Saturday, May 04, 2013

Castle Play Tote

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Shortly after I finished making the boys' quiet books, I attempted to recreate this amazing castle play tote that I found on Etsy.  I had intended it to be a Christmas present for the boys, but after sewing the tote and the castle parts, I kind of gave up.  I dislike hand sewing, so I never got around to making the felt characters to go with the tote.  So it has sat, half-finished, on my craft desk for months.

However, after buying the Safari Knights & Dragon TOOB, I decided to pull out the play tote and use their figurines instead.

A homemade felt castle play tote from And Next Comes L

The play tote folds up nicely and has a pocket for storing the pieces, including the castle which also folds up.  It can easily be carried by both boys and would work well for traveling.  Here's what the finished play tote looks like when all folded up.  There is a storage pocket on the inside.

Homemade felt castle play tote when folded up from And Next Comes L

Here is how it looks when the play mat is opened with the castle also set up.

A homemade felt castle play tote from And Next Comes L

Just add some knights and dragon figurines for hours of imaginative play.

Close up of knights and dragons figures on the felt castle play tote from And Next Comes L

The castle also opens up to reveal a spacious interior.  The knights and dragon figurines look hilarious next to the large furniture, but remember, this tote was originally designed with homemade figures in mind.

The inside of a homemade felt castle play tote from And Next Comes L

And finally, here's a picture of J playing with the castle play tote.

Playing with a homemade felt castle play tote from And Next Comes L

I could easily switch out the items in the pocket of the play mat.  For instance, I could make a felt volcano and add some dinosaurs to convert it into a dinosaur themed play mat.  Regardless, it's great for travel and imaginative play.  And it would be an awesome homemade gift.

Be sure to check out my other homemade toys:


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