Art

DIY Magical Cloak for Doll or Stuffed Animals

April 12, 2025

Inspired by “The Emperor’s New Clothes” from Pipilo Tales

Create a beautiful cloak that transforms any stuffed animal or doll into a regal character! This simple project takes about 20 minutes and creates a keepsake that will remind your child of the story’s message about inner beauty and truth.

Materials Needed

Required Materials:

1 piece of felt or fabric scraps (roughly 12″ x 12″ for small animals, 16″ x 16″ for larger ones)
Ribbon or yarn (1-2 ft long)
Child-safe scissors
Hole punch (or adult can use regular scissors to make small holes)

Optional Decorating Materials:

Small buttons or sequins
Embroidery thread and large-eyed sewing needle,
Hot glue gun or fabric glue
Fabric pens for younger children
Custom designs with embroidery thread (for older children, siblings, or adults to enjoy creating)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Choose Your Fabric (2 minutes)

Let your child pick the fabric color for their stuffed animal’s cloak

*Parent tip: Felt is easier for little hands to work with and comes in beautiful colors. If using regular fabric, choose one that doesn’t easily fray. I recommend 100% wool felt from this small online shop: A Child’s Dream

Step 2: Create the Cloak Shape

For the cloak body: Cut a half-circle from your fabric
1. Small animals: 10″ diameter half-circle
2. Medium animals: 12″ diameter half-circle
3. Large animals: 14″ diameter half-circle
Make it easy: Fold the fabric in half and cut a curved line from one corner to the other
Let kids help: Children can guide the scissors while adults do the cutting

Step 3: Add the Neck Opening

Find the center of the straight edge of your half-circle
Cut a small semi-circle about 1-2 inches wide (depending on your stuffed animal’s neck size)
Test the fit: Place it on your stuffed animal to check the size
Make it bigger if needed: You can always cut more, but you can’t cut less!

Step 4: Create Ribbon Ties

Cut ribbon into two pieces: Each about 8-10 inches long
Punch holes: Make small holes about 1 inch from each side of the neck opening
Thread the ribbon: Pull each ribbon piece through a hole from the back to the front
Tie knots: Make knots on the back side so the ribbon won’t pull through

Step 5: Decorate Your Cloak

This is where the magic happens!

Simple Decorating (for younger kids):

Layered decorations: Cut small shapes from different colored felt and glue them on
Glitter accents: Add sparkle to stars or other decorations
Button details: Glue on small buttons for a royal look

Decorating (for older kids):

Sew on beads or other decorations
Use embroidery thread to create designs or create a “blanket” stitched trim

Step 6: Fitting Your Cloak

Gently place the cloak around your stuffed animal’s neck
Tie the ribbons in a bow at the front or side
Adjust as needed: The cloak should drape nicely without being too tight
Celebrate: Your stuffed animal is now royally dressed!

Story Connection Activities

While You Create:

Talk about the story: “What do you think made the child brave enough to tell the truth?”
Discuss real beauty: “What makes someone or something truly beautiful?”
Share feelings: “How do you think the emperor felt when he learned the truth?”

Troubleshooting Tips

If the cloak is too big:

Fold the fabric smaller before cutting
Add extra ties to cinch it tighter
Use it as a blanket for smaller stuffed animals

If the cloak is too small:

Add fabric strips to make it longer
Use it for a smaller stuffed animal
Turn it into a cape instead of a full cloak

If decorations won’t stick:

Use fabric glue or a hot glue gun (adults or older children) instead of regular glue
Let decorations dry completely before handling
Try fabric markers instead of stickers

Share Your Creation!

We’d love to see your magical cloaks! Share photos of your finished projects:

Email us: leah@pipilotales.com
Tag us on social: @PipiloTales #MagicalCloak #EmperorsNewClothes
Tell us the story: How did this activity spark conversations about the story’s message?

Remember, just like in “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” the most beautiful creations come from the heart. Your child’s cloak might not be perfect, but it’s made with love, creativity, and the courage to try something new – and that makes it truly magical.
The real magic isn’t in the cloak itself, but in the time spent creating it together and the conversations it sparks about truth, courage, and inner beauty.

Happy crafting!
The Pipilo Tales Team

This activity is designed to complement the story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and help children explore themes of authenticity, courage, and true beauty through hands-on creativity.

Mariposa Wands

May 10, 2023

Make a whimsical mariposa wand out of natural materials.

