DIY Life

Back when I was writing about all the things you can do with one yard of fabric, I found that for many projects, a yard of material was actually too much. There are scads of things you can make using only fabric scraps, leftover from other projects.

This is good news for those of us who save everything, but really don't have a place for it all... so pull out those bags of fabric scraps and start sewing! Some of these projects make great gifts; you'll be customizing your gift for your recipient, and saving a lot of money, too.

Fabric flower cards: Maggie has written a previous post on how to make fabric flower cards. Using your fabric scraps, you can create a floral garden right on cardstock. What a beautiful gift.

Fairies or (faeries) are mythical creatures with wings and often, supernatural powers. Interestingly, though fairies are often thought to be tiny, innocent, and typically feminine, folklore has it that fairies were often known to be mischievous or even malicious.

Either way, modern fairies are often associated with nature and are pretty popular right now, both with children (think Tinkerbell) as well as older kids, teens, and adults. Chances are that if you don't already have a doll house hanging around your attic or playroom, you can get your hands on one at a garage sale or rummage sale for a few dollars or less.

Once you do, you can spend an afternoon converting that plastic plaything into a fairy fantasy land. All you need is some gray or brown spray paint, a hot glue gun, and then an assortment of natural materials of your choosing. It's bound to thrill the fairy fanatic in your life!

My father made me the most fabulous wood dollhouse when I was about 8 years old. It took him hours to put together, as it was very intricate and I had to get in the way and help. I don't know what ever happened to that dollhouse, but I treasure the many hours and years of fun I had playing with it.

If you want to give your little girl something very special this Valentine's Day, you can make her a foam dollhouse that folds flat and can be taken anywhere she goes. Cookie's market editor Meryl made one for her niece using a 20" x 30" piece of foam core board. She covered the walls with graphic wrapping paper, cut pictures and a clock out of catalogs, and used a sharpie to give the pictures their own unique frame. Her niece then filled all the rooms with her own toys.

I didn't like being confined to one spot with the lovely house my dad made me. The dollhouse was too heavy for me to lug around, and it was hard to reach into tight areas. With Meryl's foam dollhouse, your little princess can easily pick up and move her toys, and not worry about being confined to one area.

Thank you, Rachel, for the tip.

All right ladies and gentlemen, if you have a little girl between the ages of 4 and 12 at home, listen up: she wants a dollhouse for Christmas, so you'd better start building one right now. If you're wondering just exactly how to get that done, I have a suburb resource for you. You can find everything you need, including the very dollhouse basics, on a site called KitGuy. You will find that KitGuy has dollhouse kits and plans to suit every need. From Barbie-sized play houses to high-end replica kits, you can spend anywhere from $40 to $5000 to get the miniature abode you need.

A website called Zoolabees is also a good place to get a start on building a doll house. They also have an interesting article that discusses the history of dollhouses. Did you know that in the 1600's dollhouses were fashionable furnishing pieces in the wealthiest homes of Europe? They were prized possessions not intended for children, fully furnished, and called "baby houses". Some say that they were intended to provide a sanctuary of play time for the spirits of dear children lost.

If building a dollhouse for Christmas to please that special sweet someone who graces your life appeals to the artist or craft person in you, there is a cornucopia of avenues available. I suggest that you get the project started as soon as you can because, as we all know, dolls wait for no one.

Be sure to check out Holidash for more great holiday ideas!