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Ideas For DIY

Book Review and Giveaway: Woodland Style

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You’ll find this fabulous fern kitchen backsplash is featured in the delicious book, Woodland Style: Ideas and Projects for Bringing Foraged and Found Elements Into Your Home. It is chock full of fabulous ideas for your home using responsibly collected bits of nature. It doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment in the middle of the city, or in a rustic cabin on the side of a mountain, your home can be accented with touches of the great outdoors.

Artist and author Marlene Hurley Marshall shares numerous projects using pine cones, tree bark, acorns, twigs, moss, and river rocks, and shows you how to turn them into everything from a miniature terrarium to functional pieces of furniture. This bark vase is a prime example of how she brings the lusciousness of the outdoors onto your patio or inside to your living room table.

Photographer Sabine Vollmer von Falken captures the combination of nature’s beauty and Marlene’s creative talent and turns them into pure eye candy. The photographs in this book are breathtaking and show us projects as simple as an acorn wreath and as unusual as a moss covered garden table.

Marlene also shares the work of other artists and sculptures. Sharing images and stories of fairy-tale fortresses made from twisted twigs and branches and the awesomeness of tree sculpting, where a tree is formed as it grows into a work of art.

After perusing this book, I challenge you to look at nature in the same light as you did previously. Let Marlene introduce you to the beauty of outdoors in your home.

The Giveaway

I’m jealous. I don’t want to give this book away, I want to keep it all to myself! 🙂 But alas, one of you lucky, lucky Craft Gossip readers will win this. I’m green with envy and think I’ll have to buy this book for myself.

To qualify to win this lovely book, you must:

1) Have a U.S. shipping address (even if you live elsewhere, we must be able to ship to the United States)

2) Leave a comment below stating what type of project you have made or would like to make using nature

You may earn additional entries by doing the following (if you already do one or all of these, just state that in the comments):

EACH one of these counts as 1 additional entry, but you must leave a SEPARATE comment for each one

1) become a fan on Facebook
2) Follow Craft Gossip on Twitter
3) Become a Craft Gossip newsletter subscriber
4) display one of our buttons on your blog sidebar and link it to either the CG homepage (http://craftgossip.com/) or the CG H&G channel (http://homeandgarden.craftgossip.com/) – you can get a button here

The giveaway runs through August 31st at midnight CST. Winners will be chosen at random through Random.org

I couldn’t resist. Here’s one more piece of eye candy for you. Naturally dyed wool…

GOOD LUCK!

Comments

  1. Hi,
    I truly ENJOY this website and share it with as many people as I can… I’ve recently been INSPIRED to create a “botanical wall” in my sunroom… I had basic ideas in mind, but this site continues to give me even more. I have no idea what I’ll end up with, but I’m fairly certain that it will be FANTASTIC, thanks to all of the ideas here.
    THANK YOU for all that you do and share!
    Kim

  3. I have made christmas ornament wreaths from mini pinecones, twig frames, pine candle rings, dried queen anne’s lace “snowflakes”and framed botanicals. I need inspiration!

  5. What a fabulous and lovely book! I could draw a lot of inspiration from it. I have a leaf casting that I made from my Elephant Ear
    Plant that I use to water the wildlife in our
    yard. Many thanks, Cindi

  9. I made a fairy house out of sticks and old wood for my grand daughter. She still asks if the fairies have returned to their house.
    This book looks great!

  10. In grade school we all collected twigs &/or branches & placed the end into a empty wooden sewing spool that we painted. We then cut small rectangles out of colored tissue paper & gathered them into little flowers & glued them onto the branches-very pretty! I have never forgotten this or the extraordinary art teacher I had!

  14. hi, i think the majority of our home and yard are decorated inspired by nature. From arbors and wreaths made from items found outside … our home reflects the area(s) we have lived. While living in hawaii we collected sea glass and shells, in wa state large pine cones, in new england items impressed with ferns, queen annes lace etc. It puts us at ease and reminds us of the varied places beauty we have enjoyed.

