Since then, they have become a staple in Disney park couture, and a unique collectible for all ages. Between themed after both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the ear hats and headbands have featured many different themes over the years including rides, theme park shows, characters, movies, and television series.

If you don’t have Mickey or Minnie Mouse ears of your own, let me tell you a little more about them.

Where to Find Minnie Mouse Ears

The most common place to find Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears is at the Disney parks. They are available at almost every gift shop found within the Disney parks, and at World of Disney at both Downtown Disney and Disney Springs.

But if you live far from the parks, never fear. There are other ways to purchase your favorite Disney accessory.

To get the classic Disney-made Mickey and Minnie Mouse Ears, you’ll want to visit Shop Disney. You will see the current collections and releases of ear hats and headbands that you would be able to purchase in the Disney parks.

But Shop Disney is not the only place you find Minnie Mouse ears. Many creatives have taken the idea and made it their own.

Etsy made it possible for people to come up with their own ideas, and share them with the world. You can search by theme or design and find exactly what you’re looking for. And because there are no design limits, you can see things like Mouse Ear Scrunchies, Adjustable Elastic Headbands, 3D-Printed Ears, and more.

There have also been a number of Instagram users that have come up with their own custom designs using different fabrics and expanding beyond only Disney themes.

One user I follow can be found at @magicalmouseears on Instagram.

Instagram users will often use their platform to promote their designs, then have a link in their bio to their own personal website, or a shop on Etsy.

There are many options as far as purchasing new Minnie Mouse ears. I will place a disclaimer though, that quality is sometimes the cost if you choose to venture away from Disney’s Mickey and Minnie Mouse Ears. Most I have purchased third-party are well made, but they start to lose their quality after a few wears if they have extra jewels, lace, or charms on them.

DIY Mouse Ears

If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you can tackle making your own pair of mouse ears. There are many templates for ear size online, making the process easier.

What you’ll need:

• Headband
• Cardboard for the ears
• Cotton Stuffing for the ears
• Fabric for the ears and headband
• Fabric for the Bow
• Charm for the Bow (Optional)
• Additional fabric (based on design)

For these ears, I based the design off of Pirates of the Caribbean. I went to my local fabric shop, Joann, to pick up most of the supplies and got going.

You can make ears of your own with a basic knowledge of sewing and some patience. And if you find that you like it, your homemade ears will only get better with practice.

When to Wear Minnie Mouse Ears

If you ask most people, they would tell you that the most appropriate time to wear Minnie Mouse Ears would be the Disney parks themselves. However, there are many other occasions that you can wear your Minnie Mouse Ears.

In fact, I sported one version of Disney’s Graduation Ears just last week.

On Shop Disney, you can find Birthday Ears, Graduation Ear Hats, Bride and Groom Ears, and ears that are perfect for playing dress up.

But of course, you don’t need an occasion to wear your favorite Mickey or Minnie Ears. Sometimes they’re just fun to have around and try on every once in a while.

How to Store Minnie Mouse Ears

There are many ways to store Minnie Mouse Ears. I have seen people create stands for them or create frames for them to display them in their hallways.

However, most of the time, people are just looking for a way to store them in their closet without them getting crushed by other clothing or valuables.

Lucky for you, there is a solution that that problem. At Target, there is a box that is the perfect size for storing multiple pairs of Mickey and Minnie ears.

This is a cute and practical way to store your favorite collectible ears and preserve their quality so you can wear them during Disney vacations for years to come.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears are treasured momentos of a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. They remind us of happy times and mark special occasions.

Collectors of all ages enjoy these special ear hats and headbands and make it a hobby to collect even more.

The post Collectibles: Mickey & Minnie Mouse Ears appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

In this project, I wanted to bring Stitch’s design and one of the movie’s biggest concepts – Ohana – together.

Painting water bottles has become a trending craft in the last few years. We all need to drink water, and personalizing your water bottle makes a mundane health requirement even more fun.

Where can I buy the right water bottle?

You can paint pretty much any water bottle you want to. However, it does make it easier if the finish on the bottle is a little more course. If there is already a glossy finish on the bottle, the harder it will be for the paint to stick.

I found this bottle at target. But you could get a water bottle from any store that sells them. The bottle you end up buying could depend on size, type, and color.