Materials:

-Butterfly stencil made on paper or card stock (use ours or create you own by drawing a butterfly on a folded piece of paper and cutting it out)

-Wool felt (any color will do)

-Sewing Needle

-Embroidery thread (6 strands split into 2 strands)

-Scissors

-Ribbons

-Stick

Directions:

Step 1: Place your butterfly template atop the wool felt and cut out 2 butterflies out of the material. You may want to pin the paper template onto the wool felt to make this easier especially for children.

Step 2: Split your embroidery thread from 6 strands into 2 to make it a little bit thinner (but still more prominent than a strand of thread). Thread it through a needle.

Step 3: Stitch little lines on both sides of each of the butterfly wings.

Step 4: Tie two pieces of ribbon together.

Step 5: Place ribbons around top of wand stick and lay on top of one butterfly piece, ensuring the pretty side faces out. Place the other butterfly piece atop (pretty side facing out again).

Step 6: Stitch up the body of the butterfly to secure the stick inside. This can also be stitched in an ornamental way.

Step 7: (Optional) Sew 2 little antennae atop the butterfly using regular or wax-coated thread in the color of your choice.

If you learn better through videos, I highly recommend Natalie Trusler’s wonderful video tutorial, which is where I learned how to make this sweet craft. If you’re looking for more ideas like this one, her website has oodles of great tutorials.

Enjoy! ¡Que disfruten!

Walnut Shell Candles

January 24, 2023

We love making these sweet little candles in our home during the winter. Here is a simple tutorial to help you create Walnut Shell Candles in your home. They make a great Valentine’s Day gift if placed in a little bag with an accompanying poem.

Use our printable PDF to complete a thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift

Materials:

BeeswaxCotton string or wick
Whole walnuts (get extras)
Nutcracker (any sort will do)
Mason jar
Deep Saucepan
Optional wax color and essential oils for color and scent

Directions:

1. Crack walnuts open. A butter knife can be handy to help the shells to break in half perfectly. Be sure to have extra walnuts because they won’t all crack perfectly.

2. Separate shells from nuts. Little ones especially love eating healthy foods when they can help to harvest them somehow.

3. Heat beeswax (and optional coloring and scents) in a mason jar immersed in a saucepan of water. The water should not go over the height of the jar and get into the wax.

4. When fully melted, remove from heat and let jar cool to the touch. Place empty walnut shells over parchment paper or work surface. Pour wax carefully into walnut shells.

5. Place a small piece of wick or string inside wax.

6. Voila! You can float these little candles in a vessel of water for a magical experience.

Download directions and the accompanying poem

Drawing Trees with Primary Colors

November 29, 2022

When we began homeschooling, I quickly realized that I needed to develop my art skills and started with the basics right alongside my children. We discovered that we can draw the most beautiful things using just the primary colors. If you haven’t tried them before, I highly recommend playing with block crayons as Luna’s Mama does in our story “Luna and the Mango Tree.”

Before you begin drawing, I would like to share the song Luna and Mama sing in our story. It is definitely a favorite in our home and in the classrooms where I have taught.

“Standing Like a Tree” Song by Betsy Rose

Standing like a tree
With my roots dug down
My branches wide and open

Come down the rain
Come down the sun
Come down the fruits
To our heart that is open

Art Materials: Blank paper, Yellow, Red, & Blue Crayons (Block crayons or stick crayons)
*Optional green, brown, orange, pink, purple crayons for added flair and detail

Directions: Begin your drawing with a light yellow base color. Let the shape of your tree develop naturally as you softly add color.

Gently layer red and then blue, adding more shadow and texture to your roots, bark, and branches. You can give dimension to your drawing if you imagine the sunlight coming from one side of the tree. Add more blue for the shadowy side and more yellow and blended red/yellow (orange) for the sunny side.

Do the same with the ground, starting with yellow and then gently layering blue until a green color emerges. You may choose to add flowers or grass as well.

Add the same layers of color (red and then blue) to the tree branches, adding various shades as desired. You might add brown as well at this point.

Fill in any details you prefer for the sky, leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. I like to add bits of branches to peek through the leaves. You can make fall trees, winter trees, flowering trees, or anything else your heart desires.

Let us know what your trees look like by sending a picture to us: stories(at)pipilotales.com or tagging @pipilotales on instagram.