Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Blockheads!

$5.00

I designed the Blockheads several years ago for my daughter. I made her a rice bag - which she loved (and still loves). I made her a few more and she got in the habit of heating them all up at bedtime and placing them in strategic spots around her bed. She wanted to carry them around all day with her - and so the Blockheads were born. So what are Blockheads, anyway?

I'm so glad you asked! They are beanbags - but so much more. They are filled with rice so you can microwave them and use them as little handwarmers. Slip a couple in your pockets on a cold and blustery day. They have different scents in each bag - so you can use them to play a blindfolded "guess the scent" game. My daughter LOVED that Montessori lesson so this was a special favorite way to play with hers, and I used a wide variety of herbs and spices in her set so it was a good introduction to the art of cooking too. "You're right - that's thyme. That's what I put in corn chowder." and "Mmmmmm. Rosemary! That tastes so good mixed with lemon."

Keep them in the freezer and they make good boo-boo bags. Try using satin on the back side of these - it's especially soothing.

The beanbag filling makes them stand up well (making them good dolls) and the variety of expressions are great for encouraging kids to come up with little stories for them. This pattern includes happy, very happy, chagrined, surprised, angry, and nerdy. I know nerdy isn't an emotion so much as a state of being - but I had to include him because he's been a favorite in every set I've ever made - and I've given a lot of these as gifts.

This may be one of the best toys I ever made for my daughter - hours and hours of ever-changing creative play, easily portable, and made with scraps. That's my kind of toy! :-)

What you get:
  • Full-sized pattern for six faces (When you want to start designing your own additional faces - and you will - Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Faces is a great reference and source of inspiration!)
  • General instructions for any Blockhead.
  • Specific instructions for six hair variations.
Materials you'll need:
  • Fabric scraps - play with lots of different woven fabrics - cotton, wool, velvet, corduroy. Play with some satins too - but don't use any of the synthetics as handwarmers. The heat of the rice will melt many of them - including most satins.
  • Bits of yarn, ribbon, rickrack. Keep an eye out of household items that will make great hair.
  • Embroidery thread.
  • Rice or other small filler
  • Scented mix-ins - optional, but highly recommended. Try raiding your spice rack. Essential oils also work very well and last a long time.
  • General sewing and embroidery tools.
Skills you'll need (links take you to videos):
Time you'll need:
  • Less than an hour for each Blockhead
$5.00

Have fun and happy stitching!

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