Update: Doorway Puppet Show Theatre

It's time to play the music!  It's time to light the lights!  

Introducing one of the most adorable and easiest sewing projects on the planet:  the Spring-rod Doorway Puppet Show Theatre!  I made this puppet show set for my brother's family for Christmas. I wrapped up movie-style popcorn cups (Target), microwavable popcorn, the puppet show curtains and spring rods, and a set of dinosaur puppets (Costco) for the kids. We stacked all the gifts together and attached a tag that read,

 "We hope you enjoy the SHOW!" I have been making these for a few years now, but I have tweaked my old version just a bit. In the past, I used spring-rods to hold the curtains, but inevitably the children would lean on the bottom curtain, making it fall down. So to make it sturdier, I decided to use two stall-sized shower curtain rods and they hold up much better under the wrath of a two-year old. And, they still fit in almost every doorway in my house since you can screw them in and out to adjust the size.

This time around I added two skinny curtains on each side and I think it looks great. What you need for this project are two stall-sized shower curtain rods, a valance, two matching skinny panels on each side, and a square curtain for the bottom panel. Choose cute fabrics and decorate with coordinating ribbon and you have yourself some fantastic-looking fun. And the best part of this project is how well it stores- simply fold up the curtains!

Homemade Puppet Show Theatre

A friend of mine posted a question about good Christmas gifts, and this immediately came to mind. I thought I would share it with you, since it is so simple and so adorable!

Every time I have given these away, I get raves. And who doesn't like raves? Your kids will LOVE waking up to this and a good set of puppets on Christmas morning!

I have made several versions of this same thing, but basically you are going to make (or buy) curtains and then either use a spring rod (less expensive, but not as sturdy) or a shower-stall curtain rod to hang them in a doorway for an instant puppet show theatre! Both a spring rod and a shower curtain rod are adjustable, so just get one with a range of expansion that fits your doors. Two great things about this product are that it is portable (either from doorway to doorway or from your house to someone else's), and when your kids tire of it, you can simply fold the curtains up and put them in your linen closet. No big toys to store!

The first set I made were just two curtains made from silky purple fabric with yellow stars all over it- it sort of turned out like something for a magic show. But my kids loved them! I made them pretty long because you can adjust the height of the curtain rod depending on how tall the child is. Even my older kids (6 and 8) like to do magic shows and puppet shows. For this set, you can split the curtains so the kids can actually walk through them. (Great for introductions to performances etc.!)

If you've never made curtains, simply get a square of fabric (you want it to be at least 60" wide or up to two times the door width, and the length can be as long as long as you want!) and hem the sides first. Second, hem top and bottom. Then, fold the top down (creating a pocket) far enough that you can fit your curtain rod in the loop, and stitch along the bottom of the folded fabric.

The puppet show theatre in the above picture takes a little more effort, but not much. I simply made two curtains-one for the bottom and a shorter valance one for the top; and then I decorated them with ric rac. This particular set also has a clear pocket on the front so that my kids can put in 'signs' for their show depending on what they are using it for. We've used it for "store," "theatre," "show," and "circus." Once I figured out how to do these well, I actually sold them at a craft fair, and they were the FIRST product to sell out.

Good luck!

Homemade Sorting Toy

This is a simple activity for your 1 1/2 or 2 year-old. Mine has been loving little pieces lately; she has been sorting beads and buttons and the like. She kept bringing me a little bag of beads from my craft drawer so I thought we would put them to good use. We used an empty egg carton and turned it into a sorter. It costs next to nothing, keeps them occupied for a few hours, and if they tire of it after a few weeks, you don't feel bad tossing it in the recycling pile.

For this toy, you will need an empty egg carton, different colored felt, scissors, glue, and something to sort like beads or buttons.

Simply cut small squares of felt and glue them in the bottom of the egg cups.

Pour the beads in the lid, and ask your child to put them in the right spot.