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Tuesday, May 21, 2024
What Birds Eat
Thursday, May 16, 2024
The Little House in the Woods
The children go for a walk in the woods and discover a mysterious house. |
The old woman who lives in the house greets the children. |
The children and old woman have tea and cakes together. |
Friday, May 10, 2024
Canine Cross Stitch Patterns
These cross stitch patterns of pet dogs and puppies are free for students to work from. They come from a German Library Collection and are in the public domain. Our versions here have been cleaned and colorized.
Two little dachshunds sit together on the lawn. |
A large hunting dog in the wilderness. |
A small hound hunts for duck. |
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Craft a few toys for your pretend pets...
Cat pointers for doll pets. |
Colorful toy tubes for cats and dogs. |
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Roaring Robbie
Roaring Robbie
by Reuben Ryley
Roaring Robbie,
Roguish Ruthie
Ran a race 'round
Robin's rose.
Ruthie's ruthless,
Restless ruffles
Relaxed rev-er-rent
Repose.
Romping Robbie's
Rigorous rompers,
Ripping, running
Round and roundly,
Rendered rumbles
Rarely roisterous,
Rather recklessly,
Re-sound-ly!
Paper Furniture for A Paper Dollhouse
And easy chair (wingback design) and a matching footstool, sometimes called an ottoman. |
One-Color Effects For Dollhouse Decor
Designing dollhouse rooms with monochromatic color choices is just one method to ensure that items like carpets and rugs, wallpaper and paint, and upholstery and pillows all coordinate in good taste. Below, paintings by Charles Webb demonstrate the same den/family room space in five distinct singular colors: yellow, green, red, blue and brown.
Left, green is the color of choice. Right, yellow is the main color used for the same space. |
Left, if the same den was made over in red; this may be how it could look. Center, here the one-color selected is blue. Right, how does the room look with everything in brown? |
Did you know that people have been attaching meanings to color forever it seems? Below are some of the customary feelings attached to colors in rooms, although I don't believe that these attributes are always legitimate. There are many more experiences unique to people's lives that can affect the way they feel about color. It is best in the long run to make selections based upon what you have and what pleases you. At the end of the day, a dollhouse is a personal space and every dollhouse should reflect the person designing it.
- Red - means stimulation to some - irritation to others
- Yellow - means irradiating cheer and vivacity - yet your neighbor's complexton may not harmonize!
- Blue - the color of purity and peace - yet some claim it depresses.
- Green - is for tranquility, as in the cool shade of foliage and field
- Brown - suggests a cozy comfort in the living-room. Which color do you like best?
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Play
Play
by George Cooper
Play you were a princess,
And this was your diamond throne
Play I was a fairy--
''That is the truth, my own!''
Play you were a giant,
And I was a poor lost girl;
Play this was your castle;
''Think I could harm one curl?''
Play this was my carriage,
And I was a lady grand;
Play that was a ball room:
''Lady, I kiss your hand!''
Play the sun was a kite,
And this was the yellow string;
Play I was a robin;
''Sing, little birdie, sing?''
Play you were a shepherd,
And searching with weary feet;
Play I was your lambkin;
''Come to your fold, my sweet!''
Soon eyelids are drooping,
And that was a sigh, so deep;
Play this was the night ma:
And play I had gone to sleep!
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
The Flossie Fisher Paper Dolls
Dear Girls and Boys:
Flossie Fisher has her very own set of paper dolls that you may print, color and cut out from the pattern below. Color them as prettily as you can. You may dress them in the clothes I have drawn or make costumes of your own. You may use colored tissue paper for the costumes if you like.
The stars and stripes costume is for Flossie because she is getting ready to march in the 4th of July parade along with her good friends, Hardy the dog, quiet bunny and Tommy Kirby the cat.
Sincerely,
Helen Nyce
(The original letter from the illustrator has been modified.)
''Read'' with your eyes the series of events from top to bottom, left to right, to discover what happens to Flossie and her little companions below. Then, write in your own words a brief descriptive narrative describing based upon what you see. Below is a introductory sentence to help student begin there own narratives...
Tommy Kirby will fill an old sock to frighten Flossie and bunny with.
Silhouettes of Tom Kirby acting naughty with a sock snake. |
Over 100 years ago, Helene Nyce organized children's writing competitions for The Ladies' Home Journal. The magazine editors would include her silhouette cuts to illustrate a series of adventures for a little girl named Flossie. Children would then write a short story to accompany the illustrations and submit it through the mail to win a prize.