Do I need to use a primer on the water bottle before I paint it?

I learned by trial and error that primer is definitely the way to go. I tried to do a layer of white paint before adding color, only to have it rub off completely when I tried to add a second coat.

So I washed the bottle off and tried again. I painted a coat of primer on, and that did the trick. Any primer will work, but more specifically a primer used for acrylic paints that you could find at a craft store.

What kind of paint should I use?

Once I added the primer, I used regular acrylic paints that you can find at craft stores or stores like Walmart and Target.

These paints are not very expensive. You can usually find 2 oz. bottles in various colors for anywhere from $0.50 to $1.

What kind of glaze or seal should I use?

If you have experience with a certain type of glaze or finishing seal, feel free to use that.

I used Mod Podge because it is very user friendly and easy to work with. It doesn’t take much to give the project a good, finished look.

It can be a little scary looking when you first put it on because it goes on with a white color, similar to Elmer’s glue. But never fear! It always dries clear, no matter how much you put on.

However, you may want to use a spray seal instead of painting it on if you don’t like a brushed look.

How to Make Your Own Painted Water Bottle

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Water Bottle or Hydro Flask in your desired color
• Paint primer
• Acrylic Paints in your desired colors
• Paintbrushes
• Mod Podge
• Pencil
• Thin-tipped Sharpie
• Printed Stencil

Instructions

1. Print the stencils you want according to the dimension of your chosen design or picture.
2. Cut out the stencil sections to trace.
3. Trace the outer edges of the stencil.
4. When you are happy with the outer edges, fill in your design with primer.
5. After the design is primed, trace the remainder of your stencil on top of the primer.
6. When you are happy with the design on your bottle, break out those paintbrushes and start with one color at a time. You want to make sure each color has time to dry before you start the next color or layer to avoid the paint bleeding together.
7. When you have finished each color, you can decide whether you want another layer of paint and add any finishing touches you would like to at this time.
8. If there are any lines that are too thin to paint, take the thin-tipped Sharpie and go over them for a more clean look.
9. Allow the paint and Sharpie to dry for at least 2-3 hours.
10. Take a paintbrush and paint on Mod Podge in smooth, even strokes.
11. Allow Mod Podge to dry for 1-3 hours. A warmer room temperature will result in faster drying time.

Yield: 1

DIY Painted Water Bottle

Print

In this DIY project, you can bring Stitch's design and one of the movie's biggest concepts - Ohana - together.

This design is only one concept. If you have another color or character in mind, this project is adaptable.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Active Time 3 hours

Drying Time 6 hours

Total Time 9 hours 15 minutes

Difficulty Hard

Materials

• Water Bottle or Hydro Flask in your desired color
• Paint primer
• Acrylic Paints in your desired colors
• Paintbrushes
• Mod Podge
• Pencil
• Thin-tipped Sharpie
• Printed Stencil

Tools

• Paint
• Paintbrushes
• Water Bottle
• Primer

Instructions

1. Print the stencils you want according to the dimension of your chosen design or picture.

2. Cut out the stencil sections to trace.

3. Trace the outer edges of the stencil.

4. When you are happy with the outer edges, fill in your design with primer.

5. After the design is primed, trace the remainder of your stencil on top of the primer.

6. When you are happy with the design on your bottle, break out those paintbrushes and start with one color at a time. You want to make sure each color has time to dry before you start the next color or layer to avoid the paint bleeding together.

7. When you have finished each color, you can decide whether you want another layer of paint and add any finishing touches you would like to at this time.

8. If there are any lines that are too thin to paint, take the thin-tipped Sharpie and go over them for a more clean look.

9. Allow the paint and Sharpie to dry for at least 2-3 hours.

10. Take a paintbrush and paint on Mod Podge in smooth, even strokes.

11. Allow Mod Podge to dry for 1-3 hours. A warmer room temperature will result in faster drying time.

Other Fun Crafts You Might Enjoy

• DIY Disneyland Marquee Sign

The post DIY Disney Painted Water Bottle appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

Marvel has certainly become a household name – over the last few years especially. And undoubtedly, people have their favorite characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So I thought, why not bring some of our favorite characters into a useful item that we can find in one of people’s favorite stores – Target.

