A Really Cute Idea

[Hound dog]

I've rediscovered my passion for crochet........Much to husband's dismay as yarn is not exactly cheap. lol Oh well.

So......... I'm making quite a bit of xmas gifts this year. Much of it is being made from yarn left over from other projects so it's not so bad.

But I forgot how much I LOVE to make baby clothes.........and baby dolls clothes are just as much fun, if not more so. So I've gone a tad nuts with Kayla and Aubrey. lol Both are getting baby dolls for xmas. I already have one sweater set for bitty baby done. I'll be making a bunting, a blanket, and a sweater outfit too. Kayla will have the same for her newborn size doll.

Then I got to thinking......... Neither girl has something to store their doll clothes and things in to keep them together and in nice shape. For the bitty baby we could always go online and buy the diaper bag set or something.....although it's a bit expensive. But that would still leave kayla out in the cold for her doll. So I thought on it while I was busy working on the first sweater set........ Because kayla really needs something to put her doll things into to keep them from getting lost or torn up by her brothers.

Now way back when Nichole got her Bitty baby you could buy the doll in a set with a wicker suitcase with layette items in it including pretend baby powder, lotion and such. It was adorable and Nichole LOVED it. She stored (and still does) her bitty baby items in the suitcase. No way can I afford to go out and find each of the girls something like that.....and I doubt I could find such a suitcase the right size.

Then it hit me. Why not make them a diaper bag, crocheted but just like real ones with the slots for baby bottles ect. Then I thought...........I've seen those inexpensive doll care sets at walmart and the like with the pretend baby powder, lotions ect in them. I could make the bags up and fill them each with one of those sets. It would be very similar to what Nichole got with her bitty baby.

I've already got a picture in my head of what how I'll do it and what the bag will look like. I'll write down the pattern as I make the first one to make certain they both turn out the same. I'm going after more yarn today and those baby care sets before they're gone.

I'm so excited I can't stand it. Oh, and it also solves a huge problem. With making the dolls clothes ect it was giving the girls waaaay too many gifts from Nana were I to give them individually. (I'm spoiling them rotten I know but it's so much fun) So it does help that quite a bit.

Yet if anyone has any ideas of something I can make for boys ranging from 9 yrs to 3 months I'm open, they all need 1 more made from Nana gift other than their hats, mittens, and scarfs. Can't do like blankets for them because they all already have them. And I don't have time to make them each sweaters..........which would just trigger the girls wanting to know why they didn't get sweaters............... LOL

Sigh. There is just so much more I can crochet out there for girls than boys. At least that I've found so far. So any ideas you come across would be much appreciated. I know Darrin is HUGE for Nana made stuff. He is such my boy. lol I have a feeling Alex and Evan will be the same way.........

 

[Mattsmom277]

What a great skill you have there! I've always wanted to learn how to crochet and all of our projects sound terrific. I think those bags will be awesome for the girls. I hope you post pics when you are finished the bags and the clothes. I'd love to see them!!

Trying to think of something for the boys and gosh boys are so different aren't they? How about a crocheted overnight bag? Perhaps in a dark navy blue or something? For them to bring when the come sleep at nana's house? You could maybe put a toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash and body puff (all from dollar store) inside. With room left over for them to pack pj's when they are coming over. Then all the kids get a crocheted bag of some type, just different fillings? They could even have the same pockets as the girls bags, but to put the toiletries in to keep the clothes they pack inside clean?

 

[susiestar]

How cute!!

Another idea to help keep a child's toys picked up is to decorate a suitcase. I did these for my kids years ago. I just got a used hard sided suitcase for about $2-$3 at a thrift store or yard sale and used a combination of acrylic paint, glitter, decoupage, etc... on them. I used cut outs from old calendars and magazines when they seemed to fit the child. I used plain old white glue (NOT school glue - either Elmer's type white glue or tacky craft glue. School glue does not have enough sticking power to work for this. You can thin the white/craft glue with a little water if needed) for the decoupage. When I put glitter on the suitcase I used white glue to seal it in. I used sealer from the area where those little 2 oz bottles of paint are sold at craft stores to do a coat or two over the top of everything.

My kids called them dress up suitcases and kept their costumes in them, but they might be very handy for your grands to keep toys and other possessions in. If nothing else they would be kept together in one place at your house for now.

I think the diaper bags are going to be awesome!! Times like this I wish I could crochet. I bet the girls enjoy them a lot!

 

[Hound dog]

Hmmm. That's a good idea! I could get travel size stuff for them.............................. Or hmmmm. A sitter bag? You know a bag the child takes to the daycare or sitter? They could put their favorite things in it to play with, a snuggly toy, some snacks maybe......... hmmmm Thinking the sitter bag might be good..........but need ideas what to put in it, what might be acceptable as my kids never went to a sitter......I had my own daycare. I had that idea pop in cuz Darrin always likes to take his toy soldiers and such with him.......... And easy child's kids go to the sitter. IF katie and M ever get a job she'd have a sitter................. Have to play with the sitter bag in my head some more..........not sure if it is feesable yet.