How Flossie Made Valentines
Dear Girls and Boys:
One time Flossie Fisher and her cat thought it would be fun to make valentines. Here is the picture story of how they did it.
Sincerely,
Helen Nyce
(The original letter from the illustrator has been modified.)
''Read'' with your eyes the series of events from top to bottom, left to right, to discover what happens to Flossie and her little companions below. Then, write in your own words a brief descriptive narrative describing based upon what you see. Below is a introductory sentence to help student begin there own narratives...
Flossie and cat are bored. What to do, what to do?
Over 100 years ago, Helene Nyce organized children's writing competitions for The Ladies' Home Journal. The magazine editors would include her silhouette cuts to illustrate a series of adventures for a little girl named Flossie. Children would then write a short story to accompany the illustrations and submit it through the mail to win a prize.
Flossie and Her Playmates Go Camping
Dear Girls and Boys:
Tommy Kirby wanted to go to the seashore, and he felt very sorry when he heard Flossie's mamma and papa say that this year they would spend their vacation at home, instead of going away.
Hardy said:''Never mind Tommy. I have a good deal better plan than the seashore; we will take our tent and go camping down in the woodsy corner of Grandpa's back pasture. We can take lots of supplies with us and stay a long time.''
Flossie was as delighted with the plan as were John and Tommy, and in spite of Tommy's accidents they are having lovely times.
Sincerely,
Helen Nyce
(The original letter from the illustrator has been modified.)
''Read'' with your eyes the series of events from top to bottom, left to right, to discover what happens to Flossie and her little companions below. Then, write in your own words a brief descriptive narrative describing based upon what you see. Below is a introductory sentence to help student begin there own narratives...
Flossie and her friends Tommy(cat) and Hardy are setting up camp at Grandpa's place.
Silhouettes of Flossie and Friends camping in backyard. |
Over 100 years ago, Helene Nyce organized children's writing competitions for The Ladies' Home Journal. The magazine editors would include her silhouette cuts to illustrate a series of adventures for a little girl named Flossie. Children would then write a short story to accompany the illustrations and submit it through the mail to win a prize.
Monday, April 15, 2024
Flossie Fisher on a Farm
Dear Girls and Boys,
Well, the Early Garden page must have come to a great many places just when the first touch of spring, with its bluebirds, its blackbirds, its robins and its song-sparrows all flew in together on the south wind, for there was a perfect deluge of mail for me at once. And all the stories showed how nearly winter was over, so that I could almost see how warm and bright the sun shone where you all were. Every day since then the sun has been getting higher and higher, the days longer and longer, and the thoughts of everyone are turning to the countryside, their gardens and vacations. Below is a storyline cut in silhouettes that should bring delight to those of you who love the farm and it's animals!
Sincerely,
Helen Nyce
(The original letter from the illustrator has been modified.)
''Read'' with your eyes the series of events from top to bottom, left to right, to discover what happens to Flossie and her little companions below. Then, write in your own words a brief descriptive narrative describing based upon what you see. Below is a introductory sentence to help student begin there own narratives...
Flossie had lots of fun on the farm. She was sorry for the little piggies shut up all day, so she decided to let them out. Here are some of her adventures...
Flossie taking care of farm animal friends. |
Over 100 years ago, Helene Nyce organized children's writing competitions for The Ladies' Home Journal. The magazine editors would include her silhouette cuts to illustrate a series of adventures for a little girl named Flossie. Children would then write a short story to accompany the illustrations and submit it through the mail to win a prize.
How Flossie Made Her Early Garden
Dear Girls and Boys,
Flossie wants all of the students learning to write while using this exercise, to write very plainly. Don't forget to write your name at the end of the story before handing it into your teacher! Make sure also that you only write about what you see and that the events are in order of the appearance of each pictured silhouette. Use your very best handwriting and do not forget to capitalize the letter of each first word in a sentence. Also include a period at the end of every sentence too!
Sincerely,
Helen Nyce
(The original letter from the illustrator has been modified.)
''Read'' with your eyes the series of events from top to bottom, left to right, to discover what happens to Flossie and her little companions below. Then, write in your own words a brief descriptive narrative describing based upon what you see. Below is a introductory sentence to help student begin there own narratives...
Flossie Fisher and her little dog tried to make an early garden. Below are the silhouette cuts that show how they worked and the troubles they had.