  18. I have always loved using found objects. When I was a child in New York the leaves, pine cones and acorns were my favorite. Now on Miami Beach, shells, sand and many other found items from the beach find their way in the decor of my cottage. The print of the fern is ingenious and I want to include it, too. I would love this book so I can get more ideas for fun things to make. Thanks for your wonderful newsletter that I find each morning when I get up. Keep up the good work, Laura

  19. I love using rocks and plant imprints in cement when I am making stepping stones for the garden and yard area. I have also used branches to make hangers for some of my stitched bell pulls.

  20. I’ve loved incorporating nature in to my home for years…..possibly even before it was “cool”! My husband still lovingly teases me about the year I decided to use small birch trees cut down from our yard as curtain rods. Unfortunately, the cat decided to fine tune his acrobatic skills by continually walking the length of the tree/curtain rod and quickly shredded any curtain that I put up!

  21. This looks like a great book and I am sure it would inspire me. I love picking “roadside abundia” (flowers and weeds in the ditches by my house) and making fresh and dried arangements.

  22. I love nature. In summer I’m always in my backyard. I work with herbs: lavender, rosemary, thym… I would love winning this book. thank you.

  23. As a kid, I used to make those little solar cards where you take leaves and put them on a piece of paper in the sunlight, and then an image develops. I would love to try something more sophisticated!

  24. this book looks like so much fun! i’ve been trying to pull off a bit of cottage garden theme and not quite getting enough of the outside in. the bark vase is just what i need to make this one tablescape work and this book looks like just what I need for help with the rest. i’d certainly love to win, thanks for the opportunity.

  25. I have made many pictures and cards with pressed flowers and leaves from around my property. Also wreaths made from hickory nut hulls and acorns.

  30. I love having nature in my house. I have plants every where. I love fern prints and have some printed on canvas paper. This book would give me so many other great ideas to bring the outside inside!

  31. I would love to have this book for inspiration! I’m constantly bringing nature home – I’ve been doing a lot of dyeing wool with plant materials, and this summer I built an arbor for our hops vines from logs that washed up during high water along the creek opposite our house. My family gets involved, too – we can’t go out in the woods without bringing home a special rock.

  34. I can’t bear to walk through the woods without gathering something of natures wonderful gifts. I collect pine cones (which I havenðt done anything with) and lots of plants which I either dry or put in oil and then use them in soaps and creams. My largest gathering involved large logs that I wanted to make into a bench.
    The book looks very interesting.

  35. The Boy and I recently made a mobile using his “nature collection” which included feathers, pinecones, and acorns.

  39. Nature inspires all my decorating and color choices. When my son was younger we made a bunch of stepping stones with leaves and other items in them and when the leaves are removed it looks like a fossil. Good memories.

  40. Wow, I love it! Definitely want to try that backsplash. Thanks for the opportunity to win. I’m a newsletter subscriber.

  41. My daughter is always making things with nature. She loves to use rocks to make little figures and flowers to decorate.

  44. I already have the book but wanted share anyway…This book is an amazingly crafted guide through some of the most spectacular “natural wonders” fostered by a true artist. Marlene Marshall so gracefully encourages all of her readers to truly look closely just outside their door – there is art to be had! The other artists and their works included in the book just compound the inspiration that art is not just created – it is sometime wrestled with, dug up, turned over and “ruined” by the elements. Each one of the projects encouraged by this author offers everyone a chance to feel the excitement that working with natural components brings. Rather than feeling like we can tame nature, she urges us to join in its wild dance!

  46. I have made pounded flower pictures. They turned out rather neat. Took me awhile to get the hang of it but I started to get rather good at pansies.

  49. I would love this book, I make and teach classes on leaf castings using leaves from my gardens. A very popular class!

