Happy Sunday! It’s time for the next Home Depot Gift Challenge! Every month, 11 of my bloggy friends and I choose an item from Home Depot, and make a gift for a chosen person with it. And, we also find something at Home Depot to wrap it with; which, in my mind, is the hardest part! If you missed last months gift, you can check out my Industrial Copper Pipe Clock that I chose to make using a copper “T” as our item. Don’t forget to hop around at the bottom of this postΒ and check outΒ the other blogger’s awesome projects!
This month wasn’t as hard as last month; at least, so I thought. The chosen item this time was a wooden dowel, any size, and the gift recipient was for a child. My niece’s birthday is in March, so this was just perfect! The first thing that came to mind was a teepee. What kid wouldn’t love a teepee?! I was SO excited to make it for her (and one for Jade, too!). Buuuuut, when I was chatting with the other bloggers about their ideas, it just so happened several of them also had the bright idea of making a teepee. Womp, womp. So, back to the drawing board we all went!
(We are in no way associated with Home Depot; we just love their stuff!)
I wanted to make a learning toy (totally the teacher in me), so I thought long and hard for awhile about what to make.Β I remembered my sister had bought her daughter a cute felt Christmas tree during Christmas, where she could put on felt ornaments and switch stuff around. A light bulb came on; I’ll make something similar, but with shapes and numbers! Thus, my felt banner commenced.
This gift is incredibly easy to make (I literally put it together in half hour!), and really inexpensive, too!
I used a 3/4 inch thick dowel, and cut it exactly in half (so I could make one for Jade, too!). It ended up being 24 inches long, which was perfect. I got a yard of gray felt from Joann’s for the banner part.Β Β I wanted the felt to be almost as wide as the dowel, so I made it 22 inches to have an inch of dowel showing on either side. I drew a line down either side of the felt to make it about 29 to 30 inches long.
Then, I made it a banner by making the bottom come to a point. I just made a little dot exactly in the middle between the two lines at the bottom, which was at 11 inches. I also marked 2 dots right on the edgesΒ a couple of inches up so it’d be even when I drew the diagonal lines.
Cut your banner out. I ironed it to get all the wrinkles out on my “wool setting.” Make sure to keep it on low, otherwise it will melt the felt (which I may have done a little…)! Excuse my terribly dry winter-hand. Bleh!
To add the dowel, I left about 1.5 inches of material at the top, and positioned my dowel directly in the center with about an inch hang over the fabric on either side.
Using a glue gun, fold the fabric over the dowel and glue the fabric down.
To hang the banner,Β I used some peachΒ ribbonΒ to match my niece’s room. I tied it on the end in a knot, then tied a bow. I tied the bow in a double knot as well so it’d stay. I did the same for the other side.
I felt the banner still needed something to jazz it up. I had some leftover trim from my spring wreath, so I cut it to fit and glued it across the top of the banner with my glue gun.
It was the perfect little touch! Now, all we needed was some felt shapes and numbers! I bought a bunch of different colored felt squares at the craft store, and drew shapes and numbers on them all and cut them out. Does anyone know if they sell them already cut out?! I saw some felt letters, but they have a sticky side on the back which I didn’t want; I want the letters/numbers able to move and take down. Anyway, Cutting all the numbers took some time, but worth it in the end!
All the shapes and numbers needed a place to hang out while not in use. I didn’t have anything on hand, so of course, I made something!Β I used a cereal box and cut off the top.
Since my plan was for my sister to attach it to the wall underneath the banner, I was only going to decorate the front and sides. I started by cutting some pretty fabric big enough toΒ cover the front, sides, and bottom of the box. Then, I brushed Mod Podge all over the box, except for the backside (1). I laid the fabric flat over the glue and smoothed it out. I wrapped the sides kind of like you’d wrap a present (2 & 3). Once the fabric was glued down all around, I cut off the excess from the top. Done! A cute little box to go on the wall that could hold all the felt pieces.
I had NO idea how or what to wrap this in for the gift wrapping part of the challenge. I pretty much roamed the aisles of Home Depot on two different occasions trying to figure out what I was going to do with it. Finally, I came across the PVC pipe aisle, and foundΒ short pre-cut PVC pipe that was 2 feet long; exactly the size of the wood dowel! So, I grabbed the 2 inch wide pipe and two end caps. I rolled up the banner and stuck it inside! The box didn’t fit, but everything else did! Since it wasn’t very pretty as is, I stuck a bow on the pipe.
