Pretend Mail Set

My friend's daughter is turning 3 this month and I thought for quite awhile about what I wanted to make her.  Ultimately a play mail set was a must.  I'm all about simple toys for kids and toys they have to use their imaginations with.  I first saw a pretend mail set on the blog 12 Crafts til Christmas (which I think has been taken down since then or at least that's what google tells me) and logged it in my favorites as a "one day" project.  I guess that one day has come.

Here's the whole lot, 4 post cards, 3 envelopes, 3 letters, 7 stamps, and 5 address labels.  I think the whole set turned out really cute.  The only things missing is the mail carrier bag (still working on that) and the mailbox.  My plan is to buy one of the paper mache mailboxes at Hobby Lobby.  The only problem is they have been out of the size I need, bummer!  So I'm hoping they get it in within the next week.

 

 Postcards:

 

 

I used heavy interfacing as the main part of the post cards and a sharpie to write on them.   As you can see I'm not great at making a perfect square.  All my postcards are a bit wonky, but that's the great thing about sewing for kids, they are very forgiving of imperfections.

 

 

I used ric rac for the address part of all the postcards with a place for the stamps in the upper corner. 

 

Envelopes:

 To make the envelopes I used a sheet of computer paper and just cut it in the shape i needed.  I used a coordinating green fabric for the inside, velcro for the closer, and placed velcro on the outside for the address labels and stamps.

 

A word to the wise: make sure your letters are small enough to actually fit inside your envelopes.  I wasn't paying attention and mine almost didnt fit.  Oops!  The letters are muslin fabric with cotton on the back. I stitched them right sides together then turned them right side out and stitched a 1/4inch seam around the outside.  I used a sharpie to make the squiggle lines that represent writing.

 

 

 

 

 Address Labels:

 

 Each address label consists of 2 pieces of felt.  The top piece is hand embroidered with the person's name and the bottom piece has a piece of velcro stitched on so it will easily attach to the envelopes. Then I stitched the top piece to the bottom. 

 

 Stamps:

For the stamps I just cut a square of felt, a small heart of felt, stitched velcro on the back and stitched the heart on the front.  Ta-Daa, instant pretend stamp.  You could be a really good crafter and applique the hearts on the front so you wont see the triangle stitch but let's face it, I'm lazy and I was working during nap time.  Which means short cuts are a must!

 

 

Hopefully I'll have the mailbox and bag to show soon but I got impatient wanting to share the pieces of the gift I had finished.  My plan is to make a set for Grant for Christmas this year (maybe with that one I'll have measurements and patterns since I was a slacker with this set).  I know what your thinking, It's January, what in the heck am I thinking of Christmas for?  What can I say? It's the way my mind works!