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Handmade Pretend Play Food Ideas For Kids’ Kitchens, Classrooms And Crafty Grandparents

There is something ridiculously sweet about handmade pretend play food. Maybe it is the tiny felt pancakes with pretend syrup, or the little crochet strawberries that somehow make a toy kitchen feel like a five-star café. Whatever it is, pretend play food has that lovely mix of nostalgia, creativity, and practical play value that makes it a winner for parents, teachers, grandparents, and anyone who has ever looked at a pile of felt scraps and thought, “I could make something cute with that.”

I have always loved crafts that do more than just sit on a shelf looking pretty. Felt food, crochet play food, and DIY toy kitchen pieces are the sort of projects that get used again and again. They become part of café games, teddy bear picnics, classroom market stalls, homeschool lessons, pretend restaurants, and rainy-day play corners. And unlike plastic play food, handmade pretend food can be made in exactly the colours, sizes, and styles you want. You can stitch up a healthy salad, a plate of pancakes, a bag of chips, or even a sushi platter without having to explain to anyone why your craft room now looks like a miniature supermarket exploded.

These pretend play food ideas are especially lovely for preschool dramatic play, classroom role-play areas, therapy craft sessions, and handmade gifts for younger children. Many of them are simple enough for confident beginners, and several are perfect stash-busting projects if you have felt sheets, odd yarn balls, embroidery thread, buttons, beads, or batting tucked away in one of those “I’ll use it one day” containers. No judgement here. I have several.

Below you will find a mix of CraftBits pretend food tutorials, CraftGossip play food inspiration, and a few extra handmade food projects from around the web. Think felt food patterns, crochet play food, toy kitchen accessories, pretend café props, and soft handmade pieces that little hands can use over and over again.

Felt And Crochet Pretend Play Food Projects To Make

Felt Food Pretend Play Pancakes – CraftBits
 These felt pancakes are such a classic pretend breakfast idea, complete with butter and syrup details. They are perfect for a play kitchen, classroom breakfast station, or a handmade gift basket for a child who loves cooking games. I especially like that they are soft, simple, and easy to stack, because children do love piling things dramatically onto tiny plates.

Felt Food Pop Tarts – CraftBits
 These felt Pop Tarts are a sweet little project for pretend bakeries, café play, and classroom dramatic play corners. You can make them in pink strawberry, chocolate, blueberry, or birthday cake colours, then add stitched sprinkles for a safer finish with younger children. They are also a great beginner sewing project because the shapes are nice and simple.

Pretend Play Felt Salad – CraftBits
 This felt salad idea is wonderfully open-ended, which makes it perfect for classrooms and homeschool activities. Children can mix lettuce, tomatoes, capsicum, mushrooms, cheese, croutons, and all sorts of pretend toppings while learning about food groups and colours. It is also a clever way to use up small felt scraps that are too good to throw away but too tiny for bigger projects.

Felt Food Bag Of Chips – CraftBits
 This one is a fun addition to a pretend picnic, play shop, or toy lunchbox setup. The little felt chips and Velcro-style bag make it feel interactive, which is always a bonus when you are crafting for children who like opening, closing, sorting, and serving. It is a cheeky little project and would be adorable alongside pretend sandwiches or burgers.

Tea Bag Made Of Felt – CraftBits
 A felt tea bag is such a charming addition to a pretend café, afternoon tea tray, or doll tea party. This is a lovely low-cost project, and you could easily make a whole set with different coloured tags for pretend herbal teas. I can just imagine a child carefully serving tea to a row of dolls while taking the whole thing very seriously.

Strawberry Crochet Pattern – CraftBits
 These crochet strawberries are perfect for pretend fruit baskets, market stall play, or adding to a handmade picnic set. They are small enough to use up leftover yarn and cute enough to become appliques, keychains, or decorations as well. Make a handful in different reds and pinks and suddenly you have a whole punnet of handmade play food.

