More years than not we are working right down to the wire on Clara’s homemade Christmas gift (as in, things are drying in the garage on Christmas Eve) – and this year was no exception! But the fun part about sharing them the week after we give them to her is that we get to include cute photos of her enjoying them… which is definitely our favorite part to witness. Introducing Clara’s new figurine cubby:
Girl loves it.
After racking our brain about what we could make her this year (a tool workshop? a fruit stand? a cardboard playhouse?) we decided that Clara still gets a lot of use from the larger things that we’ve already made her (like her play kitchen, her refrigerator, her dollhouse, and her train board – all of which are still out around the house). So we didn’t want to build another large floor-space-using thing since we don’t really have an obvious place to put it.
But there was a definite interest of hers that we knew we could address vertically (aka: on the wall). The girl loves little figures. Whether they’re small animals, tiny winged fairies, lego people, or even random items like ninja turtles and plastic dragons, the bean has a serious passion for those tiny knick-knacks and toys (our bare feet on the other hand, are not a fan).
So we thought a wall-hanging box with a bunch of cubbies for her little friends would be a fun spot for her to house them – and we even decided to personalize it with fabric from her photo project that she picked out beforehand (not knowing what it would be for). That way she’d have a hand in “customizing” her Christmas surprise.
We chose this spot on her wall below her blue clock since she already loves putting figures on the small ledge of the clock (although only about three of them can fit). We thought a 13″ x 17″ sized box would fit best under there, so we started by sketching a few shelf configurations.
At first we considered doing a slew of cubbies that were the same size (like this charming figurine shelf) but we also wanted to accommodate different sized toys. In the end, we thought a variety of cubby sizes would work nicely since Clara likes to group some of her figurines (like all of her peg princesses) while keeping others apart (in her words: “silly mommy, birds don’t play with dragons!”). So after landing on a final shelf plan, we started building.
Once we had a rough sense of dimensions, we bought a bunch of 1/2″ thick craft boards from Home Depot (totaling around $20, including extra for bad cuts) and John cut the top, bottom, and side pieces along with a variety of divider pieces for the interior.
You can see in the picture above that the outer frame pieces are semi-attached already. We did that using wood glue and some 1/2″ brad nails. To try to get the corner all square John held it against the corner of a box when nailing (which also helped brace them together while using the nail gun).
Before assembling anything else, we took a moment to bust out some toys from Clara’s collection to double-check our plans. You know, to make sure the sizing and spacing made sense. Aaaand it didn’t. Well, not totally. So we shifted things around a bit more and I ran into the garage and cut a few more pieces to make it work.
Once all the pieces were cut, we started building from the bottom up. Using a spacer that I had cut, we set the first row of vertical dividers in place with glue and nails (from the bottom). Then John put the first horizontal shelf on top and glue/nailed them from the top as well.
We let that dry overnight and then added the next row of shelving in the same way.
Once all of the insides had been attached, we finished off the frame by attaching the other L-shaped piece we had first constructed. Then John added a thin piece of leftover plywood as a back (cut to size on our table saw) with – you guessed it – glue and nails. It kinda felt like adding the cardboard back-pieces to Ikea bookcases.
Then it was just one coat of primer and two coats of Simply White paint in semi-gloss (which in retrospect would’ve been easier to do before attaching the back piece).
Once it was built, primed, and painted, it was onto the fun part. Asking Clara which fabrics she liked best. Turns out the girl is very decisive, and she landed on her favorite right away (“the one with the pink flamingos!”) and also pretty quickly pointed to five others, while dismissing a bunch of options with a “nope” or a “next!”
Then when she was all tucked into bed on Christmas Eve, I scurried to get the fabric in place. First by making little paper templates for the cubbies where I wanted to add fabric rectangles (I used them to cut the actual fabric nice and accurately). I didn’t want to add fabric to all of the cubbies for fear that it would look too crazy, so again I drew inspiration from this figurine shelf and did about 50% of them, while leaving the other half white.
I considered using starch to adhere the fabric, but then thought “can’t I just Mod Podge them?” A quick google search answered my question (“yes!”) and since I already had that on hand, it was nice and fast (without any last minute craft store runs). I used a small craft brush to paint the back of the cubby with the Mod Podge (not the fabric itself) and then I carefully placed the fabric right against the Mod Podged shelf-back and pressed it all so it was wrinkle free and stuck nicely in place. Thirty minutes later it was 100% dry and completely secure. So simple.
