Yes, I know, it's still way too early to be thinking about Sinterklaas. But if you want to make something fun related to the theme, it's a good idea to start now. It's best to be able to play with it from the moment Sinterklaas arrives on his boat.
Last year, I posted a steamboat on Instagram featuring Mailegmouse Pietjes and Sinterklaas, and it got so many responses that I suddenly realized I should dedicate more time to it here. And yes, I know I'm actually a terrible blogger because I always make huge promises and then they don't happen. While I always really plan to, but then suddenly I'm busy with the shop and it simply doesn't work out. So... I'm really going to try again now and regularly post fun items, especially with DIY tips.
The Steamboat
The steamboat is made of wood. My father built it for my nephews, and I think it's over 15 years old. Unfortunately, I can't help you with construction drawings or explanations, but perhaps the photos will help. The boat measures 60 cm long, 28 cm wide, and 40 cm high (including the mast). Underneath the boat are four of those small caster wheels, one on each corner. The fender rope around the boat is a real boat rope. The lights are attached to slats around the cabin. They are battery-powered Christmas lights, with the battery holders inside the cabin secured with double-sided tape. Small eyelets for the bunting are attached to the mast, the bow, and on two sides of the boat.
The accessories
Together with Famke, our daughter, who is now 5 years old, I made the accessories. We made a bunting, wrapped small gifts, and painted carts. The bunting was quite a job; there are more buntings than you might initially think!
The bunting is cut from Maileg's checked wrapping paper. It's handy because all you have to do is fold the checkered paper in half, and your flag is ready. We already had the cotton thread stretched across, and we glued the folded checkered paper around it. (If you'd also like some Maileg wrapping paper, you can order it for free if you place an order with Skattich :))
The small gifts are made from wooden blocks with paper glued around them. See how here.
I printed the graph paper myself from a resized image of Maileg wrapping paper. The text paper is from Little Sissy.
The carts are dark red. I carefully removed the containers and painted them white. Then I glued them back on. If there's interest, I'll order the carts for the shop this year.
The Maileg mice
We especially had fun dressing up the Maileg mice. They're like little brothers and sisters. You can buy the Maileg mice here. The mice we have are a few years old and are no longer available.
I had Piet hats made for the mice for the Pieten via Instagram. Unfortunately, that account is no longer active, but I did find another place for you that also makes them. You can contact Jose Kwast (@joos_hobby_haken) via Instagram or Facebook. The Pieten's collars are made of soft pink glitter tulle. They can also be used as skirts 😉
For Sinterklaas , I made a miter from a piece of gold faux leather, topped with a felt cross. I simply glued it on with fabric glue. The cape is made from a mini rabbit from Maileg. The staff and collar are available in the shop (limited stock).
Once everything was ready, the game could begin, and it was a great success. We still had a white horse, so that was added later. You could also use a wooden horse from Ostheimer or Holztiger; they go very well with the Maileg mice.
Have fun playing!
ps. Read here about the Piet warehouse I also made last year!
