Jungle Diorama/ Playscape--Jo-Ann Summer Craft Challenge

I am so excited!! I was contacted by a representative from Jo-Ann Fabrics to participate in the Summer Craft Challenge. They have 72 wonderful crafts for their Cape Discovery Summer Craft Challenge. You can check them all out. I know I will be doing more than one. They even offered to send me a gift card so I could buy the supplies. Nothing like the perfect time to get craft supplies from one of my favorite stores. Plus I could justify shopping since they gave me the gift card! Now do you have a Jo-Ann Store near you? We have a great one. A few years ago, they built a new building and then closed for about a week to transfer the store over to the new building. It is great. Plus we know many of the employees there. If you do not, check out their on-line catalog. Also be sure to sign up for the coupons. You will receive some great ones through out the year. We always have a 40% off or more.

So the project we chose to do is the Jungle Diorama. They glued all of their trees and animals down, but I thought it would be more fun to make them movable. I love watching Hazel play with her various animals and dolls making up stories, so I thought we would add a jungle to the mix. I also picked this one because I felt Hazel could do it with me. I am going to make at least one more project from their projects.

To begin this project you need a box. We used one we received in the mail with an order of something. Then you paint three sides of the inside box a blue for the sky. I could not find the exact shade they picked but chose one called sky blue. Hazel and I had fun painting it together.  Then you glue the various kinds of moss to the bottom (unpainted) side. Then we glued some leaves and butterflies to the flaps and some butterflies to the inside walls. We could not find the Toob of butterflies anywhere, so we used some pretty paper ones instead. 

Next we glued in the ferns. We could not find the mini dry ferns in the store so we used some fake ones. I glued these and stuck them into the cardboard to get them to stand. Now it is time to play. I gave Hazel some river stones and Toobs of trees and jungle animals. She had a great time arranging them and re-arranging them, though the animals do not stand up very well on the moss. I guess this is why they glued them down.

So what do you think of our jungle playscape? If you like it consider pinning it. The challenge is the crafter who gets theirs pinned with the Jo-Ann original one will win a gift card.  Stay tuned for my next craft for their projects and for some other ideas I got inspired by their projects.