It seems inflation has hit even the tooth fairy. As a child – although that was many moons ago – I was thrilled to receive a shiny dime under my pillow each and every time I lost a tooth. That dime went a long ways towards candy and soda! Nowadays, I wouldn’t want to see the attitude of the child who woke to find his tooth was worth a mere ten cents! Of course, it’s up to the individual parents how much a child receives for a lost tooth, but regardless of that amount, you’ll need a place to put the tooth and a place to hide the money. Under the pillow simply isn’t a good idea. It’s hard for a child to go to sleep, continually feeling under the pillow to see if the tooth is still there, and when the tooth fairy finally does appear, she can have a hard time finding it if it gets scooted around as the child sleeps.
Whether you sew or not you can easily make a bedpost tooth pocket. The simple pocket with strap hangs on the bedpost to keep the tooth save and sound. When the tooth fairy comes along she can simply remove the tooth and replace it with the cash!
There are lots of different ways to make a tooth pocket. You can use two pockets from an old garment, sew up brand new pockets, or even make pocket shapes using inexpensive felt. If you don’t sew follow these instructions for making the tooth pocket:
If you’re using felt you don’t need to hem it. Just cut two pocket shapes and glue them together, across the bottom and up both sides. Right before gluing the top corners together, cut a piece of twine or ribbon, and position the ends between the corners of the pockets. Allow the glue to dry then hang the pocket on the bedpost. If you’re using fabric use fabric glue to attach the pockets. Fold the top edges of the pockets down, glue them in place, then glue the two pockets together with the strap between them.
If you sew do things a little differently. If using felt, there’s no need to hem, so just cut two pocket shapes and sew them together across the bottom and up the two sides. When you start at one corner, position the end of the twine or ribbon between the two pockets, then begin stitching down the side. As you approach the last corner, place the end of the twine or ribbon between the two corners. If you’re using a material that has to be hemmed, fold it down a couple of inches, then stitch across it. Do this to both pieces before sewing them together.
Tooth fairy pockets can be nicely decorated by sewing on buttons, writing on the material with fabric paint, or attaching lace, ribbon or roping. Hang the finished pocket set on the child’s bedpost and go grab some money. Bills, that is!
Reference:
- Purchase felt here: www.orientaltrading.com
