Category Archives: More Connections

Cinderella Story: Make a Princess Dress

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two princessesThis winter, I posted a sneak peek of a Cinderella dress created by local high school junior, Vicky Gebert. The dress was constructed of bubble wrap, trashcan liners, drinking straws, t-shirt bags, forks, blue cellophane lace, Styrofoam, and chicken wire. It looked utterly amazing.

dress on stairsVicky’s dress was the centerpiece of a Cinderella Story: Make a Princess Dress program our library hosted last weekend. Kids were invited to channel their inner godmothers and create a dress out of art supplies (including supplies you might not immediately consider when planning a grand night out).

If you can’t wait to see some of the creative dresses, scroll past the instructions and let the fashion show begin. Otherwise, here are instructions for building your own princess dress!

For the dress base, you’ll need:

  • A 11″ x 28″ piece of poster board for the bodice
  • A 4″ x 28″ pieces of poster board for the skirt sash
  • 4′ piece of ribbon for the bodice
  • 2′ piece of ribbon for the skirt sash
  • 2, 20″ pieces of tulle ribbon for shoulder straps
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch

I used black poster board to make the example dress (it shows up better in photos), but for the actual program, the bodice and skirt sash were made of white poster board. Definitely use the thicker variety of poster board (i.e. 6-ply) because it’ll hold up to all the art supplies you’ll be adding later. I also used 3/8″ white ribbon. It was easier to lace that particular width of ribbon through the punched holes without tearing the poster board. The tulle ribbon I used was 3″ wide to allow easier threading as well.

The Nearly New Shop, a local thrift and consignment store, was kind enough to loan us a dress mannequin for the program. It really helped to have the dress base on display so grown-ups could see what the final product should look like.

OK, ready to get started? First, wrap the largest piece of poster board around your upper body until both ends almost touch behind your back. Trim with scissors if the bodice is too long, cuts into your armpits, or if you want to create an unusual neckline.

Use a hole punch to make 5 matching pairs of holes down the back of the bodice
(our holes are marked with white rings in the photo so you can see them better).

bodice-lacingStarting at the top of the bodice, lace the 4’ piece of ribbon through the holes. Tie
a bow at the bottom.

bodiceNext, wrap the smaller piece of poster board around your waist until both ends almost touch. Use the hole punch to create 2 pairs of holes.

skirt sash holesLace the 2’ piece of ribbon through the holes. Tie a bow.

skirt sashLastly, your shoulder straps! Slip on the bodice and adjust it to the right height on your chest. Punch a hole in the front of your bodice, directly underneath your shoulder. Punch a matching hole in the back. Thread a 20″ piece of tulle ribbon through the hole in the front and knot securely. Pull the tulle ribbon over your shoulder and thread through the hole in the back. Knot tightly and cut off any excess. Repeat on the other side. The finished straps should look like this:

straps 2Your dress base is complete!

finishedNow that you know your dress fits, I recommend unlacing the bodice and the skirt sash and laying them flat for decorating. This is especially useful for the skirt sash. It’s easier to make a huge fluffy skirt on a flat surface than a curved surface.

Here are the art supplies we used at the program:

What can I say? We had a tremendous time! The kids not only made dresses, but matching crowns, wands, accessories, hairpieces, and jewelry. It was wonderful.

ringAnd here’s the inspiration for the program, artist Vicky Gebert! Vicky answered questions about her dress, crafted with kids, and generally lent her awesome creative magic to the program.

vickyWe were also joined by two Princeton University student groups – the Sustainable Fashion Initiative and the Stella Art Club. They were incredibly creative and incredibly sweet with the kids.

design 1 And now…some of those fantastic, fabulous, and fanciful dresses! Fanfare please…

dress 1dress 9 dress 12 dress 3dress 10 dress 2 dress 20dress 16 dress 19 dress 18 dress 17dress 13 dress 14 dress 11 dress 8 dress 7 dress 6dress 4 dress 5

Just Ducky

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jemimaNext to Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck is one of Beatrix Potter’s most endearing and memorable characters. This charming stuffed animal version was created for Potter in 1910 by two of her neighbors, Miss Hammond and Miss Mills. The cloth for the shawl even came from the calico factory owned by Potter’s mother’s family. This toy was the prototype used to secure a patent for a mass-produced stuffed animal. In fact, you can still buy a version of the stuffed toy today.

patent papersJemima had a place of honor on top of Beatrix’s book case until she was given to Freda Jackson (nee Storey), the daughter of Beatrix’s farm manager in the late 1950s. Imagine what a wonderful present that would be!

Jemima Puddle-Duck soft toy prototype produced to secure the patent
England, 1910
Created by Miss Hammond and Miss Mills
Cotsen Children’s Library, Princeton University Library

Certificate of Registration of Design [Jemima Puddle-Duck doll]
England, June 17, 1910
Cotsen Children’s Library, Princeton University Library

The Perfect Boggart

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the perfect boggartNeed a boggart in a suitcase to transport to your next Defense Against the Dark Arts class? We can make that happen! Imagine a suitcase innocently resting on a tabletop (or handsome leather chair). But then, just when you least expect it, it jumps and bumps as the boggart inside tries to escape!

I created this suitcase boggart for a Harry Potter event my library hosted, and it was very much enjoyed. Best of all, it was super simple to make. The secret behind the boggart is this:

weazel ballMeet the “Weazel Ball.” It’s a pet toy with a rotating motor inside it that causes the ball to scoot around randomly, pulling and twitching the furry weasel on top. It’s meant to drive cats and small dogs crazy, but I knew it would be the perfect boggart. I purchased this one on Amazon for $6.

In addition to the Weazel Ball, you’ll need a suitcase or trunk. The 12″ X 18″ suitcase pictured in this post is made of decorative cardboard. I found it at Michael’s Crafts on the 40% discount shelf, so it cost $15. Woot woot!

My suitcase was smooth on the inside, but if you use something with a textured wood interior, you might consider removing the furry weasel from the ball so it doesn’t snag on the wood and slow the ball down.

interiorThe most important thing when selecting your suitcase (or trunk) is the ability to latch or padlock it shut. This will prevent young skeptics from pulling up the lid and shouting “Daaaaad! I told you there’s no boggart in here!”

latchesThe other thing you’ll need are spare batteries. If you haven’t heard from your boggart in a while, the battery may have run out (the Weazel Ball uses a single AA). Depending on how long the event is, you’ll want several on hand.

You could get ambitious and put more than one Weazel Ball in the suitcase (I’ve only tried one). But if the suitcase is threatening to bounce off the table, put some no-skid rug runners or self-adhesive foam pieces on the bottom to help it stay in place.