I am making a playset for a 3 year old girl's birthday next week. I am making a few bendy mermaids and maybe a boy? and a baby.
Ok maybe a merfamily. Anyhoo... I wanted to make it a set so I'm asking for ideas on that. I was thinking of picking up a wooden tray with handles and putting stuff on there like a rock and blue fabric to go around for the mermaids to sit on out of the "water", maybe a sturdy sea shell (she is only 3). Maybe some little felt fishes. Do you guys think I should glue it down or leave it for her to set up or what? ANy ideas are appreciated.

Thanks

Rebecca

What an awesome gift! I may have to copy that for my dd's birthday.
Definitely don't glue it. Half the fun for my kiddos in playing with bendies and doll house stuff is the set up. They also like to take the pieces and find new nooks and crannies through out the house to make into little homes. :)

Please post a pic when you are done!

oh, what she said, what a FABULOUS idea!

please DO post pictures!!

wow, I'm in awe, heck, I'd play with it! :D

I'd glue a blue felt piece the same size/shape of the board/tray onto the surface, and then have a sewn bag for the merpeople and thier accesories to go in, but we have a tiny house and storage or keeping tiny pieces together are both important to me.

what a super gift!
jessica

Wow, you guys are sooo sweet. My goodness. THe idea was clearly inspired by this forum. :thumbsup: Thanks for the ideas. I will glue blue felt down and have an unattached water fabric to go with it as well. I'm thinking that a seashell would make a good bed and cradle with little blankets or seaweed type material. I won't glue stuff down, and I love the idea of a bag to put everything away in, I'm sure her mama would appreciate that too. Now I just wish I had driftwood. I bet it is expensive at the craft store. Maybe I'll add a golden/sand coloured fabric for the shoreline.

Thanks so much for the inspiration. This is sooo fun. I LOVE making things.

Rebecca

ps Oh yea has anyone here madea merman or merbaby? I'd love to see pics. Thanks.

WOW..so kewl...and I was wondering...how does one MAKE a bendy person???

I bought a bunch of unfinished wooden dollhouse furniture that I am going to paint and glue down in these really kewl boxes (like one box per room) and I would like to make some bendy people that will fit to scale...

But I have no idea how?

Thanks!

Marjen If you look in the forum called Sewing and Crafty stuff you will find instructions for wrapping bendy people and also for the bendy mermaids.

Where are you in ON? I am near Barrie.

Rebecca

I am just outside North Bay...! And thanks for telling me where to find the directions!

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL283/1998702/3866786/47646257.jpg

Hmm..I can't find the directions....do you have a link you could post?

THANKS!!!

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL283/1998702/3866786/48472445.jpg

Here ya go:

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=123736


http://www.amitymama.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=134254

Rather than a floss wrapped tail, I think a better bet for a three year old is a bendy mermaid with felt fabric tail. The floss wrapped ones are okay for an ornament or an older child, but aren't going to hold up to the tail being bent for sitting and then straightened for standing/floating, etc.

I think a couple different people have posted pics before of really cute mermaids with felt fabric tails. I think the tail was blanket stitched around the edges. Really cute and personable.

For a baby - I'd just make it shorter and all around smaller, with a smaller bead for a head.

Those are my thoughts anyhow. :D I hope you'll post pictures! I LOVE mermamas!

Rhea

Here's another idea for you -- We made some mermaid babies this summer -- Just took a few seashells, the curly-q kind with a small opening on top, and glued in a small wooden bead for the head, surrounded by tiny silk flowers. Very sweet and so far, totally indestructible. If I can find one later, I'll post a pic. By the way, you're invited to Anabelle's next Birthday!!! ;)

That sounds like a wonderful gift!! :thumbsup:

Here's a pic of some I made with felt tail. They're lightly stuffed with wool.

http://store.naturalplaythings.com/products/images/MermaidsAtTheRiver.jpg

I've made mermen too. Just make them bigger (might need more than one pipe cleaner) and maybe even use a slightly bigger head bead. and of course, keep the hair short. I made one with a beard once too. And I use either dark green or a shade of blue for the tail.

Originally posted by Dannielle
Here's a pic of some I made with felt tail. They're lightly stuffed with wool.


Dannielle, those are so pretty! I like the way you took the felt up over the bodice.

Poobadilly, the idea of the baby with a shell body - my daughter would just love that. I have an ornament of a shell mama (her "skirt" is one half of a very pretty shell) and she's holding a baby in a curlique shell like you described. Now I've got the idea to make some little shell babies for hanging on our tree. :p

Rhea

Ok, this was sooo fun! I did a whole merfamily, with felt tails! I just over stiched the edges with contrasting embroidery floss. The merdaddy had a fairy wool beard and the merbaby has a fussy fairy wool hair.

I did a tray with blue fleece (I didn't have a wide enough piece of felt and a gold cord around the inside edge. I found a sand coloured fabric with sparkle in it for sand (I cut a strip) and a blue with wave looking material for water. I got a wooden dolphin at the craft store and I made a felt fish (I will try to make more, the party is on Wed). I made a merfamily bed that is green like seaweed- like a plant with a scalloped top and blanket stiched around the edges and bottom, not the top. I got seashells to add to the set for furniture, dishes whatever. I have to clean a rock from our back yard and will glue a few seashell on it. I may put it all into a plastic zipper back from some sheets. We'll see. I'll probably put little ribbons around the fabric pieces and lablel them, sand/shore, water/sea, merfamily bed! LOL

I will take pics but don't have a digital camera so i'll have to wait until they are developed to scan and post. Oh I hope Hannah enjoys this!

Rebecca

Oh Rebecca!

Its sounds lovely!

I can't wait to see it!!!

That is like the coolest idea ever! I know what my dd is getting in her Beltane basket!

Love Val

just cruising teh old posts-did you ever get a picture of this? I wanna seeeeeeeeeeeee!

and would you be willing to make me one and trade for something? :)

yes please answer... inquiring minds want to know. ;)

Love Val

Wow this thread is old! :LOL

I never did get a picture, I don't think I had film in my camera when we gave it to my friend. I probably still could at some point though.

Let me think about making some to trade. I feel like I am sooo not a professional crafter like the lovely ladies around here, like my blanket stich isn't totally even etc... hmmm, what sort of things would you want to trade...


Rebecca (ps. thanks for bumping this, I loved making and giving that craft, have been sick with morning (read all day) sickness for two months and it is letting up so crafting will be a possibility again soon!)

hehehe, I have no idea what I could trade.. I can make fleece tie blankets for little ones, fabric covered photo albums or rolled beeswax candles, or I have all sorts of misc. stuff around here - let me know how old your kids are and maybe I can come up with something.

I definitely want one, and would love two :)