Friday, December 18, 2009

Drawstring Game Bag


When I was a little girl, I would stay the night over at my grandparents home often. I loved it because my grandma had few toys, but they were classics. She had wonderful paper dolls and little glass figurines from Brazil (that I'm dying to find for my own children). Well, she also had a deck of playing cards which had a boy and then a girl from different countries. We would play go fish and try and match the boy to the girl. I loved these cards and the outfits that they were wearing. The ones that I remember most vividly is Holland and Australia.

Just in September we went to my grandparents in California and I looked at those cards and wrote down all the information to try and get myself a copy. I have the fondest memories playing with them.

A few weeks ago, I was wandering through a fabric store when I looked down and saw this Alexander Henry fabric that looked exactly like the people on the cards at my grandma's. I got misty eyed from all the nostalgia I was feeling just looking at it. I bought some not knowing what I was going to do with it.

Then a few days ago, I was putting some of the girls games away in the closet. What a mess that closet was. We have limited space and things were piled everywhere and completely unorganized. I took out all our mangled puzzle boxes, cut the picture off the box and put them all in separate Ziploc bags. I decided the perfect project for my fabric. A drawstring game bag. I followed this tutorial but made it much bigger and added pom poms. So now, instead of having piles of boxes in our closet where my girls can't reach them, we have this bag on the floor that is easy to get too and much tidier. I love that we now have a little organization in our game closet and that I get to see this bag and think of my childhood. I made a miniature version of this bag and sent it to my grandma for her to hold her many decks of cards. I can't wait until she gets it.

8 comments:

Bryn said...

It's perfect! So perfect! What dang cute fabric! I love the idea of having a puzzle bag....I need one pronto. Grandma is going to love it. You are so sweet to think of her!

nicole said...

I didn't even need to read the post to know exactly what that fabric reminded you of. It's perfect. Grandma is going to love getting hers in the mail. What a great use for the bag also. I do the same thing with Dylan's puzzles (cut the box, into a plastic bag) but I'd love a bag to keep them all in. You're so good! Love to you all!

nicole said...

By the way, did you ever find the deck of cards?

Tasha said...

Love it and love that fabric! How fun. I use fabric bags too. I love the idea of a big one like this with ALL the games though. So fun.

Heather said...

I just came across your blog looking for a stick horse pattern. I know you said you were not emailing anymore but would you be willing to email one more? Yours is so cute and I want to make them for my daughters birthday party! Thank you so much!
h.schafer@comcast.net

Jesslyn said...

I now know what to do with some of the fun fabric in my stash that aren't quite right for clothes. Found your blog earlier this year while I was hunting for a tutorial on card table houses (your tutorial was exactly what I was looking for!) and have loved it ever since! You inspire me to create things even though my 3 little ones don't leave me much time. Thanks!
Jesslyn
www.imageinterpreters.com
Liberating modest dressers from their frumpy wardrobes!

Cathy said...

Love the fabric (makes me want to sing "small world"), the organizing idea, and the card game (it looks adorable.) One more thing I love...those frames in the background! Do you mind sharing where you found those?

Adelaide said...

Game bag? Heck I'd carry that thing everywhere.