Flossie and friends plant a Spring garden. |
Over 100 years ago, Helene Nyce organized children's writing competitions for The Ladies' Home Journal. The magazine editors would include her silhouette cuts to illustrate a series of adventures for a little girl named Flossie. Children would then write a short story to accompany the illustrations and submit it through the mail to win a prize.
Flossie and Her Friends Have A Picnic
Dear Girls and Boys,
I wonder how many of the Flossie Fisher children colored Easter eggs as Flossie and her pet rabbit tried to. I don't believe many had the same sort of fun, because Flossie does seem to have a way with her that makes all the animals want to do just what she would have them do. But then we have all known dogs that could almost talk, cats that surely think, and horses that are really members of the family! Even the goat below appears relatively cooperative for his kind, at least for a short while anyway...
Sincerely,
Helen Nyce
(The original letter from the illustrator has been modified.)
''Read'' with your eyes the series of events from top to bottom, left to right, to discover what happens to Flossie and her little companions below. Then, write in your own words a brief descriptive narrative describing based upon what you see. Below is a introductory sentence to help student begin there own narratives...
Here is the story of Flossie's picnic. Don't you wish you could have been with her?
Flossie silhouette story for Easter picnic and egg hunt. |
Over 100 years ago, Helene Nyce organized children's writing competitions for The Ladies' Home Journal. The magazine editors would include her silhouette cuts to illustrate a series of adventures for a little girl named Flossie. Children would then write a short story to accompany the illustrations and submit it through the mail to win a prize.
Flossie Helps Her Bunny Color Easter Eggs
Dear Girls and Boys,
Flossie and her bunny friend had a great deal of trouble in getting eggs to color for Easter. When they at last succeeded they boiled most of the eggs, and the last few pictures will tell you what happened to the unboiled ones...
Sincerely,
Helen Nyce
(The original letter from the illustrator has been modified.)
''Read'' with your eyes the series of events from top to bottom, left to right, to discover what happens to Flossie and her little companions below. Then, write in your own words a brief descriptive narrative describing based upon what you see. Below is a introductory sentence to help student begin there own narratives...
Easter is approaching fast so Flossie must meet up with her friend to make sure all is ready for the big egg hunt on the Saturday after Good Friday.
Flossie silhouettes for Easter story. |
Over 100 years ago, Helene Nyce organized children's writing competitions for The Ladies' Home Journal. The magazine editors would include her silhouette cuts to illustrate a series of adventures for a little girl named Flossie. Children would then write a short story to accompany the illustrations and submit it through the mail to win a prize.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Paint a bur acorn to look like a blue Hubbard squash!
Hand painted bur oak acorns dried and painted to look like baked Blue Hubbard squash. See index for more cooked doll foods to craft. |
It just so happens that dried bur oak acorns look exactly like blue Hubbard squash when dried and painted for our 18'' doll larder. These acorns are edible, but I am not so very interested in their taste as much as I am interested in drying these properly for crafts.
- If you wish to try eating bur acorns as the native people still do read about this here.
- Here is an article about crafting with nuts at our Christmas blog.
- I have crafted using this nut before... click here to learn how to make Coconut Drinks for your 18'' dolls using bur acorn parts here.
- See our other squash crafts made to enlarge our doll's vegetable stand set here.
A raw blue hubbard squash cut open. The seeds and pulp must be removed before baking the squash in the oven. |
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Tiny needlepoint roses for your doll's house...
Four patterns for wild rose needlepoint or cross stitch. Students are free to make their own versions of needlepoint pillows for the dollhouse. |
Tiny rosebud needlepoint pillows with lace trim inside of my daughter's antique dollhouse. The left has been laundered, the right still needs to be cleaned. |
Two patterns for a rose wreath or swag. |
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Mouse sized rhymes...
Miss Mouse Longing
Molly and the Mouse
Molly and the Mouse
by Maurine Hathaway
Five -year-old Mollie
Was holding her dollie
In the shade at the side of the house,
When what should she spy,
In the path running by,
But a poor little mite of a mouse.
With a wild, frantic shout,
Mollie quickly leaped out
Of the pathway and ran in a fright
To her mother and cried,
"There's a mousie outside;
Get a trap that will catch it to-night."
Mother said, as she smiled,
"Why, you dear little child,
Mousie never would hurt you a bit,
And I'm sure, if you knew,
'Twas more frightened at you
Than you could have been frightened at it."
