Wool Ball Tutorial

Hello and Happy New Year everyone! I have a friend that has been requesting for quite some time that I do a few posts about wool and felting; so for the next few weeks I will be making  a few different felting posts. Today I am going to show you how to make a wool ball. These are great for toys or to use as dryer balls. This is one of my longer videos, but I hope you like it. Have fun and Be Well!

Update: OK, so I was asked what the benefits are of using wool dryer balls. Face Palm! I can't believe that I forgot to put that in here, soooo. they soften your fabrics without chemicals, and separate your clothes in the dryer allowing more hot air to flow between the fabrics which makes them dry faster. Faster drying time  cuts the energy output needed to dry laundry, is cheaper for you, and better for the environment. You can also put a few drops of your favorite essential oils onto them to lightly scent your laundry. Mmmm lavender lovey naptime blankets and cinnamon bedsheets and towels in our home. mmmmm cinnamon....

Baby Sensory Beanbags

 Panda loved the Scented Thanksgiving pillows I made the other day. They were a new texture, a yummy smell, and just the right size for his tiny hands. That gave me an idea; so yesterday I made him several bean bags filled with different sensory items. 

First I picked out several different fabrics from my scrap bin and cut them into 4" squares. I tried to choose different textures and patterns as well as colors. Next I sewed them into little pillows (leaving the bottom open for stuffing). Then I stuffed them with scrap fabric and an added a sensory item:

Red upholstery fabric + Dog toy squeaker

Green mushroom print flannel + Dried lavender buds

Thick tan striped trouser cotton + Homemade egg shaker (described in next step)

Yellow felt + Crinkly cellophane

Cranberry velor with gold embroidery + Jingle bells

Burlap + Cinnamon twigs (because Panda loved the Thanksgiving ones so much)

Red starry fleece + Fiberfill (because things don't always have to "do" something)

Denim + Rattle

 To make the egg shaker bean bag I put some rice in a small tin and sealed it shut with some duct tape (left over zebra duct tape from Ehlers Danlos awareness projects). Yup, that simple. After they were stuffed I sewed the pillows closed and placed them in a basket for Panda to find.

I was able to make these all with things I already had on hand. Panda loves them and has played with them pretty much constantly since he got them yesterday. I want to make a knitted square and possibly a vinyl square for a total of 10. Then we can use them for counting games when he is older. This would make such a great gift  that I had to post it. Sight, scent, touch, taste, and sound, all covered by these little bean bags. I hope this inspires you. Be well and Have fun!

Autumn Leaf Crown

 A boy and his mother were out enjoying a crisp Autumn day. They had been talking about seasons and enjoying the beautiful colors of Autumn. "Prince Autumn is coming", mother said, "We should leave him a crown".

 Mother sent boy to go collect several bright Autumn leaves that had fallen to the ground. He had fun exploring and looking for leaves. He chose several brightly colored leaves with edges that had not started to curl. 

 When he brought them to his mother she made a beautiful crown by weaving the stems through the leaves.

"Do you think Prince Autumn will like his new crown?" the boy asked. "I'm sure he will." His mother replied with a smile. 

The two left the crown waiting on a rock for Prince Autumn to find, and then went home.

The End.

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Would you like to make your own crown? Below is a video tutorial. I loved to make these when I was a little girl. Panda and I had so much fun that I think making a crown for Prince Autumn to ring in the Fall might become a new family tradition. Have fun and be well.

Story: The Woman Who Loved Trees

 There once was a woman who loved trees. Lovely Oaks grew in her yard.

 When she looked at the trees it reminded her of when her children were younger and how they played in and around them. This always made her smile.

 But one day the trees grew sick and had to be cut down. The woman was very sad. The wood could not even be used for fire wood or the smoke would spread the sickness to other trees.

 She told her daughter in spirit how sad she was and told her about all the happy memories she used to have looking at the trees. The woman wished there was some way to use the wood. This gave her daughter an idea...

 Her daughter in spirit told the woman's husband her idea...

 and he went to work cutting up the wood.

 He made a lovely set of a table and chairs out of the wood just the right size for children. Then they were brought to the daughter's home where the neighbor children happily began to have a tea party.

The woman was happy again knowing that children were using the wood from her beloved oak trees once more.

The End Beginning.

Thank you Mum and Pop. The neighborhood children love their new table and chairs and I know that one day Panda will love them to. 

Fairy Garden

 I have always had a love of fairy gardens and when I was younger I built them all over my parents yard. A year or two ago Bear bought me this giant pot to sit next to our front door and I have been dreaming of turning it into a fairy hallow. 

The little house is made out of Polymer Clay and a pop-can. The windows glow in the dark so it looks like someone is home at night. Everyone who visits our home is cheerfully greeted by this little garden. My younger visitors ask who lives there and my older visitors say it makes them feel young again.

I have entered my garden into The Magic Onion's 5th annual Fairy Garden Contest. I love my new little garden and hope you do to. Maybe you might grow one of your own? If you do, I would love to see. Have a beautiful day, be well, and Have Fun!

