Thumbelina, Doorway to the Wee World

There is a reason Thumbelina, as well as Tom Thumb, are among the most loved of fairy tales. They take us into the wee world where we can explore what it is like to float on a leaf and fly on the back of a songbird. 

Thumbelina by Claudia Marie Felt

Life in the teeny, tiny world is fascinating, hence the trend of fairy gardens. Just walk into your garden and imagine life as Thumbelina -- a flower bed becomes a jungle, small rocks are boulders, and the butterflies . . . 

I think small children especially relate to Thumbelina, because they do live in a world where they feel little among adults. 

Thumbelina is a Hans Christian Anderson tale, published in Danish, as Tommelise, in 1835. Danny Kaye sang a song about Thumbelina for a 1952 movie about Hans Christian Anderson. And of course there have been animated movies. 

Thumbelina Father Tuck

I prefer the Thumbelina version in William Bennett's Book of Virtues. In this version Thumbelina goes for a stroll and enjoys a sailing ride with a fish, explores a field mouse's home and flies with a songbird. I like this version because Thumbelina is childish and in the end she is returned home to her mother. Bennett puts this tale in the Compassion section as Thumbelina's kindness toward the bird results in her happy ending. 

Elsa Beskow Thumbelina illustration

Of course in Anderson's original Thumbelina, she is abducted by creatures who want to marry her --first a toad, then a cockchafer, and a mole. This story is one of perseverence as Thumbelina survives, helps a sick bird who then takes her to a wonderful fairy land where she finds her true love, the elf prince. 

Maja Lindberg Thumbelina illustration

The Thumbelina story can also be seen as a tale of being different; perhaps some people saw pretty little Thumbelina as disabled, but in fact, she could do things others could only dream of. In the end, she found the elf-prince who was her own kind. 

How to Create a Wool Fireplace for Wall Hanging or Doll Play

This wool fireplace was created as a needle felt book illustration for Hansel & Gretel: A Fairy Tale with a Down Syndrome Twist, by Jewel Kats. I am the illustrator.

The fireplace was an enjoyable challenge. The background walls were created with a pressed wool technique. I added thin layers of Romney wool onto a piece of felt, then covered with a sheet of glass and pressed down. Leave the glass on the wool for a day, if time allows. The edges were needle felted. 

I began the hearth by finding images of fireplace designs. Once I settled on a design I drew the outline of the design on the wool with thin yarn. Then I filled in with a dark taupe wool. I needle felted a black arch in the hearth to create depth.

The rocks were made with a variety of wool, whatever I had handy in rock colors. Many of the grey rocks are a natural merino. I rolled the wool into a loose ball and needle felted with a few light pokes to keep it together. This was followed by placing the rocks in a sink filled with warm, soapy water. I wet-felted the rocks by rolling them in my hand, one by one, until they felt dense enough. After I squeezed out the excess water, I placed them in a pillowcase and put them in the clothes dryer. 

Next, start placing the rocks onto the fireplace and felt just around the edges. 

Create a mantle with a sheet of wool felt in a tan color. Measure the felt so it is the same width as the fireplace.  Roll the felt into a log shape and place the mantle above the rocks. Felt along the edges. Fill the ends of the log with some tan wool.  Continue adding rocks until finished. 

To create the fire in the hearth, I added some more black wool horizontally across the bottom. The fire was created with thin wisps of orange and yellow Blue-Faced Leicester wool, which has a natural sheen. 

You can decorate the fireplace with a tiny painting and props. To make tiny logs, roll a piece of tan wool tightly into a log shape, then roll a layer of darker brown over it. Needle felt until the log is very dense. With sharp scizzors cut off the ends or you can "split" the wood. 

If you decide to make a fireplace, I would love to see the results. You can share it on my Facebook page, Claudia Marie Felt.

Hansel & Gretel: A Fairy Tale with a Down Syndrome Twist