Clara was really excited to see her gift in the morning. Not only did she love that her little friends now have a place to call home, she also liked seeing the fabric that she remembered choosing the night before. I really do think kids get the biggest kick out of being a part of the process, especially in their room, so it was sweet to see her face light up and hear her say “You remembered my flamingos!”
We weren’t sure if she would actually play within the cubbies, or just use them as a home base for keeping things housed when she’s not actively using them, but it turns out she likes to do both. She plays “apartment” with them in their cubbies (apparently Ariel doesn’t mind sharing a room with a dragon) and she has also been pulling some (ok, all) of them out to play with them elsewhere, but has been awesome about bringing them back “home” when she’s done.
So that’s what we built, painted, and fabric-a-fied for Clara this Christmas. Our total was $20 since all we purchased was the wood for this project, but if you don’t already have things like wood glue, paint, or Mod Podge on hand it could run you around $5-20 more. Oh and to hang it we screwed two d-rings like this directly to the back of the cubby, and then hooked them over screws which we secured to the wall with anchors for a nice firm hold.
Did you guys make any homemade kid gifts? A few people have shared some amazing play kitchens with us in the last few days. Has it really been two years since we made Clara’s? Crazytown.
Psst- Wanna know where we got something in our house? Just click on this button:
Yara Ferrán says
Lovely creation!!
Happy new year!
xoxo
Mundo Deco
Kaesey says
Clever! I use letterpress boxes for tiny things but the compartments aren’t big enough for my girl’s figurines and critters. Your box is perfect, and the addition of a few fabric scraps is a great idea!
My down-to-the-wire gifts for my kids were quilts (http://kaesey.wordpress.com/2014/01/02/welcome-2014/). Very rewarding and cute, but now I’m ready to turn my attention back to my home for a day or two. New hall lighting, here I come!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Olivia says
Good idea! And a nice, fun way to keep the room decluttered and organized :)
Kathy says
HAHA yes! I thought while it is “unusual” for a kids Christmas gift, it will certainly help in teaching her to be a neatnick! Some husband some day will either love you or curse you. LOL It just brought me back to my own hubs who is the worlds hardest person to buy for, b/c he really hates practical gifts for Christmas (no clothes, no tools, allll fun). He says when he turned about 13, he was always disappointed in Christmas after that since he began to get clothes and school related items, and yes some organizational things. Anyway, I’m off track-it’s hubs fault, forgive me! ha. It IS a very cute gift, good work,Ps!
Rene @thedomesticlady says
So cute! I want one for grown up “toys.” :)
http://thedomesticlady.com/2013/09/13/retail-therapy-a-week-of-ikea-what-is-worth-buying-at-ikea/
Stephanie @ Housewife Mama says
Looks great guys! We took on a homemade felt board, chalk board and kitchen sink/stove top for our 2 girls. Of course our quality wasn’t as good as your but they like them. #DIYChristmas
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome Stephanie!
xo
s
Robin @ our semi organic life says
What an adorable gift!
Mary | Lemon Grove Blog says
The 6 year old in me is dying right now. I LOVED little things growing up, I even converted half of my room to “Little People Land”. Oh, the memories :D Great gift, I’m sure she’ll cherish it for many years to come.
Vanessa says
This is so cute and such a great idea for storage. My daughter loves little figurines too. I love the fabrics as well. Clara has great taste!
Manda Wolf says
Very cute! You are lucky she uses it… if you listen to the stories my parents tell I never put anything up when I was that age. And the way I fight myself to keep my house clean now, I may believe them.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny Manda! Clara definitely went through a “dump everything out” phase (with baskets of toys, books on shelves, etc) but for the last year or so she has been better about putting stuff back after playing with it – maybe because it’s like the chorus of a constant song in our house. Whenever she asks for something from the toy closet or to go do something else it’s like a reflex to say “did you clean up what you were just playing with?” Repetition, repetition, repetition!
xo
s
Sheila F says
Love it. I made something similar. (in the shape of a house) many years ago for my daughter’s porcelain animal collection. She is 24 years old now and it is still something that she treasures and is front and center in her bedroom. I am sure Clara will love hers for years to come also. (Who knows maybe she will fill it with small white ceramic animals! LOL)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, a mom can dream!
xo
s
Molls says
Very cute! I love how creative you guys are :)
Amy says
This is a great idea!! My 3 year old daughter just got the same set of princess figurines and the Ariel Duplo set for Christmas and it would be so cute to display them like this in her room! Better show this to my hubby! :)
Julia says
Adorable! Gotta love encouraging neat and tidy behavior!