Nova Natural Give Away

This lovely Waldorf mama Doting on Deirdre is giving away a gift card to Nova Natural this Saturday. She has a fun blog with great photos so even if you miss the give away please still stop by her blog to say hello. 

Needle/wet Felted Wool Balls

 I've been needle felting and wet felting little wool balls lately. This is my farm ball. It is painstakingly decorated and one of my favorites. On this ball there is a barn, silo, rooster, hen, two chicks, a butterfly, flowers, apple trees, a cow, a pig wallow with two pigs, and sheep all under a bright sun.

 

Here is another picture from the farm ball of tiny sheep playing in a flower dotted meadow.

 The four seasons.

 I have many others and will post them at a later date. These will be posted in my etsy store soon. If you have a ball you would like custom made for you please drop me a line at applecratetoys@gmail.com.

Thank you for looking and have a blessed day.

Waldorf Puppet: Innocence

  Recently a young neighbor of mine (age 10) was visiting and saw my Waldorf table puppets. He asked me if they were difficult to make. I told him that they were not. Then he surprised me by asking if I could help him make one.

He asked if we could make a Legolas from the Lord of the Rings.

This is what my neighbor came up with. It was such a delight to watch him work. I helped him a little with the hair and some suggestions on how to connect things, but for the most part he did this all himself. Tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth and all ;) 

Have a blessed day today and have fun!

Tribute to Wooden Toys

There is something extra special about wooden toys. There is a softness, beauty, warmth, feel, and connection with nature to them. Bear and I have been filling our home with these beautiful treasures for the neighborhood children and hopefully our future child. Children seem natural drawn to them as they help promote imaginative play.We thought it would be nice to share some of our favorites with you. This is part of our kitchen. We found it on Craigslist but I have seen some similar to it on sale on Amazon. This is by far my nieces favorite toy when she visits. There are three other little girls in the neighborhood who are especially drawn to it. This is our vintage farm. The wood has a deep golden color that can only come with age and love. Bear and I are working to put wooden animals similar to this into Apple Crate Toys soon. These toy boats can be described only as 'The Worlds Greatest Bathboats' and that they are. They are so bright and cheery. The boat with the fish believe it or not is from 1985 and yet it still looks like new. I attached a link to the photo. Click on it and it will take you to their store. They even do custom name orders. A nice thought with Christmas on the way. These little boats will last a life time and then some. Bear and I will only be getting one more boat for this collection. It will be a custom order when our wee one arrives.This adorable house was purchased off of Craigslist. I added some furniture to it, but there were several pieces already in it. It came from a wonderful mother and daughter who are planning to move to another country and could not take it with. It is the newest toy in our collection and has been used and loved the most so far. I would have loved a house like this as a child. The woman we purchased it from said she bought it in Spain, but it bears a striking resemblance to Melissa and Doug doll houses if you are interested in finding one for your wee one. I first saw this little family on Waldorf Mama's blog. They were so beautiful but I could not find a justification to get them till Bear and his father surprised me this year for my birthday with the money to get them. The best part is watching children pick them up for the first time and seeing slow smiles of sheer delight spread across their faces. Bear and his father could have given me no greater gift. They are beautifully hand carved and painted by a company called Buntspechte. You can buy them at The Puppenstube.
Carved, sanded and painted with love. Wood toys will last a life time. They are a gift to pass down from generation to generation. Lets hope the tradition never ends. Have a blessed day.

Waldorf Star Lantern

When I first started making Waldorf Star lanterns I had a hard time with some of the steps. The instructions were hard to make out in pictures. I really needed someone to 'show' me how it was done. I was unable to find any videos on how to make them. After much frustration I figured it out and since then many people have asked me how to make them. Last night my wonderful husband Bear helped me put together this video tutorial. It's a little rough around the edges; this was our first time using this video editor. We hope that it is clear enough, you enjoy it, and that you Have Fun!

Felt Crowns

Crowns, crowns, crowns and more crowns. I've been fast at work spinning these out. 26 crowns made and I sure hope to make my goal of 60 before the end of August. Wish me luck. I love felt crowns. They are perfect for children. They are playful, soft, colorful, and open wide the doors to imagination. I've given several crowns away and have joyfully witnessed a multitude of different characters surface. There are of course the princes and princesses and birthday girl/boy persona's that emerge when crowned. Then there are the wizards, fairies, mad hatters, gas station attendants, magicians, pirate king/queens, and superheros that I've also watched emerge. My newest favorite happened this past Saturday when I gifted my niece with a new crown and she promptly tried crowning a very old and very tolerant cat. I would love to get a hold of some play silks to have on hand. They make wonderful tools for the imagination and would pair well with these crowns. Does anyone know a place online where I can get a good deal on un-dyed play silks? I've seen wee ones running around using them for butterfly wings, capes, doll blankets, forts; not to mention using them for seasonal scaping on the nature table. Take care everyone and have fun!