January is a difficult month for a birthday. Just after Christmas I have to plan a birthday and come up with a meaningful gift or two on little funds. This year proved even more challenging with a 2 month old, guests the week leading up to her birthday, and a baptism and party a couple days before. Time, money, and energy were in short demand but I came up with what I think was the perfect, magical little gift for my 4-year old.
I was fortunate enough to stumble upon these darling dolls at the Plow and Hearth Outlet on our way to Charlottesville last week. At about $17 a piece for Kathe Kruse dolls, it was a steal! I did add wings, and a skirt to the funny little hula girl (with curls like Anastasia) to turn her into a fairy.
I purchased a pretty photo storage box from the craft store along with some paintable garden chairs and faux flowers. The chairs will be a painting project this week.
I also painted some little mushroom cutouts in red, puple and pink (Anastasia's favorite colors) and sprinkled glitter on the modpodge that I used to finish them for a magical effect.
I had the perfect Cicely Mary Barker fairy fabric (produced by Michael Miller) for a very dramatic, garden fairy bed. I just cut 2 rectangles large enough for the dolls and sewed them together inside out, flipped it to the right side and stuffed it with wool and sewed the opening shut by hand. I did the same for the pillows except I closed it with the machine. I also just used a bigger rectangle for the blanket-- same concept but with no stuffing. I love how victorian and pink it is! :)
I could totally see having more boxes like these for other toys like My Little Ponies, and the like. You could easily paint a little scene on the inside and glue paper, flowers, etc, add stickers and other furniture or accessories. And I love how it all stores in a box (the chairs will barely fit as well!).
So a self-contained fairy flower garden... perfect for imaginitive play. Well, my friends, that was my magical gift perfect for my new 4-year-old! Happy Birthday Anastasia... may 4 be a very enchanting and memorable year for you.
January is a difficult month for a birthday. Just after Christmas I have to plan a birthday and come up with a meaningful gift or two on little funds. This year proved even more challenging with a 2 month old, guests the week leading up to her birthday, and a baptism and party a couple days before. Time, money, and energy were in short demand but I came up with what I think was the perfect, magical little gift for my 4-year old.
I was fortunate enough to stumble upon these darling dolls at the Plow and Hearth Outlet on our way to Charlottesville last week. At about $17 a piece for Kathe Kruse dolls, it was a steal! I did add wings, and a skirt to the funny little hula girl (with curls like Anastasia) to turn her into a fairy.
So a self-contained fairy flower garden... perfect for imaginitive play. Well, my friends, that was my magical gift perfect for my new 4-year-old! Happy Birthday Anastasia... may 4 be a very enchanting and memorable year for you.
2 comments:
what a great idea! I'm in the midst of creating yet another pseudo playset for a birthday. instead of painting the rainbow stacker, i've come to present it as a "Paint your own rainbow" kind of present with some gnomes and a bag to fit it all in. The box is a great idea.
Thanks! And I love your gift idea! What a nice, creative present for a very lucky little girl or boy! :)
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