29th May 2013
BoyCraft – make a lego playmat
Bag O Bricks….. or cars… or dinosaurs
[nggallery id=15]
Imagine all the Lego spread out over the floor so you can find exactly the brick you need – even the little see-through circle things and the laser guns and Indiana Jone’s whip. Now pretend you could scoop up the floor, together with the bricks, hang it on the back of the door ready until the next time. Well, “Bag ‘o’ Bricks” does just that – one tug of the cord and the whole mat turns into a bag. You can also draw roads on it and use it for cars, and make another one for animals or dinosaurs. You can add rivers or different areas by sewing or drawing onto the mat – whatever you like.
You will need:
Fabric – either calico – which needs to be machine-hemmed or – if you’re sewing by hand a non-frayable material like felt. You need enough for a big circle – either 1m or 1.5 metre for a giant circle.
2 metre strong cotton webbing tape
Enough cord to go around the circumference with a metre or so to spare – (remember pi : 3.14 the radius)
- Draw a big circle on your fabric and cut out. ( A pen tied to a piece of string pivoted in the middle of the fabric is the best way to get a really big circle.) Hem if necessary.
- Cut the tape into 12 x 15cm lengths. Imagine the circle is a clock and mark around the edge at 5, 10, 15, 20 etc. Now fold the 12 piece of tape in half and pin to circle where you’ve marked. Hand or machine sew on. Thread cord through.
- You can draw roads and buildings on – or turn you mat into a treasure island. You don’t need special pens or pains unless you are planning to wash it – weve used felt tip pends and magic markers.
- One the bag is gathered up you can hand it to a hook on the door or the wall or tie the cord loosely to stop things coming out and leave on the floor.
If you want to make the project – click on the links to take you through to the Buttonbag haberdashery shop
This is one of the many projects which will be featured in BoyCraft – the new Buttonbag craft book available next year. It’s full of ideas that will appeal to all children- but especially boys – cos sometimes people forget that boy love making things too. If you would like to know more about BoyCraft and Buttonbag Craft kits sign up to our newsletter here.
Bye for now
Sara and Sarah