Crayon Caddy's for Phoenix Children's Hospital

A few weeks ago Orson (our baby) spent 4 at Phoenix Children's Hospital. While he was there he was taken care of extremely well and so was our family. One of the days spent at PCH happened to be Charles' birthday (our middle son). Frank and I were devastated to have Orson in the hospital in the first place, and then to add onto all the other emotions being there during Charlies birthday was very hard. We had been planning and counting down to Charlies birthday for weeks with him. All of our plans an excitement were thrown out the window when our unexpected hospital stay came. The child life specialist at PCH found out that Orson's brother was having a birthday and that he would be visiting Orson in the hospital so our family could be together for a few hours to celebrate together. A few minutes before Charles and Maelee came into Orson's hospital room with Frank the child life specialist dropped by to bring us a "party" for Charles. While the kids sat up in the window seat and colored with new crayons and coloring books and put together new puzzles an ice cream cart passed our room. The kids along with Frank and I were asked to come out of the room and pick some ice cream treats. By this time Charles was ecstatic. Then in walks into our room the same sweet child life specialist with a hand made birthday poster for Charles and a lovely birthday gift. I was so touched as a mother to have someone put such care and love into making my son feel special on his birthday when my own ability at that time was limited. Needless to say Charles left the hospital on his birthday feeling remembered, loved, and most definitely a birthday boy.

The next day I was walking down the hall of Orson's area of the hospital and I saw another birthday boy, but he was the patient and not the brother. His glass door into his hospital room was decorated with colorful dry erase markers and had decorations up for his birthday celebration. No doubt the work of someone from the hospital in partner with the child's parents. Walking down any hall lined with doors its next to impossible not to glance into the rooms. Frank and I talked later about it and each walk we took down the hall was filled with thoughts of the other kids in the rooms. How long had they been in their room? Did they have family with them or was employment or other siblings at home causing days spent alone by the child in the hospital? Talking with one of the respiratory therapists helping Orson he pointed out that some kids staying at the hospital didn't have any parents at all to help watch over - and care for - and worry about them.

So my eyes were opened as I realized that this very unique environment of Phoenix Children's Hospital that we were praying earnestly to leave was a very special place doing incredibly amazing things for children and families.

A new goal for me is to find ways to help repay the kindness and care shown to my family by all of the staff at PCH by helping them continue to give that kindness and care to other children and families. I talked with the child life specialist that helped our family and figured out a way we could help her continue to provide positive and uplifting moments for children in the hospital. With new material we can make crayon caddy's. It will help the kids that are behind all of those doors we walked by have something special to keep their crayons in so they won't roll all over the place. Plus there is something magical and hopeful about new crayons all lined up together.

One yard can make 3 crayon caddy's with the tutorial below. Plus there are a ton of other crayon caddy tutorials online, but I like to make them this way because of the flap that covers the crayons so they won't fall out once the caddy is rolled and potentially tossed into a bag or drawer.

If you want to help you could donate a yard of new material, thread, new crayons, make some yourself, or stay tuned for further updates on sewing parties and delivery dates. I have 24 spots in the caddy's I am making and plan on hitting the back to school sales in a few weeks to get Crayola (since lets be honest they are the best crayons ever) crayons to fill the caddy's with.

This tutorial is simple and meant to be used by beginning sewers. Clearly I didn't re-invent the wheel with this tutorial and there are several other probably better ones on the web already. I sew to get the job done quickly and efficiently so any ironing (my material was new so it wasn't wrinkly), interfacing, etc that I found on other tutorials is not what you will find here.

(started with one yard of material) 

 (cut 1 yard into 3 pieces, each piece will make one crayon caddy)

 (cut one inch piece off of the 1/3 of a yard to use for the tie up for the caddy)

 (fold the one inch piece in on its self and sew it to make sturdy tie)

 (sew the open edges up of the remaining 1/3 of a yard leaving only a hole big enough to pull the material through)

 (Here I show the hole I left to pull the material through)

 (reaching to the opposite corner of the hole to pull the material through)

 (Material has all been pulled through and the hole is being folded in to make it ready for sewing shut)

 (the hole has been sewed shut and the material is now given a 2 inch fold all the way across that will be the pockets for the crayons. Here I also show the tie from earlier folded in half and slipped into the top of the pocket to sew it as well)

 (I was lucky and this material had 1 inch lines already as a print, but if not it would be helpful to lightly mark 1 inch lines to sew the 24 pockets as shown below)

 (Fill caddy with crayons)

 (fold the top down over the crayons so they won't fall out - MY favorite feature when my kids use theirs)

 (roll it up and tie it up, done and done)