Thursday's Crafting (belated post): Making the Tooth Fairy a little more manly

I was going to write about a new skirt I made, but then an opportunity came up for me to talk about the Tooth Fairy (or in my house, for my boys, the Tooth Larry). I did a little research on trying to make the Tooth Fairy a little less girly, but something they would remember. A friend of mine, Tara, had some great ideas on her blog on how to make it special for a girl. I followed the link she suggested and read the comments. There were moms just like me who needed to know how to adjust the Tooth Fairy for little boys. Why should girls get all the cool, memorable stuff? So I took The Twirling Tooth Fairy idea and a few of the suggestions from the comments and made something special for my little man who just lost his first tooth.

The first thing you need to do is talk up the Tooth Larry (or Barry or Bob the Tooth Man or whatever). Tell him you've been talking to the Tooth Larry. Tell your son that Larry asked if your child wants money or a _____ (since my kids like books, that is what I suggested). My son asked for a book, specifically about cowboys and the West. Tell your child that each Fairy has a different color and that the chosen Fairy tends to leave traces of that color. Make sure you have a different color for each child, and make it a surprise. I chose blue for my son (red is his favorite color, but I was afraid everything would turn out pink, so I went with blue).  Once your son has lost his tooth, prepared things for the Fairy, and has gone to bed, it's time for you to get to work! 

Things for the Tooth Larry:
1. Homemade pillow for the tooth
2. Sugar Water

Things from the Tooth Larry:
1. $1
2. Prize of choice
3. Fairy dust
4. Changed sugar water
5. Special note
6. New toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss (I didn't get a chance to do this because the tooth came out right before bedtime, but we are going to make a special trip to the store today to get these things)

How to make:

1. The Pillow: (Have child pick out fabric for the pillow. Try to steer child towards something that the kid will be happy with still in a few years. I had to encourage J to not get Transformers).
a. Cut two large squares of fabric (I cut 10.5 in. X 10.5 in.) and one small square (I cut 3.5 in X 3 in).
b. On one large square, pin the small square, folding down 1/2 inch for the pocket opening. Sew on 3 sides. I did a zig zag pattern around the edges and the only side I folded down was the top. If it begins to fray down the road, it would be okay because it is a boy's pillow.
c. With the right sides of the large squares facing each other, sew 3 1/2 sides of the pillow, and then turn right side out.
d. stuff pillow (pillow stuffing found in craft section as well, but you could also do small pebbles to make it more "rough" for a boy. If you do the pebbles, though, be extra careful when you sew the opening closed).
e. Do a zig zag stitch around all 4 sides of the pillow. This adds a little extra pizazz for the pillow and closes the opening. DONE!

2. Sugar Water: 
This is really easy. In a small glass jar (I used a small mason jar), mix 1/2 cup of sugar and fill up the jar with water. Have the child mix until the sugar has melted. Tell your child this is a gift for the Fairy to drink since he is going to be busy collecting teeth.

3. Changed Sugar Water: 
While your child is sleeping, mix a few drops of food coloring (blue, in our case) and some glitter. I recommend using white or silver glitter. In the morning, you and your son will talk about what color his Tooth Fairy is and how exciting it will be to see him again next time!

4. Special Note:
Items needed: 1 manilla folder, fast drying metallic paint (again, the craft section), paint brush or Bounty paper towels, glue and glitter (again, white or silver)
a. Cut one side of the manilla folder off. You can use the other side to catch the glitter when you get to that part.
b. Be Careful on this Part, it could go bad if you are not over a sink and paying attention. With a lighter, burn the edges of the side of the folder you cut. This gives it a more of a "boy" look. Knock off any burnt edges.
c. Roll the burnt folder and unroll it to give the note a curved look.
d. Using the metallic paint, cover both sides of the note with the color of the Tooth Fairy (again, blue in my case).
e. Once dry, write a note from the Tooth Fairy (Larry) in glitter. It's cool if your child knows a baby who is about to get new baby teeth. Mention that baby in the note. It makes it more special for your son because he will think it's cool his old tooth is now in some other kid's mouth.

While your child is sleeping, mix the color in the sugar water, set up the gifts (my son got $1 anyway because we talked about how he made a smart choice, and the Tooth Larry thought so too!), and spread glitter (white, silver, and the color of your Fairy) all around the pillow, the glass, and the gifts.

 

My son absolutely LOVED this. He was so stinkin' excited. I hope this helps for those who also have boys and need something a little less girly. Tis the season, so it seems, for my generation's kids to start losing teeth!