Thursday, April 22, 2010

Altiods can magnetic paper doll- Happy Earth Day!






Dear Readers,
Happy Earth Day! Earth day is one of our family's favorite holidays! For my Earth Day gift to you, I am going to give you my best recycled toy idea yet! (And hopefully soon it will come with a template!) This would be the perfect toy to keep in your purse for Errand Emergencies when kids need a little extra entertainment. It is a magnetic dress-up doll with its own built in carrying case! I'll have to warn you, though, that I learned some Mod Podge lessons the hard way and my paper got bubbly and torn. I'm sure yours will turn out better!

Magnetic Paper doll with Altoids can case

Skills Needed: coloring, cutting
Time needed: an hour
Materials needed:
  • empty and clean Altoids can
  • unwanted flat magnets (the kind that businesses use to market themselves are perfect. About the size of the business card and very cuttable.)
  • crayons or colored pencils
  • Mod Podge
  • scissors
  • paint brush
  • scrap of fun paper the size of the top of the Altoids can
  • Print out of Lucia or another paper doll you love that is 3 1/2 inches tall
Instructions:
  1. print out "Lucia" my handmade paper doll or shrink your own favorite paper doll to be around 3 1/2 inches tall(To print out Lucia, save the picture here to your computer, then print at full page size).
  2. Color in her beautiful clothes. Use crayons or colored pencils, but don't use washable markers because they'll bleed when you put on the Mod Podge later. And don't use permanent markers because they just bleed. Don't worry if the colors go outside the lines because you'll be cutting them, anyway. (Can you tell that my 3 year old painted the mermaid tail?) Design more if you're feeling extra creative!
  3. cut Lucia out on the lines. Cut her clothes out loosely, leaving a little white space around the edges.
  4. Trace the top of the altoids can onto the back side of your scrap of pretty paper. Make sure there's not any overhang.
  5. apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the top of the altiods can. Apply a thin coat of MP to the back of your paper. Put them together and be really careful to press out any bubbles.
  6. Apply a thin coat of MP to the paper you just put on the Altiods can. Now put some MP on Lucia's back and paste her down.
  7. When she's dry, apply a thin coat of MP over Lucia. When you MP the top coat, always start in the center of the paper and go outwards. If you just paint straight up and down regardless of the edges, you may pull or tear the edges. The top coats will make your doll water resistant!
  8. Now MP your clothing onto the magnet(s). Paint a top coat over the clothes, too. When they are completely dry, cut them out. (One tip: when you're cutting out the ruffled edges, it would be too tricky to cut a ruffle into the magnets. Just cut along the outer edge of the ruffle.)
  9. That's it! The great thing about this project is that there is a built in little compartment to keep the tiny pieces.
I've submitted this post to my first contest! Check out lots of fun ideas of what to make from metal cans!






10 comments:

Jennifer said...

So cute!! I think I"ll be making some for church use! ;) Thanks for the great idea!

Amber said...

This is really cute, i will add it to the list of things to make with my kids. i will need to find something for the boys.

Sarah said...

I LOVE this idea! I may just buy some altoids just for this!

Jeannette said...

Very cute. I love that the clothes store inside. Good luck!

Fawnda@Fireflies and Jellybeans said...

You made it in the top 10 for the Iron Crafter Competiton! :)

Check it out here:
http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/2009/02/iron-crafterrecycled-cans-top-10-come.html

Jenn @ Delicious Ambiguity said...

Wow! You've got a great blog here! You might be interested in stopping by my site sometime. I host a link-up party on Tuesdays called Tot Tuesdays where you can link up crafts, activities, recipes, tips and anything else for toddlers. I'd love it if you'd stop by:

http://www.mydeliciousambiguity.com/

Have a great day!

FineArtPainting said...

this is so good that i'd like to invite you to add a link to it on our DIY tutorial linky party (brand new & weekly)

this is where you add your link:
http://www.finecraftguild.com/diy-linky-party-free-pillow-crochet-pattern/

and while you're on the blog, hop over to the silver customizable jewelry $50 gift certificate giveaway for a chance to win a fabulous piece by designer lisa leonard

Country Girl in the City said...

This is sooo cute. I want to make one right now! Guess I'll have to book mark it and add it to my projects to make list. Congratulations on being selected as a finalist on the Iron Crafter!!

Kierst said...

Somehow I came across your blog. I don't even know how. Anyway, I love this idea and just finished making one for a birthday party tomorrow. Of course, we had to make one for my 4 year old as well. I think it will be a great toy to bring to church! Thank you so much!

Unknown said...

great idea. creative and lo-tech.

if you are scavenging for magnets and not finding much, then i would recommend buying magnet sheets from your office supply store like staples. i use avery brand.

http://www.staples.com/Avery-Personal-Creations-Inkjet-Magnet-Sheets/product_46771?cmArea=SEARCH