A Castle Fit for Little Kings

Christy Baby, Needlecrafts, Sewing 10 Comments

It’s official. I won the second round of SYTYC! What an honor! Thank you everyone for your votes. There were so many great crafts this round. (I totally think Amelia’s Robot Pinata got robbed. So cute.) I’m thrilled that so many people liked mine. Keep your eyes out for the tutorial which will go up here and on SYTYC next week!

I have to be honest, this week’s theme had me stumped. I don’t have a lot of boys in my life to craft for, so I had no idea where to start. Finally, after several friends with boys told me they had trouble finding “make-believe” type toys that appealed to their sons, an idea started to take shape.

I thought back to when I was a child, and my brothers were constantly making blanket forts and club houses. We don’t have a lot of space in our house for club houses, but I realized we do have one space that’s completely useless to anyone over, say 3 feet tall. And that’s how I decided to turn the space under the dining room table into the ultimate blanket fort.

It’s not actually made of blankets. I used felt because it’s inexpensive and fairly sturdy. It’s also a bit of a pain to sew with; if I were to do this again I might sacrifice some structure for a fabric that doesn’t stick to itself quite so easily.

The castle design is delightfully versatile. Inside, children can be knights fighting off fire-breathing dragons, young wizards studying at Hogwarts, or kings of the realm. Heck, even girls can enjoy playing perfectly capable damsels who aren’t in the least bit of distress. I kindof wish our table was taller so I could fit in there. (This is where I confess that I totally made a castle because I knew it would appeal equally to my girl. I like to err on the side of gender-neutral as much as possible.)

Favorite details: I outlined the battlements with a paint pen to make them pop against the rest of the castle. I also cut them slightly uneven to give the castle a more whimsical look. The “bolts” on the door are dots of velcro, which match up to a strip sewn to the inside so it can stay open. The windows mark the validation of years worth of hoarding saving. I always keep that clear plastic packaging that bedding and curtains are sold in, thinking someday it will come in handy. And I was finally right!

When not in use, it folds down to about the size of a table cloth and can be easily tucked away in the linen closet. However, I don’t forsee it spending a lot of time in there.