Sushi Free Crochet Pattern – CraftBits
 Crochet sushi is one of those pretend play food ideas that feels a little unexpected and very fun. It is a great project for children who enjoy restaurant play or pretend takeaway counters, and it adds a nice bit of variety beyond the usual cakes and sandwiches. This would make a brilliant handmade gift for a child with a toy kitchen that already has the basics.

Sew A Felt Food Picnic Set – CraftGossip
 A felt picnic set is such a practical handmade play idea because it can be packed into a basket, taken to the lounge room, or used for pretend outdoor adventures. This CraftGossip feature is perfect for anyone wanting to make a full little set rather than just one food item. It would also be gorgeous as a birthday gift with a small gingham cloth and a few toy plates.

Pretend Play Spaghetti And Meatballs – CraftGossip
 Pretend spaghetti is wonderfully silly in the best possible way. The felt noodles make this project quick, tactile, and very appealing for little chefs who like stirring and serving meals. It is also a great project for using up long strips of yellow felt that might otherwise end up in the scrap bin.

30+ Pizza Crafts And Activities – CraftGossip
 Pizza is always a winner for pretend play because children can build, sort, count, and customise their own toppings. This CraftGossip roundup leans beautifully into pizza-themed crafts and activities, making it handy for classrooms, food units, Italy-themed lessons, or pizza party play. A felt pizza station is one of those projects that children keep coming back to.

16 Free Felt Vegetable Patterns And Sewing Tutorials – The Yellow Birdhouse
 This is a lovely resource if you want to build out the healthy side of a pretend play food collection. Felt vegetables are great for market stalls, toy kitchens, and food sorting games, and they are also a good way to teach children the names and colours of different produce. A basket of handmade veggies always feels wholesome, doesn’t it?

DIY Felt Play Food Burger And Fries – VELCRO Brand
 A felt burger and fries set is perfect for pretend cafés, BBQ play, and restaurant role-play. The separate burger pieces make it especially good for stacking and order-taking games, which children seem to love endlessly. This is a fun one if you want a project that feels playful and familiar.

DIY Felt Play Food – Crafting Cheerfully
 This felt play food collection is full of everyday kitchen staples like fruit, vegetables, and bread. It is the sort of project that could grow slowly over time as you add one or two pieces each weekend. I like projects like this because they do not need to be made all at once; the collection can build as your felt stash allows.

Felt Play Food Tutorials – AppleGreen Cottage
 This roundup-style resource includes several free felt play food ideas, especially fruit and vegetable pieces. It is a handy one for beginners who want approachable handmade toy food without getting too fiddly. These smaller felt food pieces would be lovely in a toy grocery basket or pretend lunchbox.

Play Food Knitting And Crochet Patterns – DROPS Design
 For knitters and crocheters, this play food pattern collection is a treasure trove of soft toy food ideas. You will find fruits, vegetables, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, sushi, and more, which makes it a good stop if you prefer yarn over felt. These projects are also lovely for using up little leftovers from bigger crochet and knitting projects.

Tips For Making Pretend Play Food Last Longer

When making handmade pretend play food for younger children, keep safety in mind. Avoid loose beads, tiny buttons, or glued-on decorations if the pieces will be used by toddlers or in a busy classroom. Stitched details are usually the safest and strongest choice.

Felt is lovely because it does not fray, cuts cleanly, and is forgiving if your stitching is not perfect. Crochet play food is wonderful because it is soft, washable when made carefully, and has that squishy handmade charm children love. Store finished pretend food in baskets, small fabric bags, toy crates, or thrifted trays so children can easily set up their own café, shop, picnic, or kitchen.

Handmade pretend play food is one of those crafts that quietly earns its keep. It encourages imaginative play, fine motor skills, sorting, counting, storytelling, and social play, all while giving us grown-ups a very good excuse to sit with a cup of tea and stitch tiny pancakes. Honestly, there are worse ways to spend an afternoon.