Willow & Wonder is living in TEEPEE HEAVEN over here!  Teepees have been all the rage for years now and anything native American.  The structure of one is so appealing to me and some day when I have some property, I would like to invest in a huge one for my backyard.  But for now, I have relished making tiny teepees for peg dolls and my daughter’s favorite, Calico Critters.  They’re so precious and fit perfectly in our handmade teepees.

Growing-up my brother, cousins and I would build forts in nature for fun.  We spent entire days in the lot across from our old house making forts out of Eucalyptus bark that shed from the trees.  Eucalyptus bark can be so light and wide which makes it easy to put strips together to make a shelter.  We also used the leaves and branches.  When we were at my grandparent’s home out at the lake, we used oak tree scraps and moss.  Our memories of hiding-out in little dwellings, creating entire universes is by far my favorite aspect of childhood and a way of life that children these days are missing out on.

It is going to be my goal to make sure my child is as skilled and swift on a gadget as she is at whipping up a fort.  I hope to encourage her to spend countless hours in nature fulfilling her childhood right to be fancy free in wonderland.  Here are some teepees we made at Willow & Wonder!

This is the Mermaid Teepee because we have a thing for beachy fun and mermaids are a big part of that.

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These teepees are fabulous all together.  The fun variety of prints and colors makes up a strong village!  Everyone needs a village to rely on so embracing the concepts in the miniature form is good for kids.  When I play with Willow for some reason I always like to pretend a storm is coming,  we protect the animals and everyone takes shelter together.  These themes of survival and nurturing are ones I like to see in our play.

Our teepees are made with one-of-a-kind details in trim and found objects such as collected driftwood, shells and woolen treasures, etc.  I love to emphasize being unique as it is by far one of the most important qualities of life.  I hope that my daughter’s spirit is constantly uplifted by her individuality and that can be showcased best in the handmade realm.  Here’s a fun one we came across at a local pumpkin patch made of corn husks.