Creative Gifting: Fabric Snake

Here is a creative gifting idea that uses scrap fabric and other materials I had already on hand from previous projects. It was easy and ended up being a big success!


I made one of these snakes (with the help of my 2 year old) for my 4 year old son's birthday in February and was surprised at how much he liked it. In fact, my 2 year old daughter immediately started begging for one. When friends come over to play it is such a hit with them that I decided we could not wait until my daughter's birthday for her snake. This snake is so easy to make and it is a fun project that all ages can be involved in making it. If you have a 10 or 11 year old, they could easily sew it on the sewing machine...with supervision, of course! 

What You Need:

• Scrap Fabric
• Needle
• Thread
• Buttons
• Sewing Machine (Optional)
• Stuffing 16 oz + (for a large, 6ft snake)

Directions:

Step 1: Get out your scrap fabric and pick which pieces you would like to make the snake out of. They do not have to be color coordinated (unless you want it that way) and you can use a variety of textures. This is a Step that younger children can definitely participate in. I did not realize how picky my daughter was going to be...she said "no thank you" to all the really girly fabric!

Step 2: Cut your fabric. Once your fabric is chosen, cut them into strips about 9 - 11 inches wide and however long you want. My strips were between 4 - 12 inches long. The width will be how round the snake is. A good idea is to aim for the width of your forearm. You can combine scraps together to create the desired width to make a cute patchwork look, but it is definitely easier to just keep it one fabric for the width and make each strip 6-12 inches long...but it is up to you how much time you want to spend!

For the snake's head, cut desired fabric to width and length. Fold it in half (pattern side in) and trace a tear drop on one side. Then cut.

Step 3: Time to create the length of your snake. Pin all your fabric together pattern sides facing each other (so your seams will be on the inside of the snake when you are done.) Then sew. A basic stitch is all you need.

Step 4: Pull all your pins out. Little helpers are great for this, too. And once done you should have your length of your snake. You can still add more length if you decide you want it longer.

Step 5: To create the body of the snake, pin the fabric edges together, pattern side in, to create one long tube.

  

Step 6: Prepare a tongue. Thread used for cross-stitching makes a great tongue (see below). Just loop it (usually it is 6-8 threads), so that it is 3 inches long. Tie it in a knot on the end that will be exposed. You can also use anything else you have to create the tongue. Get creative! I used some leftover binding, but debated on using a velcro strip I had. 

Once the tongue is ready, pin it so the knot or snake tongue V and the majority of the tongue length is on the pattern side of the snake. Leave 1/2 inch exposed (see below) so you can sew through it and secure it in place. 

 

Step 7:  Sew your snake, BUT make sure to leave a 6-8 inch gap every 1.5 feet or so. This will allow you to stuff your snake easier in the next step. I had 4 gaps on my snake. Be sure to sew the tail up before you turn it inside out. I tapered mine off, but I probably could have made a V and it would look better (luckily, the kids don't notice!)

Step 8: Turn the snake inside out, stuff the snake, play with the stuffing (of course!), and then stitch up your gap/holes by hand. Use the end of a long wooden spoon to push stuffing into places you can't reach (like the nose and tail). Stuff the snake until you have desired thickness. 16 oz of stuffing makes a very soft snake. I used about 25 oz, so that it was a bit thicker. Make sure you stitch the holes with a tight stitch.

Step 9: Sew your button eyes on good and tight. I like to use a pencil to mark where I want them prior to sewing them on. Helpers do a great job at pulling the thread up!

Step 10: Enjoy and have fun!

They were so busy playing, it was hard to get them to sit still and make a normal face!

This is a close up of the head and the tail. The top tail is what happened when I forgot to sew up the tail before I turned it right side out and stuffed it. I did not discover my mistake until I was almost done stuffing...so I had to make do. Sadly, my son now thinks that all snake tails should be stubby like his snake's tail! ha, ha! 

Enjoy!

Hands and Feet to Keep

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We made these while we were discussing hands and feet, but I think they would make a great present for any mom, dad, or grandparent or great as a keepsake! Super easy to make and the kids had fun decorating them after they dried.

What You Need:

• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. salt
• 3/4 c. warm water
• Large bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Baking Sheet
• Rolling pin or solid cup (I prefer the cup to the rolling pin)
• Food coloring (optional)

**makes enough for one foot and hand print together or two separate hand/footprints


Directions:

Step 1: Mix ingredients together in a bowl. If the dough is a little dry add water a little at a time. **optional** Mix in food coloring to color the dough.


Step 2: Make a ball of dough, then flatten it to about a one-inch thickness in the shape of a circle. I recommend sticking to the 1 inch thickness. I tried to do less than an inch thick and once the hand/foot prints were finished, it was very thin on the bottom. 


Step 3: Place the dough on a baking sheet, if you have not already. Put the baking sheet on a hard surface like a tile floor or pavement. Press the hand and/or foot into the dough to make an imprint. I pressed on every toe and finger and made sure their palm/heel got a good push into the dough.

Step 4: If you want to add a name or a date, the easiest way is to use a toothpick and poke words/date in with many little dots. I tried a few different ways (knifes and dragging the toothpick) and it just kept tearing the dough. (see below picture)

Step 5: Bake at 325 degrees in the oven until hard or let it air dry a couple of days. Once baked, it comes off the pan easily. I recommend baking. I baked one of them right away and let the other two air dry. The one I left in the oven I finally took it out after 30 min and let air dry the rest of the way (it probably could have baked another 10-15 min). The other  two started to color oddly and stick to the pan while air drying after a couple of days, so I threw them in the oven for 20 minutes to bake. They get brown underneath but not on top and they didn't stick to the pan once baked.

This is what it looked like after it was finished baking

Step 6: Paint and decorate as you like. I like to let them paint with cue tips, then I do not have to worry about them damaging the few brushes we have while they are painting on this hard surface.

Step 7: Get excited about what you were able to create! **Warning** Mold will break when tossed! After this picture was taken, my son was so excited that he tossed his mold onto the table without thinking about it and it cracked. = (  He now knows to be careful!

Enjoy!

Gift Ideas - Father's Day

Shhh... they are busy making a surprise!

Are you still trying to think of something for your kids to give Daddy for Father's Day? This may be extremely cheesey, but every Dad deserves a few cheesey gifts! My 11 year old niece is visiting this week and was telling me of an idea of what she wanted to make her Dad. I realized that if she was going to do it, she was going to have to do it while she was here. I think it is awesome and best of all, all the kids got into making it and are super excited about it!

So, this is what my kids and my niece are giving their Dad's this Father's Day...

This is my niece's. Pretty cute, right?! She did it all by herself...it's fun having big kids around!

We had a couple of hours while Daddy was out of the house, so we went on a hunt for rocks. I was planning on going to a nearby field, but we luckily did not have to look further than our front yard. Each kid picked out their own rock (because if Mom picks it, it is not a cool rock!). And then I let them paint to their heart's content. We used a blow-dryer to speed up the drying process and then I assisted the kids in writing the text (they held the brush and I held their hand...lots of patience may be needed!) And then Voila! You have a great homemade Father's Day gift that every Dad deserves at least once!

This is my son's.

And this is my daughter's

What are your Father's Day traditions?