Tortoises and Mermaids

I have been doing a rather mish mash of crafts lately...a combination of birthday gifts and fairy things.

April is a busy month for family birthdays so I have to get myself organised fairly early on.
There`s a bit of a mermaid theme going on.
I experimented with these and was pleased with the results.

 Here is the pattern I drew for the tails.

My next project is a mermaid crown, but it needs a bit of thinking through before I start. I do have some lovely shells to choose from.
These felt fairies are Waldorf style.

My friend gave me a fairy t.shirt.
I turned it into a cushion cover and added some home-made tassels.

More sock horses.

Pompom tassel keyrings or bag decorations.

Crochet octopi.

Bean bags filled with dried peas.

 

Last year, for my great nephew, I filled a leg of some old tights with grass seeded soil and turned it into a caterpillar.

This year I asked if he wanted another one and he said could he please have a tortoise/turtle.

I had a go.

This is how I did it.

One up-turned hyacinth bowl in a round plant tray.

Covered with a layer of upside-down turf,

sprinkled with grass seed.

From old tights I made a head, legs and a tail which I sewed to a thick fabric base.

The bowl was placed on top.

And eyes glued on.

Then I covered it with a fruit net bag.

Here is Aiden with his tortoise.

He is 8 years old today.

I will try to add pictures of the tortoise when the grass starts to grow.

And here is the birthday cake his mum made for him.

Yes he loves tortoises.