And her words were quite true,
For that mouse fairly flew
To it's mother who lived in the wall,
And she squeaked "Mother dear,"
As she trembled with fear,
"There's a girl out there frightfully tall.''
''Ha, ha,'' laughed Mother Mouse,
As she tidied her house,
''Did you run away home just for that?
What I thought had occurred,
When your scream I first heard,
Was that you'd seen a fierce pussy cat.''
Monday, April 1, 2024
Old-fashioned prints for Victorian themed dollhouses
Elizabeth Hector illustrated children's books at the turn of the last century. I have restored three of her charming prints in three different sizes for a nursery wall inside of a Victorian dollhouse. Students may print them freely for personal projects only. Enjoy!
Victorian creeping cat, lovable sheep and red squirrels - all would look period appropriate in a dollhouse nursery! |
Make an empty tomb doll cake for Easter!
The Easter Empty Tomb Cake is covered with a plastic cake 'dome' that I cut from a recycled plastic cake container. You can also see a similar craft here. |
- scrap cardboard
- recycled egg carton
- white school glue
- masking tape
- tiny clay flowers (cut from cane)
- decorative gravel (very small)
- green and brown acrylic paint
- little sawdust
- brown paper bag
- With multiple circles of cardboard glued together and stacked, students can make doll-sized cakes to decorate for Easter.
- I also cut a cave shape from a recycled paper egg carton to secure to the top of the cake with more glue and tape.
- Let the glue dry and cover the entire cake using masking tape Before painting it and gluing on details.
- I covered the Spring hillside using green acrylic paint.
- Paint the path leading up to the tomb with brown and glue a layer of sawdust on this to add texture.
- Glue on a few tiny pebbles or stones to outline the path and emphasize the tomb. In the U.S. cake shops sell pebble candy that looks like the real thing.
- Paint the remaining tomb surface to look real and then glue on the flower cane slices on top of the green painted icing.
- Cover your cake creation with Mod Podge and set the dessert table for a dolly's Easter celebration!
Above see how I layered cardboard to make the Easter cake. Also I am making sure it fits perfectly under my recycled plastic cake dome. |
Decoupage the masking tape layer with another layer of brown paper bag before painting this pretend confectionary. |
The three tier Easter cake with pretend candy decorations is finished. |
How to make dog collars for doll sized pets...
Left, our 18'' doll pets stand five inches tall when seated on their haunches. Right, the doll collars with split rings and dog themed charms. |
Does your doll's pet have a collar to identify who they belong too? These sweet little paper wire collars are as unique to your pet as you would make them. Choose different papers and charms to add one-of-a-kind touches.
Supply List:
- paper covered wire
- decorative scrapbook papers
- white school glue
- masking tape
- metal dog charms
- Split Rings (20mm for dogs 5'' tall)
- Twist the paper covered wire into a circular shaped collar for a stuffed pet dog. The circumference should be approximately 2 1/4 inches across. This size will easily slip over the top of a standard sized plush pet dog measuring 5 inches tall when seated on it's hind legs. If your doll's dog is smaller simply use a shorter wire for it's collar. Twist the ends together of several lengths of wire to determine what size works best for your doll's pet.
- Cover the paper wire with masking tape.
- Decoupage the dog collar using any decorative scrap paper you wish and the white school glue. Let the glue dry over night.
- Slip a split ring onto the collar and then add a dog charm.
- Now squeeze the plush dog's head a bit to fit the collar on over it's head and around it's neck.
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Dollhouse Prints for Horse Loving Dolls
The following clip art is of four paintings by Martin Stainforth. The prints are for student personal use only. If your doll loves horses, you may print and frame these samples below to hang in your dollhouse for fun...
Horses in brown, bay and chestnut: some stand in front of fences, others in front of stables. |
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Giving by John Martin
Giving by John Martin
Give smiles, and more will come to you;
Give help and never trouble.
Give joy to others here and there,
And yours will surely double.
Give of your strength to those with less;
Give reverence to sorrow.
Give thoughtful gentleness to-day,
And then again, to-morrow.
Give with an open hand and heart;
Give with full faith, believing
That open hands and open hearts
Are constantly receiving.
Give love to every thought you think,
For love is constant giving;
Then wait, and watch real riches come
To all your life and living.
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Craft a Whale of A Weather Vane!
I designed this miniature weather vane for my daughter's thrifty dollhouse flip. You will need a few supplies to make one like it: Sculpey, cereal box cardboard, masking tape, white school glue, a wooden skewer, two or three beads, paper covered wire and paint.
