sustainablemum: King

I was given a lovely book for Christmas the year before last (2012) as I really wanted to start a seasonal table with the children, we were also given a beautiful driftwood tree which has become the centrepiece of our table. I decided that I would make a few pieces for each season and slowly build a collection of bits and pieces that could sit alongside items collected on walks. Despite thinking about it I never got round to making anything for that first Winter and some of the pieces I started for Spring were not finished until Autumn! So as Winter approached last year I thought once again about making something for our table, Christmas rather sapped my time as I was busy with present making so come January I seized the moment and got started. I knew I didn't have all the bits and pieces the book suggest so I improvised with what I did have.

I started with the head which is made in the Waldorf doll style, I found this easier this time round having made one before. The first layer is a stretchy jersey material stuffed with wool, the second layer is a stockinette, which is slightly stretchy, both of which were left over from making my first doll. The book suggests mounting the head onto a wooden post with a round base which I did not have so I made a tube with some cotton material stuffed with wool and a piece of wood in the bottom to help it stand up. The arms were a pipe cleaner wrapped round with some wool, the robe is cut out in one piece and sewn onto the neck and hands which were made from very small pieces of the stockinette. The cloak was cut as a square and gathered together at the neck before sewing on. The eyebrows, moustache, beard and hair are all wool and the crown is felt. His staff is a pipe cleaner covered in silver foil. The children love him.

King Winter now is in the land,

he reigns with cold and freezing hand.

He makes Jack Frost touch nose and toes,

and gives our cheeks a shining glow.

So King Winter sits on our seasonal table in all his splendour whilst outside, well, is it really winter? It seems to be limping along this time in a wet, soggy, greyness not my favourite type of winter at all, give me cold, crisp and snow with a bit of sun and blue sky any day.

The children sat with me at the table whilst I made him, doing their own thing, watching what I was doing or reading the book I was making him from. Once he was complete they requested I make a Mother Earth next and have been asking for the last week when I am going to make her, I hope that doesn't take me a year to make too! The book I used is The Nature Corner.