the DIY (worry-eating) monster in a tin

Remember when you were little & teeny tiny sized toys were simply the best things ever invented?

This year as my list of special gifts to make contains the most adorable 6 year old girlie in the universe I decided to take something I loved when I was a wee lass & mix it with a snippet of my refashionista imagination (+ a few scrappy bits n’ bobs) and create a dainty extra to add to her package of crafty Christmas goodies:

I’d already gotten her a Guatemalan worry doll (I told all of my troubles to mine when I was a kiddo) but couldn’t wrap it up until I added my own special enhancements.

Here’s how to create your own (worry-eating) monster in a tin for the groovy youngster (or oldster) in your life:

You’ll need: a mint tin, fabric scraps, thread, embroidery floss & sewing needles (+ your choice of items to decorate the tin: decoupage gear, paints, etc…)

I started by spray painting my tin inside & out…

while the tin dried I created my monster. Here’s the 3 easy steps for arms & legs: 1) cut a small strip of fabric & roll it up. 2) cut it in half. 3) stitch the rolls closed with a blanket stitch

et voila! teeny little arms & legs complete with stitched fingers & toes!

next, cut 2 pieces for the front & back of the body of your monster. Use the embroidery thread to stitch on the creature’s kisser…

gather all of the pieces of your monster

pile them all together right sides facing, arm & legs turned inward & hand stitch together – remember to leave a small opening for turning

flip right side out, stuff & stitch the opening closed

Hooray! The worry doll now has a cute monster friend to keep her company!

Back to the (now dry) tin to decorate the crap out of it!

I painted some simple flowers & her name on the lid

and a nighttime sky on the inside. But the little bed wasn’t complete until I added a bit of quilted scrap for the mattress & a teeny weeny handmade pillow.

but wait…just what is hiding within the itsy-bitsy scroll? A groovy little poem I wrote explaining how to use the whole shebang to make her worries fly away:

“I tell my worries to my doll & lay her down to nap

She gives them to her monster who eats them in a snap!

My worries have all gone away, now I can go to sleep

I close my eyes & snuggle down  as cozy as a sheep”

Pssst! My awesome e-courses are right over here!

Transform your entire wardrobe for pennies with my groovy CoaR tutorial collections right here:

 

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