Welcome to a place where we can share ideas about grandparenting, especially ways to pass spiritual values and family stories to the next generation.

Mary is the co-author of The Grandparent Connection: 365 Ways to Connect With Your Grandchild's Heart.
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Co-author of The Grandparent Connection: 365 Ways to Connect With Your Grandchild's Heart

Friday, July 22, 2011

Paper dolls and felt kits


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Friday's Grand Connection Fun
by Mary May Larmoyeux

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite things to do was play with paper dolls at my grandmother’s house. She would roll out big sheets of brown paper and encourage me to design a special house for the dolls.

My Nana would give me a Sears Catalog and a pair of scissors. I would cut out furniture and decorations for the paper house, and would glue the items in place on the brown paper. I remember this as being so much fun!

Today, we can buy paper dolls at specialty toy stores or print off online patterns. If you google “paper dolls” you’ll be amazed at all of the available links such as this one: http://familycrafts.about.com/od/paperdolls/tp/paperdolls.htm

Even though they don’t print the huge Sears Catalog anymore, the Sunday papers are filled with furniture store inserts that could be transformed into a child’s imaginary house on large sheets of white or brown paper or cardboard.

Another idea is purchasing a felt kit for the grands. We can find some wonderful ones at http://www.thefeltsource.com/ (dollhouse flannel board scenes, flannel board dolls, and kits such as “Trucks, and Trains, and Planes”).

For our older grandchildren, we can help them show younger brothers and sisters (or younger neighbors, cousins, etc.) how to make a paper doll house or play with a felt kit.

Did you ever play with paper dolls or make them for your grandkids? Have you played with a grad using a flannel board kit?

Have a great weekend,
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux

Article and photo © by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

We spent hours and hours cutting out paper doll dresses with the little fold overs. Brings back memories. Love, Rita

Mary May Larmoyeux said...

Rita, what you said about cutting paper doll dresses makes me remember those paper doll "chains" that we used to cut out. The ones where the figures held hands. Paper dolls are sure inexpensive fun.

Anonymous said...

The paper doll idea is great! I passed it on to my neighbor whose grandchildren who are visiting from Dallas. - R

Anonymous said...

We spent hours playing paper dolls. When my sisters and I received a two story doll house for Christmas, Mama got old wallpaper sample books for us to decorate the doll house. Each room had different wallpaper. She then got old McCall pattern books and we cut paper dolls and dresses out of the pattern book, always remembering to add the fold to bend over the paper doll’s shoulders and waistline. Memories of an innocent and creative world. Blessings, Rita