Meet the newest member of our toy collection. My toddler LOVES camping, and always asks to go camping. This is the perfect toy for a camper-in-training.
I have drooled over the Land of Nod Campfire Set from the minute I saw it. I wanted to order it for my son for his birthday, but with a hefty price tag, of $69.00 before shipping, $83 after shipping, and no availability until mid-March, I knew I had to take things into my own hands. So, I created one myself. Dare I say, I like mine better than theirs? Well, I said it; I do like it better.
I think the thing that really makes the whole thing is the faux bois fabric I used for the logs. I got it at Lily Bella Fabrics. Lily Bella has the BEST designer fabric at great prices!
I also love the different sizes and colors of the rocks. Seems like each craft store has a different color and texture of gray felt sheets. The dark sheets were from Bennion Craft, the medium shade sheets were from JoAnn, and the lightest sheets were from Hobby Lobby. Sometimes they go on sale at Hobby Lobby for 8 sheets for $1. This toy is so affordable to make!
You can't have a campfire without s'mores and hotdogs. I made these out of felt as well, and made holes in them so they fit perfectly on the end of a marshmallow roaster, ahem… dowel.
The kids LOVE playing with the whole set.
I love watching my kids pretend play.
The whole set really was easy to make, and I have a little tutorial on the rock for you. I used the same technique for the fire, and logs and for making multiple sizes of rocks. I wanted to have rocks that stand up.
Get a felt sheet from the craft store. Cut it in half, and round the edges on one side. If you don't want your rocks to stand, just cut the corners off all the sides, and finish it off. If you do want it to stand, follow the directions below.
Stitch around the rounded edges, leaving the the bottom open.
Turn right-side-out and stuff.
Place the top piece of the rock on another piece of felt, and cut out a bottom that will fit the opening. If you are making many rocks the same size, use this as a template, and cut multiples out.
It will look like this.
Remove the stuffing, and turn the top inside out again. Pin the bottom on. The nice thing about felt, is you can stretch it if you need to. So, if you get the bottom too small, you can still make it work. Sew around the perimeter leaving a two inch opening.
Turn right-side-out, and put the stuffing in through the hole.
Whip stitch the the hole closed with a needle, and you are finished!
I used the same idea for the fire, but used bigger pieces of fabric, and left the stitching exposed. I felt like it looked better to have the stitching on the outside for the fire. I started with the red piece, added the orange, then the yellow, cutting down as I saw fit. Then I stitched the whole thing together, and used the same technique as above for the bottom. I started out thinking I would use printed cotton for the fire, but found that it competed with the logs. I liked the simplicity of the felt.
For the log, get a piece of fabric, fold it in half. Stitch up the side. Turn, iron, and sew the ends. Use the same technique as above for the closing it up. I just used tan felt for the ends.
Of course I couldn't leave it at just a campfire. I had to make him THE CUTEST FISHING POND EVER! I will be sharing that next. Be sure and check back.
Thanks for stopping by.
Have a Happy and Creative Day!
Risa