Julia
of baker-builder
Nancy says
My kids are older now but in the past we made a large dollhouse similar to yours. Grandpa made my daughter a shelf like this but it had a slanted roof. My son got one shaped like a truck for all his hot wheels. Waiting patiently for the bottom cabinet reveal!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cool! We’re on the second coat of bottom cabinet staining right now (that stuff usually takes a week or so to prep/do/sand/do again/dry/rehang) so we’re hoping they’re all done and photographed for Monday morning’s post!
xo
s
Janice says
Job well done!!! I am constantly in awe of your creativity! Best wishes for a most fabulous 2014!! :)
Amy J. says
Are those Wizard of Oz figurines? Those are so cute! Where did you get them, if I may?
YoungHouseLove says
Those two at the end are little dolls from Target called LalaLoopsy dolls. They’re named Tinny and Pickles (and are completely Wizard of Oz slash Raggedy Ann-esque) and Clara loves them.
xo
s
Jenny says
I need something like this for my son’s skylanders. He has a ton and the container he puts them in ends up being emptied on the floor and he is not a fan of cleaning them up. :)
Michelle says
My 2 1/2 year old was on my lap when I read this post, and she ooh’ed and ahh’ed and then climbed down to tug on my hand, saying “let’s go get that for me!” She adores little figures too, so that might just be a great birthday present in March!
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet!
xo
s
Laura @ Rather Square says
Nice! I like the simplicity of this but the way you customized it too (and Clara with the fabric!). Practical too – a home for all her little friends. Looks like everyone is happy. :)
Wendy O. says
I dug out my sewing machine this year to make superhero capes for my two kids and my niece and nephew and found a superman font and downloaded it so I could personalize each cape with their initials. I still classify myself as a beginner sewer, so I was thrilled that I actually finished them.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet! I bet they love them!
xo
s
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
We didn’t make anything for our little girl for Christmas because I was still recoveRing from building her a dollhouse for her birthday back in November. It is so much fun making them special gifts like that. I love Clara’s Christmas present and the thoughtfulness you guys put into it. http://www.colortransformedfamily.com/2013/11/26/noahs-dollhouse-tour/
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet! I love that Krystle! The front is so intricate and I love the colors and the furniture inside too!
xo
s
Bethany Ann says
The dollhouse turned out so cute! I love the colors you chose for the front. I totally want to live in a brightly colored house like that! So fun!
Wendy @ New Moms Talk says
Yesterday I was looking at a Melissa and Doug house that we found at a thrift store for 25 cents and has been sitting in our garage for a bit. I was wondering what to do with it until I read this post.
I think the new game plan will be to turn it into a beach house to hold all of the treasures that Susanna collects there. We can have a rock room, a shell room, etc. Maybe… or maybe it will sit in the garage until she is old enough to give an opinion on it!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so much fun! I love that!
xo
s
Cate says
Happy new year.
Just popping in to say two things: You’ve got a funny sponsor link “New Testosterone Booster Takes GNC by Storm”, which I’m guessing is not your doing and second, you’re family is an inspiration to me. I started reading your blog a few months ago and now that I’m preggers and due in 6 weeks, I’m inspired to become a bit more handy/crafty.
In fact, while you were redoing your kitchen and making a doll shelf, we bought a carbide drill bit and installed a shower rod into tile over the holiday (whoooo!).
I’ll go back into your archives for Clara’s nursery. Baby is coming ~one week before new home is ready. Fun times since both dates are out of my control :) A bassinet on the floor will have to do for the first few weeks…
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Cate! That weird ad is definitely something we’d like to block, so we’ll look into that right now. And as for the kind words, thanks so much! And good luck with the baby on the way. So exciting!
xo
s
Stacie says
This is super cute, I’m going to have to keep this in mind for my little girl since we have just started with the “tiny toys”…
On another note…this might be the first time I’ve ever seen Clara wearing socks…haha!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, that’s a rare moment!
xo
s
Amy B. says
How thoughtful! It goes to show that meaningful doesn’t necessarily equal a lot of money spent. Our boys received two handmade gifts this year. We gave them an A-frame tent complete with floor pillows and books, and their Papa made them a learning tower using Ana White’s plans: http://ana-white.com/2010/12/helping-tower.html?page=2. By far, two of their favorites.
