowel rod rounding the edges.

Paint the dowel rod green. NOTE: It is not necessary to paint the dowel, but by painting it green, it looks more like a stem :) If you do not paint the dowel, finish with a Beeswax finish to prevent the wood from drying out.

Stuff the flower. Do not overstuff. You want to make it look "puffy" without straining the outer blanket stitch. Note: You will not be able to stuff the unstitched petal until you stitch it together.

Put crafting glue on the end of the dowel rod that you did not finish. Place glue on 1" of the rod.

Insert the glued end into the flower, positioning it so the rod will be centered in the beginning inner petal junction.

Using a blanket stitch and the attached piece of floss, sew up the remaining petal, stuffing as you go.

You can leave the streamers long and simply trim the ribbon ends on angles or you can cut the ribbons to various lengths.

Patterns may be used for personal use only. If you are interested in obtaining a Cottage Industry License so you can sell items made from our patterns, information can be found HERE.
 

photos: 12-4-11, 12-11-11, 3-27-12, 4-9-12