How To: DIY Doctor Play Set

Emma is really into pretend play at the moment, so I thought it was time to introduce her to my favourite roll play toy as a child, the Doctor Play set. I had a Fisher Price one as a girl, and it really got a workout. Instead of buying her a whole lot of plastic stuff, I rummaged around in a few drawers and cupboards and put together a fun set that cost me next to nothing.
Apart from gathering supplies, I made a gauze surgical mask. The tutorial is included below...

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Cinti visits Japan...again!

You may not have noticed unless you follow me on Instagram, but I was in Japan last week for a short and amazing break. Here are some of the colourful highlights.

Osaka

Kyoto

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How To: Carve Your Own Stamp

Carving your own stamps is super fun and not as difficult as you may think. Supplies are relatively inexpensive and it's a great way to personalize gift cards, wrapping paper and scrapbook projects. Start off with a simple design like this mushroom to build up your skills and confidence, then have fun illustrating your own designs. The kids will love creating their own unique stamps, just make sure you do the carving.

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How To: Needle Felted Rattle Ball

It's been a while since I posted a needle felting project, so I thought I would treat you to something a little bit special. I really love the idea of children playing with toys made from natural materials like wool, it's really important developmentally to give them a rich sensory experience that plastic toys just don't offer.
This needle felted rattle ball is a simple project, and I guarantee you will want to make more than one. A perfect gift for a special newborn or toddler. With a melodic jingle bell as a chime and it's woolly tactile surface, both child and parent will appreciate this fun toy.
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How To: Camera Strap Makeover

I just bought a new compact camera to take on my trip to Japan next week. Eeeep! Exciting! It takes fab photos and has super cute retro styling, but unfortunately the camera strap that came with it was a little bit blah.
The only solution was to 'get crafty'!
I found some cute ribbon in my stash that was the same width as the strap and it only took me a few minutes to totally transform it into something pretty special.
Here's how I did it...

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