YoungHouseLove says
Those both sound so cool! What lucky boys!
xo
s
caseyj610 says
I love LOVE Clara’s deer jammies. Where did you get them?
YoungHouseLove says
Those were from Grammy, but I think she got them at Carter’s (or TJ Maxx, but they’re Carter’s brand).
xo
s
Crystal says
My daughter has those same deer pajamas and they were from Target last year (at least for us). Thankfully she’s gotten to wear them for two years now!
Alissa says
And conveniently located for her to pick out who gets to sleep upstairs in the clock each evening. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Exactly! That has been an every night (and sometimes there’s a morning change as well) routine!
xo
s
Reenie says
“You remembered my flamingos!” ~ ~ how sweet. So cute!!
:)
Emma says
Nice work! What happened to the part that used to hang down from the bottom of the clock?
YoungHouseLove says
Alas, that was a curtain-closing casualty one night in the dark (the whole clock jumped off the wall and that part broke). We’ve since added heavy duty 3M velcro to the back as well as the nail it hangs on, so there are no more nose-dives. We can add one back in down the line if we’d like, but so far Clara doesn’t miss it, and it meant we could hang the box-shelf under it a little closer, so that has worked out well so far.
xo
s
Anastasia says
Love this idea! Such a simple thing but kids certainly do love putting things in cubbies..
Have you seen the Pop! figures? They make them for tons of characters from TV and movies.. the cutest new collection is of Finding Nemo
http://www.funko.com/#/work/
YoungHouseLove says
Those are so much fun! That little square Nemo is adorable!
xo
s
.:karen:. says
Cute idea. And absolutely *love* those handmade Princess figures! Might have to find a way to create something like those myself! :) Cheers and happy 2014!
Elizabeth says
Very cute! I have been looking for something like this at thrift stores but it seems easy enough to make. Love the peg princesses- did you make them? Would like to make or purchase some for my girls.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we looked in thrift shops for things like those old letterpress boxes but they weren’t big enough for certain figures, so we decided to just build it so we could chose the cubby size. As for those peg princesses, my friend Heather made them for Clara. Aren’t they amazing? She doesn’t have an Etsy shop yet (just makes them for friends and family) but she’s so talented that I think she’ll start a shop in the new year!
xo
s
Hope says
One of my girls requested a “rainbow unicorn rocking horse”, & a ninja turtle rocking horse. Hmm. I managed to find a wooden rocking horse at an antique store that morphed into a unicorn. Not a rainbow unicorn, but a white one & I’ve agreed to let her paint until her hearts content all over the magical horse. She thinks he’s dreamy;)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet! No wonder she loves it!
xo
s
Johanna D says
So adorable! But after all of that all I can wonder was how you managed to even find PJ’s that matched the colors of the raindrops in her bedroom?!
YoungHouseLove says
That was all John’s mom! They’re by Carters and when she saw them she said “Clara’s colors!” and grabbed them for her. So sweet, right?
xo
s
Lisa@Double Door Ranch says
So sweet!! I DIY-ed a present for my mom this year using my Kreg Jig (its inaugural project). And I’m hoping to keep making more and selling them!
YoungHouseLove says
Congrats Lisa! That’s awesome!
xo
s
stephanie, sandpaper and glue says
I made a play fridge for my nephew’s birthday, and added a kitchen area to it for Christmas. :) Stainless steel mixing bowl for the sink, a faucet from our old bathroom, and a kitchen cabinet base. Then I got his grandparents to buy him all the pots and pans he needs as their Christmas gift to him.
Love the cubbies!! It’s like a tiny little Ikea Expedit. lol
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome Stephanie! Hold cow, I bet he loves it!
xo
s
Sarah says
Just a little typo
…She plays “apartment” with them in their cubbies (apparently Ariel doesn’t mind sharing a roof with a dragon)… should be sharing a room :)
Love it!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sarah! All fixed!
xo
s
Plein Jane says
Also, it should be “wracking our brains” — with a “w”.
Cute project!
YoungHouseLove says
I thought that too, but then I googled and it said it should be racking! http://www.dailywritingtips.com/wracking-or-racking-your-brain/
xo
s
Cate says
Just the r for racking is correct ????
