Invented in 1949, with distribution by the Hasbro toy company beginning in 1952, Mr. Potato Head has been a mainstay of toy store shelves for nearly seventy years. Right up there with the Easy Bake Oven, old Mister Potato has never experienced a season of famine. Year after year, the farmers at Potato Head Farms must supply a bumper crop to keep up with perennial demand. Using the 1949 toy/craft as inspiration, I set forth on our St. Patrick's Day Crazy Crafty!
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| It was obvious from the image on the front of the original "Mr. Potato Head Funny Face Kit," that making Mr. Potato Head a leprechaun was not going to be too big a stretch. (Source) |
The original Mr. Potato Head Funny Face Kit included only prosthetic appendages and accessories, requiring the use of an actual potato. Not until 1964 did the kit come complete with the lumpy, plastic potato body, so well known to folks of my generation. Always one to bring a little vintage wacky tacky stylings to the holiday proceedings, however, I decided to go old school and craft a homemade potato head with only materials I could find around the house - including fresh produce. While challenging in its own right, finding a picturesque potato would prove to be the easiest part of this holiday craft.
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| I mean, have you ever sewn shorts for a potato? Authoring this blog has taken me down some roads of questionable creativity, but this was a first. The eyes are made of layered buttons. The hat, ears, nose, glasses, and shoes are made of paper. The eyebrows and muttonchops are made of unraveled yarn, while the belt is grosgrain ribbon. The legs are made of wire wrapped in yarn and the pipe is made of a bamboo skewer, paper, and a cotton ball. And who needs arms when you have the luck o' the Irish and the magic of the leprechauns! I was particularly pleased to be able to use my grandmother's pot as our little leprechaun's pot o' gold! |
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| This potato has eyes!!! Speaking of eyes, I think I have unwittingly discovered how I want my next pair of specs to look. Can someone please manufacture these glasses in a size suitable for the world's largest potato head? |
Did you ever play with Mr. Potato Head or his lovely wife? According to Wikipedia, Mr. Potato Head was the first children's toy to advertise on television. Obviously, the strategy of marketing directly toward children was a winner. Lo, this many years later, children (and the perpetually childish) continue to play with their food, making funny faces with Mr. Potato Head!
An early commercial for Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head Kits
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!
Cheers!
Mr. Tiny
