daviesalana
- Apr 20
- 2 min read

Make something!

Updated: May 3

Make something, sew something, write something ... there's no excuse for being bored ...

You don't have to be a professional to make toys. So - they're not up to John Lewis standard, but will the kids mind? Of course not! Here are a few I've made recently ... just as ideas. I'm not trying to sell them or take orders.

For many of the items below, the pictures will probably be self explanatory, but if you'd like to have some extra tips, a pattern number or a source for parts, please get in touch.

TOYS

Cute DIY Cooker

Make a child's cooker out of a couple of boxes, a piece of hardboard, a tin of paint and some CDs. An old alarm clock and a couple of hooks are handy too!

They may want to get stuck in even before it's painted!

A Hide & Find Fun Box

Painting some wooden shapes in co-ordinating colours, and putting them into a box you've painted too, can make a special gift.

The locks & keys I bought on Amazon, but all the wooden pieces, including the box, I bought from Hobbycraft.

You can make it even more special by putting a transfer on the lid. Again, Amazon.

SEW SOMETHING - TOYS

A Card Sorter for a Vehicle-Mad Toddler

I made this sorter completely from fabric - apart from the piece of doweling threaded through top and bottom. I quilted the back to give it some body, and covered it with cotton with a pattern of vehicles of all sorts. I cut the pictures of various vehicles out of the same fabric and stitched them on to the pocket fronts - before I actually made the pockets. You need to work out a 'critical path analysis' before you start something like this!

I cut pieces of white felt and wrote the names of the vehicles with fabric pen - my writing isn't the best, but it wasn't a problem!

I sewed pieces of ribbon at top and bottom, so the whole thing can be rolled up and stored away - or taken on days out.

Finally, I bought a set of plain cards and pasted pictures of a variety of vehicles for each category. I downloaded free images and adjusted their sizes to fit. You can't see any detail of the cards here I'm afraid - I was more concerned with finishing the toy for Christmas than taking plenty of pics!

A Crayon Roll