Homemade castle not good enough for Christmas??

natmummy

I love homemade presents as it shows that some thought has gone into the gift at a time when lots of people get caught up with the materialism. But one thought you might want to think about too is whether you can get a good secondhand one and maybe customise it. I did this a few years ago with exactly the thing yr son wants and he's had lots of fun....look on ebay eg. http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=wooden+castle&_sacat=220&_odkw=wooden+castle&adpos=1s2&MT_ID=11&crlp=15449781189_2113181&_osacat=0&geo_id=32251&clk_rvr_id=399587091776&keyword=wooden+castle

or register on https://www.netmums.com if yr not already a member join yr local area and get posting u never know someone maybe looking to get rid of one to make room for their incoming xmas presents.

helentad

Hi my twins are the same. Unfortunately I'm disabled and now not able to home make on this scale. I would make one suggestion which would be go look at a few in shops and take pics on your phone if they ask saw you want to discuss the differences with hubby. We bought ours one that comes in 4 separate pieces its now on sale with a different version in the Smyths toys shop sorry the name has gone but its an American one. Other companies are Bigjigs amongst others just put child's wooden castle on google. Ours has a piece of string on a peg that you twist that raises the drawbridge you could use piano hinges on doors etc.
the other thing you could do would be to freecycle or freegle for a used one then do that up. Oh and you can get plans to make castles on lots of crafty web sites. We have found our boys like the play mobile knights best as you can pose them and they hold things. Most of ours bought in sales or EBay but you could ask family if they ask what he wants.
Hope he has loads of fun with his castle. Helen

madmoneysavingmum

Go for it. Some of my kids favourite things were made by their dad. He is good at making things and they love that the things are unique. Swords, action man accessories and ramps for cars are some of the favourites. They also have an action man zip wire/pulley system (a remnant of rope, a pulley block, a hook and a huge amount of fun) which he made for them. Action man can abseil down the stairs and then be pulled back up again. For Christmas so far we are being asked for some more rope and another block and hook so that he can have more adventures. My kids are not immune to the power of advertising and no doubt will ask for all the usual plastic tat as well, but it is lovely to see them so excited about the things my husband has made. They are really proud of them, too, and frequently tell people that their Dad made whatever it they are playing with. I bet your son will be proud of what you make for him, too.

HTH
MMSM

Ageing_Hippies

He'll love it. My dad made a garage, a dolls house, and dropside dolls cots for my sister and I (also female). They were wonderful toys. My only regret is they didn't get saved for my children. I think I sold my cot and dolls when I was about 16 or 17. I didn't make that mistake with my childrens toys though they were all bought. The best ones are all in the loft and I am just starting to bring them down for my granddaughter. I have however taken up woodwork classes and am now making some wooden toys for her.

Footpather

Goodness me what is your mother thinking about? Handmade with love is better every time if you have any kind of ability for these things.

My partner made my daughter a play table for her first Christmas. Just a square table that the legs can be removed from for easy storage. It's painted in the four primary colours. She used it for playing, eating, colouring, reading, boardgames, homework etc. She's 15 now and for the last few years it has been used to stand the Christmas tree in the window.

For her second Christmas he made her a wooden toybox which is still in use now but more for storage in her bedroom. It's also had cushions on it and been used as a seat and a cloth over it and used as a table.

My brother's partner bought her son a fort one Christmas. It had electronic sounds and all kinds of things. He played with the cardboard box that it came in more than the actual toy! :rotfl: His mum cut out battlements at the top and a little doorway that he could crawl through.

You just do it!

LalaGomay

Every time there's a new post on this thread I think it's going to be a pic of the finished castle! Probably a bit soon for that though.

Hope we get to see it someday.

Bettyxx

I feel bad for not yet finishing it!!

We are moving in the next couple of weeks so once all the boxes are freed up I will be making it...I have plans and plenty of newspapers for the paper mâch! parts. I also visited our toy shop and took photos of the two huge plastic ones they have for inspiration...though I don't like them particularly!!

Oh and my mother has gone out and bought dragons and knights, sadly the same ones I bought so I need to swap mine now, but at least she is on board!!

I will post pictures...I promise x

Dasa

How about this to go with it.

http://www.stormthecastle.com/catapult/how-to-build-a-catapult.htm

Bettyxx

Dasa wrote: »

How about this to go with it.

Ooo a trebuchet

though with those i may be stepping into "making it for myself under the guise of a 4 year old" territory!!

Erinnire

Looking forward to seeing the photos!

I think its a great idea!
I was thinking of getting one of those colour me in houses for my girls, but im not clever enough to make one myself! I bet your little man will be over the moon with his castle!