felt playhouse Q&A (and a mailbox template)
I am overwhelmed by the response I'm getting from the playhouse. Thank you so much! I am really pleased with how it turned out, and it is always fun when other people love it, too. So thanks again!
Here's one last template. Everything else on the playhouse is either a really basic shape that should be easy for you to cut on your own, or is just too big to do a template for.
I've been getting tons of the same questions in the comments. Rather than make you read through them all, I thought I'd round them all up in a post.
1. Did you think of this idea yourself? No way! I'm not quite that clever. The first fabric playhouse I ever saw was on Nothing Fancy, who made the sweetest little playhouse out of a duvet cover and twin sheet set. Then I saw an awesome playhouse at This and That, which won me over big time because it is full of cuteness on the inside too (I so did not take the time to line mine and decorate the inside ... but I do have some future plans). This and That's SIL, Sew Much Ado, also made a fun all-boy playhouse (with a tutorial!) and linked over to Imaginative Play Toys on Etsy. That's when I knew, I wanted to make an all-felt house. So, no - the felt playhouse itself was not my idea, but I think all of the decorations and embellishments are pretty unique. I tried to make it one of a kind.
2. How do you hang it/make it stand up? The playhouse is essentially a slipcover made to fit my kitchen table. Kind of like a tablecloth with sides? The top is a big rectangle of felt. I sewed the side pieces to the top piece, and then I sewed the side edges together. Presto-chango-playhouse!
3. What are the playhouse's dimensions? It is 48 inches wide, 30 inches tall and 36 inches deep. When I was cutting my side pieces I added an inch to all of the dimensions for seam allowance. However, this is made to fit my kitchen table. So whether you are making a playhouse to fit your own kitchen table, a folding card table, or a stand you make yourself, please use your own measurements!
4. Where did you buy your felt? How much felt do you need to make it? How much did it cost? What exactly did you order (colors and amounts)? I bought my felt by the yard at Fabric.com. Here is my exact order: 3.5 yards Rainbow Felt Peacock, 1.5 yards Rainbow Felt White, 1 yard Rainbow Felt Orange, .5 yard Rainbow Felt Walnut Brown, .5 yard Rainbow Felt Yellow, .5 yard Rainbow Felt Cashmere Tan. I have a mountain of leftover felt, so you really don't need this much. But I don't mind, because I LOVE having lots of felt on hand. I know I reference Fabric.com a lot around here, but I've just had a great experience with them. They have free shipping for orders over $35, and there is usually a coupon code floating around the internet. In my felt order the accidentally forgot to include the white felt, so they over-nighted the missing fabric. Now that's what I call service! (and no, I am not affilliated with fabric.com in any way). My order, taking advantage of a coupon code and free shipping, only cost $26.
5. Why did you use felt, as opposed to cotton or another fabric? I wanted my entire playhouse to be made out of the same material. And I didn't want to spend forever finishing seams or appliqueing on details. Felt was a good choice for me because I didn't have to finish any seams (yay!) and I could just sew (not applique) all the decorations directly to the playhouse walls. Felt is not the best choice if you expect to wash your playhouse frequently.
6. Do you sell these? A big no to this one. I'm not going to lie ... this project was a ton of work. Unless someone I love very much asks me to make one for them, I don't see this being a repeat project for me. Good news is, you can get a beautiful custom playhouse at Imaginative Play Toys (an etsy shop). She makes over two dozen different designs!
7. Was it hard to sew together (since it is so large)? It really wasn't very hard to sew together, despite all that fabric. As long as you add all of your embellishments before sewing the sides together, you should be fine. I added mesh to the window panes after it was all put together, and that was a serious pain in the neck. Embellish first, assemble second!
Great ideas that came through the comments:
From Prairie Girl - "Wouldn't it be cute to make velcro Christmas lights to "hang" around the roof or on the tree. Or how about a snowman to "build" on the side of the house." Yes, velcro Christmas lights are about the cutest thing I've ever heard of.