My niece loved it all! And, the pipe and end caps could totally be used to store something else later, or be turned into a cool rain stick!
I of course made one for Jade too, because she saw me working on my niece’s and wanted to play with it. She looks so cute putting her shapes up! But I’m only slightly biased…
She loves it! I hung it on her wall, and she loves playing with the shapes and telling me what they are. Felt is seriously amazing; it totally sticks to itself! Just pat the felt piece on, and it’ll stay.
And she really loves taking every felt piece out of the box after I put them all in. A much more fun game, apparently. π
It’s the perfect “toy” for any aged child; as Jade gets older, I’ll find/make some felt letters and we can practice spelling words. We can even cut out little people and dress them up!
Want to see some other seriously fab gift ideas for kids? Check out these other 10 projects! Just click on the picture to visit.
Hope you have a great week ahead!
(I link up at these fun parties!)
This is such a cute idea!! I used something very similar to teach nursery rhymes when I was a preschool teacher back in the day. Love it!
Meaghan | Cook. Craft. Love. recently posted…Simple One Pot Lo Mein
Thank you, Meaghan! It’s such a fun idea for kiddos, and if I was still teaching I totally would have made few for my classroom! π Happy Sunday!
I love your felt banner Amanda! Such a great idea and craft for tiny humans! You did such a fantastic job and your little girl is such a cutie.:)
Shannon recently posted…Home Depot Monthly Gift Challenge
Thank you, Shannon!! It’s totally a cute little craft for little ones, and so far, it’s a hit with my daughter and niece! π Hope you’re having a great Sunday!
Very cute!! I absolutely would hang this in my daughter’s room!! Funny that no one ended up doing a teepee eh?! lol.
Lindi recently posted…Baby Doll’s Crib
Thanks, Lindi!! Ha, I know! I was totally thinking that too, I kinda wish I had stuck with that idea! Oh well.. maybe that will be another post to come for the future! π Happy Sunday, friend!
This will be such a great learning tool for your niece, Amanda! Love it!
Erin recently posted…Wood Box Caddy
Thank you, Erin! She loves it, and so does my daughter. It’s the perfect little toy for them to help learn their letters and numbers! Have a great week. π
I love educational toys! This is awesome–And I agree with Lindi, so funny that no one ended up with a teepee haha
Cat @ therusticwillow recently posted…DIY Tic-Tac-Toe Stool: Monthly Home Depot Gift Challenge
Thank you, Cat! Ha, I agree!! I love all the projects we ended up with, though! π
This is so cute, I really love the little pom pom trim!
Roxanne recently posted…DIY Wall Art
Thank you, Roxanne! It definitely needed something and the pom poms were the perfect touch! π Hope you’re having a great weekend!
I love this Amanda!! And your little Vanna White is so adorable π
Emily @ Table & Hearth recently posted…Hanging Book Holder – The HD Gift Challenge
Thanks, Emily! Ha, she totally is a Vanna White in that picture! π
I love this banner so much! The pom poms are adorable.
Carmody recently posted…St. Patrickβs Day White Chocolate Popcorn
Thanks, Carmody! The pom poms were definitely the perfect touch! π Have a great week!
So cute, Amanda! What a great idea! I’m sure your niece will love it! π xo
Kendra @www.joyinourhome.com recently posted…Overnight Cinnamon Buns
Thank you, Kendra! She does love it! π Hope your week is going great so far!
So, so cute, Amanda! Such a fun idea! And your little Jade makes the perfect model! π
Amy@HomeRemedies recently posted…Talented Tuesdays Link Party #20
Thank you, Amy! It turned out to be the perfect little toy! I think Jade is the perfect model, too! π Hope your week is going great!
I had a felt board that I loved as a kid! What a great idea to make your own! Thanks for linking up with us! I hope you’ll join us for The Creative Circle again this week!
Angela, Blue i Style recently posted…{decorating with style} It’s Almost One Room Challenge Time Again!
Thank you, Angela! I did too, and they were always so fun to play with and manipulate! Hope you’re having a great weekend! π
Super cute! I love it! Thanks for sharing it at Totally Terrific Tuesday! #tttparty
Christie recently posted…Simple & Quick Bunny Crochet Pattern
Thanks! It’s perfect for my daughter! Hope you have a lovely day. π
Hi Amanda,
How nice you create this banner!! thank you so much for your great share
Thank you, Regina!