Sylvanian families is another of my special interests as I enjoy setting up the two tables I have to make scenes with them. Starting in Japan, 1985, Sylvanian Families (known as Calico Critters in other parts of the world) recently celebrated their thirtieth anniversary. This toy is popular due to the animals used since they are adorable as well as encouraging children to use their imaginations to create new stories with them.
The main reason I love Sylvanian Families is that I can make things for them. Some of the buildings I currently have on my table I made with help from my mum, which are the school and the flower shop. These buildings help me get creative as I can set them up however I want, and on the school, the pieces of paper are attached by blue tac, allowing me to change it from a school into something else.
Making things for Sylvanian Families: Buildings
When making the buildings for my Sylvanian Families, I use a glue gun (if you are a child, you will want some help with using a glue gun since they are very hot when in use) and foam board. We design the buildings we want first so we can estimate how much foam board we want to use before we begin cutting it out with an Exacto knife (kids, get an adult to help you).
We would also cut out windows and a space for a door before we begin glueing everything together. I would hold the pieces of board together while Mum glued it. We would wait for it to dry (which is rather fast if you use a glue gun) before moving on.
The two buildings we created I have used for different things. The flower shop will probably always remain a flower shop since there are flower pots stuck to the outside of the building. The other building we created at three stories tall used to be a department store with a clothes store, a book and toy store and something else at the bottom (it’s too bad I can’t remember it). Now, I have it as a school, and it allows me to use more of the accessories I have to fill it up.
Making things for Sylvanians: Accessories
I find that out of all of the accessories; books are the easiest to make. They don’t take long to make, and you can fill a bookshelf quite quickly.
You start by cutting some paper (I prefer using white or cream) to the size you want for your book. Next, you fold it accordion style and glue one side to create pages. Then, you can get creative with your covers. I use paper or decorative tape for my books, but you can use anything you want to decorate your books and make them unique. I sometimes even print off book covers from the internet and glue them onto my covers.
Clothes for Sylvanian Families
I prefer to buy Sylvanian Families clothes rather than make them since clothes are fiddly to create. Due to the scale of Sylvanian Families (particularly the babies), it’s a challenge to make clothes. However, when I want to do this, I use felt. Felt is fantastic for Sylvanian Families as it doesn’t fray and you don’t need to worry about hemming it.
Out of the clothes I’ve made, hats are most relaxed as you fold a piece of felt until it’s the same size as the head of the critter you want to wear the hat and trace around it. You cut it out and cut a hole big enough so the Sylvanian can wear it. You can decorate them with more felt to make flowers or leaves, or you can use foam shapes that have a sticky back so you can easily stick them on the hat without having to sew them into place.
New Sylvanian Families Scene- the stage
The stage is my new Sylvanian Families scene, taking the place of what was my dolls house. Now, the gold room finds itself as a stage for my Sylvanian Families. These Sylvanians are taking on the roles of the six wives of Henry VIII based on Six the Musical.
Reflection on Sylvanian Families
Sylvanian Families have come a long way since 1985. They live in a 1950s styled world where the mums enjoy baking, and the dads work in rural occupations. The families used to be father, mother, son and daughter, but the brothers are now fading a little.
However, the beauty of Sylvanian Families is that you can change the critters into whatever you like. One example I have is of the two figures I received one year with the Sylvanian Families Fan Club, the Cream Cat Bride and Groom, Troy and Arabella Dante. Now, through my interest in the Sarah Jane Adventures, they are playing Sarah Jane Smith and Ruby White, and some of my other Sylvanians have taken the parts of other characters.
I love Sylvanian Families, and I can’t wait to set my tables up more and create new scenes.
If you want to look at the official Sylvanian Families website, click here.
I have more special interests if you want to read about them. I’ll see you there.