3/30/10

How to make a princess tiara, if your daughter hates things pressing on her head and you kinda hate the whole PRINCESS thing

We knew this day would come some day. Z finally discovered princesses.

That's the trouble with playdates. In fact socialization in ALL FORMS is to blame, I'm sure. Maybe we were better off with no friends. (Okay, not really.)

Whatever. I knew we couldn't fight the tulle tide forever. The princess phase can't be that bad, can it?

(Don't answer that.)

After her initial exposure to the dangerous Disney-fied agents known as The Princesses (TM), Z started asking to use her birthday crown for dress-up purposes. Which I don't allow, as it would no doubt ruin the crown rather than treat it in a way befitting all my time and effort.

So. There are a ton of cheap tiara type things out there, but most are of the plastic/metal/sharp/pointy variety. Problem is, my girl hates sharp pointy things and can barely tolerate barrettes in her hair, let alone trying to put scratchy metal teeth into her sensitive scalp. So I set out to make an easy, soft princess crown/tiara. (Which does a princess wear: a crown or a tiara? Excuse me, teacher, if I do not have the appropriate vocabulary for a princess phase, am I excused?)

(No? Okay, fine.)

1. Start with something soft and squishy, preferably something that's meant to be worn on a head. It's nice to find something in your child's favorite color. Cheap is good. So is dorky, apparently.

A 50 cent visor from the craft store never looked quite so dorky before, which is saying something.

2. Turn it upside down and have a flash of brilliance.

BRILLIANCE, I tell you.


3. Assemble scissors (or craft appropriate knife-like item), glittery things, craft glue and newspaper (to serve as a melty pacifier for your youngest youngen', to smudge newsprint all over your fingertips and to which you'll permanently adhere your fingers).
4. Inform three year old of the impending tiara creation. Allow time for the inevitable, LITERAL bouncing off walls with excitement.
5. Twist out the plastic coil, lay visor flat and cut into a tiara/crown-like shape of your choice.
6. Consult three year old about the design of glittery bling.
7. Spend the next 20 minutes implementing this design yourself while your three year old refuses to help, preferring to bounce around the room and spill the tiny glittery bits all over the floor because she doesn't like to get glue on her hands even though you insist she won't get glue on her hands.
8. Get glue all over your hands.
9. Stop part way through because your three year old is too excited about it to wait and MUST WEAR NOW.

10. Finish glittery design once three year old calms down.
11. Watch as three year old makes everyone wear it. EVERYONE. (No, not even the dog was spared, though she didn't last long enough for pictures).


14 comments:

Amy said...

Adorable! Very crafty, mama.

KG said...

You are BRILLIANT and CUTE and HILARIOUS. I miss seeing your spongy faces in person.

I wanna see CG in the crown.

Hillary said...

That is AWESOME! I've used those visors for the very same purpose, though my crown was adorned with fake autumn leaves and given to a man who had earned the crown of Miss Pumpkin. (It's our annual Pumpkin Party -- it's a good time. Trust me.)

Sarah said...

Love it! So creative! I concur with KG. We need a picture of CG wearing the crown. :)

GratefulTwinMom said...

Love the tiara. And the princess phase does pass, almost seamlessly, really. Hard to remember how important it was to her after a while. Girls are so cute--even you!

Whimsy said...

Kudos, crafty lady! I love it, and will be filing it away for future use.

Fran said...

Nice tiara!! I am happily in the Princess phase now with my youngest (she's the only girl). Most days we watch one of the Disney Princess movies, followed by something along the lines of The Incredible Hulk (her chooice as well). She's the perfect blend!!

clueless but hopeful mama said...

Hillary- I wanna come to the Pumpkin Party! Awesome idea for the crown!

KG and Sarah- Alas, Daddy was not around during the tiara making and has not been forced to wear it. YET. Will, of course, post pictures when this happens!

Fran- I love it! I think we need to combine the superhero and princess genres: SUPER PRINCESS able to leap tall princes in a single bound!

Marianne said...

I have been told that one day I will think fondly of the relatively inexpensive princess phase, once my child moves on to American Girl.

Sarah said...

What a great idea! And dude, those plastic crowns ARE super sharp. I would know, as we own about four of them and I have had them shoved onto my own head many a time.

pywhong said...

I LOVE THIS IDEA! I'm totally going to make one for P. THANKS! and i'm sure she's going to adore it too. I may have to make one for her baby brother just to make sure he doesn't steal hers. Maybe for her Easter basket. THANKS AGAIN CMBH!!

Swistle said...

GENIUS.

Michelle said...

What a wonderful, crafty idea! And, I'm impressed you kept the princesses away that long. They've already hit our house at 20 months. I'm still pretending like they don't exist.

MoreSimplyHuman said...

Fabulous fabulous fabulous!!!

LOL about playdates...a new friend of ours has a son who loves to go barefoot in the mud...I am a clean freak...but for my boys, now the idea is out there that mud-foot-squishing is possible....cannn youuu seee me stretchhhhing??? :)

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