Someone else suggested (and I can't remember who - I couldn't find the comment. sorry!) that I could build a frame for the house using PVC pipe. Great idea! This is definitely something to consider when we get a different kitchen table.
Here's one last template. Everything else on the playhouse is either a really basic shape that should be easy for you to cut on your own, or is just too big to do a template for.
1. Did you think of this idea yourself? No way! I'm not quite that clever. The first fabric playhouse I ever saw was on Nothing Fancy, who made the sweetest little playhouse out of a duvet cover and twin sheet set. Then I saw an awesome playhouse at This and That, which won me over big time because it is full of cuteness on the inside too (I so did not take the time to line mine and decorate the inside ... but I do have some future plans). This and That's SIL, Sew Much Ado, also made a fun all-boy playhouse (with a tutorial!) and linked over to Imaginative Play Toys on Etsy. That's when I knew, I wanted to make an all-felt house. So, no - the felt playhouse itself was not my idea, but I think all of the decorations and embellishments are pretty unique. I tried to make it one of a kind.
2. How do you hang it/make it stand up? The playhouse is essentially a slipcover made to fit my kitchen table. Kind of like a tablecloth with sides? The top is a big rectangle of felt. I sewed the side pieces to the top piece, and then I sewed the side edges together. Presto-chango-playhouse!
3. What are the playhouse's dimensions? It is 48 inches wide, 30 inches tall and 36 inches deep. When I was cutting my side pieces I added an inch to all of the dimensions for seam allowance. However, this is made to fit my kitchen table. So whether you are making a playhouse to fit your own kitchen table, a folding card table, or a stand you make yourself, please use your own measurements!
4. Where did you buy your felt? How much felt do you need to make it? How much did it cost? What exactly did you order (colors and amounts)? I bought my felt by the yard at Fabric.com. Here is my exact order: 3.5 yards Rainbow Felt Peacock, 1.5 yards Rainbow Felt White, 1 yard Rainbow Felt Orange, .5 yard Rainbow Felt Walnut Brown, .5 yard Rainbow Felt Yellow, .5 yard Rainbow Felt Cashmere Tan. I have a mountain of leftover felt, so you really don't need this much. But I don't mind, because I LOVE having lots of felt on hand. I know I reference Fabric.com a lot around here, but I've just had a great experience with them. They have free shipping for orders over $35, and there is usually a coupon code floating around the internet. In my felt order the accidentally forgot to include the white felt, so they over-nighted the missing fabric. Now that's what I call service! (and no, I am not affilliated with fabric.com in any way). My order, taking advantage of a coupon code and free shipping, only cost $26.
5. Why did you use felt, as opposed to cotton or another fabric? I wanted my entire playhouse to be made out of the same material. And I didn't want to spend forever finishing seams or appliqueing on details. Felt was a good choice for me because I didn't have to finish any seams (yay!) and I could just sew (not applique) all the decorations directly to the playhouse walls. Felt is not the best choice if you expect to wash your playhouse frequently.
6. Do you sell these? A big no to this one. I'm not going to lie ... this project was a ton of work. Unless someone I love very much asks me to make one for them, I don't see this being a repeat project for me. Good news is, you can get a beautiful custom playhouse at Imaginative Play Toys (an etsy shop). She makes over two dozen different designs!
7. Was it hard to sew together (since it is so large)? It really wasn't very hard to sew together, despite all that fabric. As long as you add all of your embellishments before sewing the sides together, you should be fine. I added mesh to the window panes after it was all put together, and that was a serious pain in the neck. Embellish first, assemble second!
Great ideas that came through the comments:
From Prairie Girl - "Wouldn't it be cute to make velcro Christmas lights to "hang" around the roof or on the tree. Or how about a snowman to "build" on the side of the house." Yes, velcro Christmas lights are about the cutest thing I've ever heard of.
Someone else suggested (and I can't remember who - I couldn't find the comment. sorry!) that I could build a frame for the house using PVC pipe. Great idea! This is definitely something to consider when we get a different kitchen table.