I don’t know about you, but I am always losing little things like keys, bobby pins, and necklaces because I have nowhere to put them.

With this project, I brought some of my favorite characters into the solution. I found these little white dishes at Target in the dollar section, but any little ceramic dish would work for this craft.

Where can I find ceramic dishes?

Ceramic dishes are fairly easy to come by, but the trick is finding a dish that is unglazed. If it is already glazed, the paint has a harder time sticking to the dish.

These dishes were found in the dollar section at Target, but they tend to sell out rather quickly.

You can also find unglazed pottery and dishes in craft sections of most grocery stores or craft stores like Michael’s, Joann, or Hobby Lobby.

What kind of paints should I use?

I just used simple acrylic paints that can be purchased for about $1 at most stores like Walmart or Target.

You can also find acrylic paints at craft stores similar to those listed above.

How big should my stencil be?

It depends on how big your dish is. You want the stencil to be the same size as your dish, so it is easy to trace.

My ceramic dishes were 4 inches from edge to edge. However, if you just wanted to do the bottom of the dish and not bring the design all the way up, you could just measure the bottom surface area and go off of that.

What kind of glaze or seal should I use?

If you have experience with a certain type of glaze or finishing seal, feel free to use that.

I used Mod Podge because it is very user friendly and easy to work with. It doesn’t take much to give the project a good, finished look.

It can be a little scary looking when you first put it on because it goes on with a white color, similar to Elmer’s glue. But never fear! It always dries clear, no matter how much you put on.

How to Make Your Own Marvel Ceramic Dishes

Here’s what you’ll need:

• White ceramic dishes
• Acrylic Paints in your desired colors
• Paintbrushes
• Mod Podge
• Pencil
• Thin-tipped Sharpie
• Printed Stencil

Instructions

1. Print the stencils you want according to the dimension of the ceramic dish.
2. Cut out the template sections to trace
3. Trace the template sections with a white pencil. These can be a little messy because you will be painting over them, it just might take a few layers of paint.
4. When you are happy with the design on your dish, break out those paintbrushes and start with one color at a time. You want to make sure each color has time to dry before you start the next color or layer to avoid the paint bleeding together.
5. When you have finished each color, you can decide whether you want another layer of paint and add any finishing touches you would like to at this time.
6. If there are any lines that are too thin to paint, take the thin-tipped Sharpie and go over them for a more clean look.
7. Allow the paint and Sharpie to dry for at least 2-3 hours.
8. Take a paintbrush and paint on Mod Podge in smooth, even strokes.
9. Allow Mod Podge to dry for 1-3 hours. A warmer room temperature will result in faster drying time.

Yield: 3

DIY Marvel Ceramic Dishes

Print

Marvel has certainly become a household name - over the last few years especially. And undoubtedly, people have their favorite characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So I thought, why not bring some of our favorite characters to life in these fun ceramic dishes.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Active Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Drying Time 3 hours

Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes

Difficulty Medium

Materials

• White ceramic dishes
• Acrylic Paints in your desired colors
• Paintbrushes
• Mod Podge
• Pencil
• Thin-tipped Sharpie
• Printed Stencil

Tools

• Paint Brushes
• Paint
• Ceramic Dishes

Instructions

1. Print the stencils you want according to the dimension of the ceramic dish.

2. Cut out the template sections to trace

3. Trace the template sections with a white pencil. These can be a little messy because you will be painting over them, it just might take a few layers of paint.

4. When you are happy with the design on your dish, break out those paintbrushes and start with one color at a time. You want to make sure each color has time to dry before you start the next color or layer to avoid the paint bleeding together.

5. When you have finished each color, you can decide whether you want another layer of paint and add any finishing touches you would like to at this time.

6. If there are any lines that are too thin to paint, take the thin-tipped Sharpie and go over them for a more clean look.

7. Allow the paint and Sharpie to dry for at least 2-3 hours.

8. Take a paintbrush and paint on Mod Podge in smooth, even strokes.

9. Allow Mod Podge to dry for 1-3 hours. A warmer room temperature will result in faster drying time.

Other Fun Crafts You Might Enjoy

• DIY Disneyland Marquee Sign

No matter what shape or size of dish you choose or what superhero or character you decide on, these dishes are sure to bring a smile to your face by bringing your favorite characters into this DIY project.