First, cut out a cardboard whale and cover it with masking tape so that Sculpey or oven-bake clay may be spread and sculpted over the form before baking. (This makes the sculpture super strong.) Also poke a whole into the bottom half of the whale so that it can be mounted onto a skewer after baking. Use a tacky glue for this and let it dry over night.
Then thread onto the skewer a wooden bead. Twist paper above it and below it to keep the bead in position.
Then bend a wire approximately a foot (not too long or too short), into the shape of a capital "W" on one end and then wrap it around the skewer below the bead and give it a bit of space and then bend the end of the wire into a capital ''E''. Clip the excess wire off of the ''E.''
Next, bend a wire approximately a foot (not too long or too short), into the shape of a capital "N" on one end and then wrap it around the skewer below the east and west part of the weather vane and give it a bit of space and then bend the end of the wire into a capital ''S''. Clip the excess wire off of the ''S.''
Wrap a bit of paper to stop the directional signs from falling off the skewer. Cut the weather vane to fit your doll's house through a whole on the roof.
To paint the weather vane to look like weathered copper: spray paint it first with copper paint and then second dry brush on a light coating of black acrylic and second of green. If you wish more copper to show through, gently rub the painted surfaces gently so that the spray paint shines through. repeat these steps if necessary until you are happy with the results.
On the inside of the dollhouse, glue a small block in place under the pitch of the roof to hold the weather vane in position. Do not put glue into the hole directly because this will prevent the whale weather vane from spinning altogether.
The Prairie-Schooner
A ''praire-schooner'' is a covered wagon. Above are children playing with their version, a rocking horse and tent make a great imaginary toy! |
Picture and Verse by Charles S. Chapman
Monday, March 25, 2024
The Weaving of Native Americans
Vintage albumen print. Original caption "Aboriginal life among the Navajoe Indians. Near old Fort Defiance, N.M. / T. H." |
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Little Armies of Soldiers and Explorers...
Following World War II, plastic manufacture was seen as an industry with growth potential with many old and new companies making plastic figures that were widely available in the United States. Army men following the war were sold unpainted, usually in a green color corresponding to United States Army uniforms in World War II.
Beginning in the early 1950s, Louis Marx and Company sold boxed sets of figures and accessories called playsets, such as "US Army Training Center" and the later "Battleground" sets. A rival manufacturer, the Multiple Plastics Corporation (MPC) also sold plastic figures in various colors with different separate accessories, so the same figures could be kitted out as soldiers (green), farmers, pioneers or cowboys (brown), policemen (blue), ski troopers (white) spacemen (various colors), or American Civil War soldiers in blue and gray.
The economy of plastic sold in bulk, popularity of army men, and competition with manufacturers led to army men being sold in large bags by Marx, Tim-Mee Toys and MPC for as little as a penny a piece in the mid-1960s. During this time, Marx gave the American army men actual enemy soldiers to fight such as German soldiers (molded in gray) in their 1962 "Army Combat" set and Japanese soldiers (molded in yellow) in their "Iwo Jima" set that was released in 1963. In 1965, a "D-Day" Marx set featured Allies such as French (horizon blue), British (khaki), and Russians. One of their last and largest playsets was the multi-level "Fortress Navarone" mountain set based on The Guns of Navarone, which was available in the 1970s and pitted World War II Americans against Germans.
During the Vietnam War, sales and availability of military toys began to decline alongside the unpopularity of the war and the higher prices of plastic from the 1973 oil crisis. Since 1975 many manufacturers of plastic soldiers in Europe and US closed, for example John Hill & Company, Reamsa, Louis Marx and Company, and Dinky Toys.
Today most army men are made inexpensively in China and do not include the extensive accessories that were common in Marx playsets. They are also smaller on average, often not much more than 2.5 cm (one inch) high. Most of these figures are generic imitations of model figure sets from such companies as Airfix and Matchbox. They vary widely in quality.
In addition to army men, other inexpensive, plastic toy figures are also commonly available. Toy cowboys and Indians, farm sets, spacemen, knights, dinosaurs, firemen, police officers and other playsets are often sold alongside army men.
In September of 2019, BMC Toys, a maker of army men, announced that army women would be sold in 2020. This announcement was made due to popular request from female veterans and toy fans. The most well-known request is from a six-year-old girl who sent a handwritten letter for them to be made. Wikipedia.