YoungHouseLove says
I had a w in there, but then I googled it and Dr Google said just the r was correct. Who knew?! http://www.dailywritingtips.com/wracking-or-racking-your-brain/
xo
s
Emily says
So funny! My daughter got a very similar gift from Santa. She loves it as well! (We painted a doll house shaped shelf for her figures that we found at an antique store.)
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet!
xo
s
Chris says
I was trying to guess what you made for Clara, but i was wrong. I thought John was going to make some sort of crib for Capt. Barnicle. This is really cute I love that the princess now have an apartment. So cute!
Mariecel says
Love it! So cute. Because of you guys, I’m so inspired to do “handmade” gifts for my coming little one!
-Mariecel, DC Twilight girl
Dana@chocolateandsunshine says
I love that she receives a homemade gift each Christmas. My kids are older- 13 and 27 and you can still do homemade gifts when they are older, i.e. photo books, personalized ornaments, etc. Also, she will probably develop a collection of something as she grows so it’s easy to personalize that, too. Even if you buy something, you can add an engraved silver plate to it from Things Remembered. You could do that to this shelf, too, so she remembers when she got it.
You are sweet and lovely parents! Happy New Year.
Dana
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Dana! I love that idea.
xo
s
Kimberly | Turning It Home says
That is so cute! So clever that it teaches her to put things away while still being fun for Clara! I actually found a vintage cubby shelf for my son’s ever-growing-and-always-in-the-mouth-of-my-baby rock collection which helps in the choking department.
I didn’t DIY anything for my children this year but I did semi-hand make something for my niece (http://www.turningithome.com/2013/12/diy-colorblock-instruments.html) and convinced my dad to cut 100 building blocks out of 2×2’s for my kiddos. They are definitely a hit.
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! And the building blocks sound like a total win! Clara would love those too!
xo
s
Julianne says
How fun! You guys are so creative…it looks so fresh & colourful. Perfect for a special little lady’s room! :O)
Alli says
Sooooo cute! Where are the Wizard of Oz figurines from?! Love them!
Alli says
^^ just saw the answer in another comment!
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
Your homemade gifts are so precious! I love it! She seems to be so good at taking care of things carefully!
Andrea says
So cute, love that you guys make her a gift evry year. What awesome tradition,
Kathy A says
Thanks for another great idea! My husband and I made our granddaughter a kitchen for her birthday (using your plans) and a fridge for Christmas. I think we are going to tackle the dollhouse next Christmas. I really love this cubby too!
Allyson says
I thought maybe you were going to redo Clara’s closet for her gift this year but this is cute too. Nothing beats a well loved and functional gift! I hope the bun gave you the gift of no more puking Sherry!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Allyson! I’m still at it, but I like to laugh that I can now be sick as gracefully as possible. I’ve had some good practice… haha!
xo
s
Isabel says
Happy New Year! So cute! I was very eager to see what you guys came up with this year :) If Clara’s love of small figures and dolls continues, a doll house may be in your future? You know, if the “apartment complex” gets too crowded :) I made the globe trotting globes for my sisters and they were very well received. I even did the glass etching on one of them but curved glass = super hard glass etching so after 2 failed attempts before succeeding, I declared the etched one a one-time limited edition globe. The best part was when my sister realized that the sand was the same she’s kept in Corona bottles for years (fancy, I know!), which she hadn’t noticed were missing since Thanksgiving. I also made a couple for me in the process and have to say the hubs and I absolutely love them :) I didn’t write on them though, instead I dug into my immense pile of scrapbook letters and used those with some Mod Podge to keep them from falling off. So far, so good!
P.S. Loved your 20 faves and I may be a nerd too, but I loved the “single” you made. I first saw it in the summer and you had me fooled the entire time!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Isabel! We actually made her a dollhouse for her birthday a little while back and she loves it! Olivia the pig and her family live in there… but now we have a spot for lego guys and little dolls and animals, etc. As for the globe trotting globes, those sound awesome! And I love the Mod Podge idea!
xo
s
Isabel says
I realized that when I took a second look at the pics. She’s got very lucky dolls and figurines, I can picture them fighting over the rooms when no one’s home a la Toy Story. Hmmm, wonder if they go around the house to looking at the work you guys are doing and take notes. Maybe they’re secretly pining for the raindrops and canopy in their own tiny rooms… Ok, back to work now!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s