The post DIY Marvel Ceramic Dishes appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

I have been a fan of vintage Disneyland decor for years, and I wanted to bring a little magic to my space.

It’s hard to think of Disneyland without thinking of where it came from. In the early 1950’s, Walt Disney began designing Disneyland. The opening day decor and attractions were both fun and timeless.

What kind of paper do I need to use?

Different kinds of paper could be used, as long as it is thicker paper that will stand up on its own. This project won’t work as well with flimsy printer paper.

For my version of this project, I used card stock and crafting paper.

How big does each letter need to be?

Here are the measurements for my Disneyland marquee sign:

• D – 12″ x 7.5″
• i – 10 1/4″ x 3″
• s – 7 1/2″ x 4 1/2″
• n – 7 1/2″ x 5″
• e – 7 1/2″ x 4 1/2″
• y – 9 1/2″ x 5 1/4″
• l – 11″ x 3 1/4″
• a – 7 1/2″ x 5″
• n – 7 1/2″ x 5″
• d – 10 1/2″ x 5 1/2″
• Yellow – 11″ x 6 1/2″
• Green – 7 3/4″ x 5 1/4″
• Orange – 9 3/4″ x 5″
• Hot Pink – 9 1/2″ x 4 1/4″
• Purple – 9″ x 3 1/2″
• Blue – 10″ x 4″
• Red (x3) – 2 1/2″ x 1 1/2″

This sign measures about 53″ in width. If you would like a bigger or smaller sign, the measurements are customizable with a little bit of math.

Can I use vinyl letters instead of tracing them?

Yes, of course. Because Disneyland’s font is custom made, you will need to buy a compatible font for a vinyl lettering machine like Cricut. But it can definitely be done this way.

I used the templates and traced them with sharpies because they are household items that more people would have access to.

Can I use a yard stick to back the paper?

You can use a yard stick, however we custom cut a piece of wood to make the sign slightly larger.

If you would like to use a yard stick, just be sure to bring down the measurements for all of the paper so they will fit accordingly.

How to Make Your Own Disneyland Marquee Sign

Here’s what you’ll need:

• White card stock
• Colored construction paper or crafting paper
• Custom cut piece of wood (2 1/2″ x 53″)
• Pencil
• Regular-sized Sharpies
• Jumbo Sharpies
• Scissors or a paper trimmer
• Masking tape
• Popsicle Sticks
• Printer

Instructions

1. Print the templates according to their dimension. (If you prefer a bigger or smaller sign, size the templates up or down before printing).
2. Cut out the template letters
3. Cut the white paper and colored paper to dimensions listed above
4. Trace template letters onto cut white paper with pencil
5. Go over traced letter outlines with regular-sized Sharpie, then fill in the center with jumbo Sharpie
6. Line up the letters face down, according to your preference or the design shown above
7. Place the custom cut piece of wood along the back of the papers
8. Using popsicle sticks, line up the wood and the sticks for extra support
9. Tape popsicle sticks down and secure papers to wood
10. Attach to the wall with nails, hooks, or command strips

Yield: 1 Marquee

DIY Disneyland Marquee Sign

Print

Materials

• White card stock
• Colored construction paper or crafting paper
• Custom cut piece of wood (2 1/2″ x 53″)
• Pencil
• Masking tape
• Popsicle Sticks

Tools

• Regular-sized Sharpies
• Jumbo Sharpies
• Scissors or a paper trimmer
• Printer

Instructions

Print the templates according to their dimension. (If you prefer a bigger or smaller sign, size the templates up or down before printing).

Cut out the template letters

Cut the white paper and colored paper to dimensions listed above

Trace template letters onto cut white paper with pencil

Go over traced letter outlines with regular-sized Sharpie, then fill in the center with jumbo Sharpie

Line up the letters face down, according to your preference or the design shown above

Place the custom cut piece of wood along the back of the papers

Using popsicle sticks, line up the wood and the sticks for extra support

Tape popsicle sticks down and secure papers to wood

Attach to the wall with nails, hooks, or command strips

The post DIY Disneyland Marquee Sign appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.