Toadstool Baby Rattle!

Toadstool Baby Rattle

So, To be completely honest, I am not crazy about how this rattle came out...Not quite how I envisioned it, but my children all think it is adorable and that I can not possibly leave it off so I will give you  a tutorial for it, and you can take this opportunity to make some suggestions about what I could have changed to make this "Toadstool" look more like a mushroom rattle and less like a microphone! LOL!

I started with:

 Cotton fabric scraps

A little vile filled with rice

Embroidery floss

needle

   

As you can see I simply traced the edge of a glass to get my perfect circles. Cut one out of two different fabrics.  Then place the fabric circles together with their wrong sides together.

            

Use a blanket stitch as illustrated above to join the two circles almost the whole way around.  Leave a small opening to stuff the mushroom top.

 

Stuff the top then sew it shut also using the blanket stitch.

         

Cut out two pieces of brown fabric similar to the ones above. Place them right sides together, sew up the sides and bottom using an overhand stitch.  Turn it right side out. Stuff the stem but leave the widened part empty.

 

 

Sew half of the stem top onto the bottom of the mushroom top.

      

Wrap the vial with rice in stuffing and insert it into the opening.  Fill the rest of the stem with stuffing until it is firm and you can not feel the rattle. (I used the vial with rice trying to do my part to be green!  Feel free to use whatever you have lying around that will serve this purpose) Sew it up!

Now, I know you have some suggestions that I can try to make this better.... Let me have em!  In my mind this is adorable....I think it's still pretty cute, just not as much of a "toadstool" as I hoped!!

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Toadstool Garden Markers

DIY Toadstool Garden Markers

Today I decided to create some garden markers with our adorable toadstools!  The only supplies I needed were :

Polymer Clay

Bamboo Skewers

Clay tools

Mini Stamp Set

[caption id="attachment_907" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The first step is to knead the clay until it is soft and pliable. Just remove it from the package and pull it apart and squish it back together until it is soft and easy to work with.[/caption]

The next step is to mold a mushroom top with your fingers.

[caption id="attachment_909" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Then create the bottom of the mushroom top with white or another light colored clay. Use the tool to create indentions as they would look in the wild. [/caption]

Next, break the bamboo skewer to the desired length. Mold a lifelike stem around the top of the bamboo skewer leaving about 1/2 inch exposed to insert into the mushroom top.   

Insert the bamboo skewer into the center of the mushroom top.  Roll out a skinny snake to fill in the gap between the top and stem.  Use the clay tool to smooth the area and fix any area that is not perfect.  Be sure that the bamboo skewer is still secure in place.  

[caption id="attachment_914" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Next, add the spots. Just flatten out small pieces of clay and press into the top. Smooth with the back of your finger nail.[/caption]

Use the mini stamps to press the letters into the side of the top.  You could create these as garden markers as I have done, or you could use them as place cards and put your guest's names on them, and put them in a small potted plant for a favor.  Once the letters are added, bake them at 275 degrees for 45 minutes.  Take them out and let them cool.

       

Place them in your garden, place them in a potted plant, give them as a gift....The choice is yours!!

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"Toad"ally Cool Toadstool Erasers

I could not believe it when I came across this amazing new product called Sculpey Amazing Eraser Clay! You mean I can play around with clay, make anything I want to, and it will be an eraser? How fun is that!  I had to try it out! Here is what I came up with!

This clay was super easy to work with and molded just like the Sculpey Oven Bake Clay.

The only supplies you will need for this are the Amazing Eraser Clay (It comes it packs of 6 at the craft store) and pencils.

First you have to knead it to soften it up and make it pliable.  Chooses the color you want to use for the stem and mold it around the eraser of a pencil.

Now choose your top color and mold it into shape.

Add colored dots and blend them in with the back of your finger nail.  Remove it from the pencil! It is important NOT to bake the pencil!!  275 degrees for 40 minutes.

 275 degrees for 40 minutes.

Take them out, place them on your pencils and smile! They are adorable how could they not make someone's day!

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Rainbow Toadstool Bracelet

Rainbow Toadstool Bracelet

Continuing with our toadstool theme for the week, I wanted to create a fun piece of jewelry from these darling little toadstools!  Here is what I came up with.

I used Sculpey oven bake clay, some jewelry findings, pliers, and 6 glass beads.

First, remove the clay from it's package and knead it until it is smooth and pliable.  Break off a piece and roll it into a sphere.  Flatten it on the bottom by pressing it into the counter or tray you are working on.  I used a clay tool to press a hole into the center bottom for the stem to go.

Add tiny white balls of clay where you want your dots to be.  I used the back of my fingernail to flatten them and smooth them out.

I used white clay to create a stem that fit into the hole created by the tool.  I used a straight jewelry pin with one loop to create the hole down the center on the toadstool.

 I kept the pins in place while I baked the clay.  275 degrees for 30 minutes was perfect.

They came out looking adorable and ready to "string"

I threaded a bead on their own pin ands laid the bracelet out how I wanted it to look.  I trimmed the wires to the correct lengths.  I used the pliers to create loops on the ends that did not have them and alternated joining the bead wires with the toadstools wires.

I wore this bracelet for the remainder of the day and I am not kidding when I tell you I had people fighting over buying it!!  Super cute and Fun!!

Have fun with it! Share what you did to make it yours!

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