modern playmat

if any of you have little boys you are probably right here with me when i say, it is CRAZY how much they love their cars! and not just love, adore, cherish, dare i say worship these tiny little vehicles and…well you get the just. they just really, insanely love their cars. which is great for us mama’s because when you feel like “spoiling” them, you pick up a 97 cent-er at the store; and when you dig it out of your purse and they see what you brought them, they stare at it like they just won the toy car lottery (thank you hotwheels). point for team mama.

as much as i love that they love cars, nothing do i dread more than the words, “mama, will you play cars with me?” now, i like to think of myself as somewhat of a creative individual, and i feel like the boys and i do a lot of fun things. howeva’ I. AM. NOT. GOOD. AT. PLAYING. CARS. i’m not. if i’m honest, i suck at it. it’s like my brain shuts down. zoom, ok now what? and yet, somehow they can play for HOURS. literally, hours.

so to satiate my need for creative projects, to make something for my babies and might i add possibly help out my car playing handicap, i decided to design a modern playmat. and when i say design, i really mean it. i whipped out the sketch book and got to work (side note *this is the portion of the project where i’m made fun of because i’m a nerd*). and what’s a good design project without a scaled model? 🙂

i tried to incorporate elements for all the mini-motorcars : trains, monster trucks, tractors, boats, cars, etc. etc.

after some gruesome/tiresome/disastrous time spent at the fabric store (*the sewing lady guru’s thought i was insane to make a playmat with white fabric…oh, if they could see it now*), the sewing machine was busted out…

the final product seemed to be a hit! if not for the boys, for me, because apparently i need ‘guidelines’ for my car playing…and if they end up getting tired of it, i can always use it as a great piece of wall art!