Quiet Book, page 4 {bugs on leaves}

Do you ever feel like a year has gotten away from you? That's how my year has been...busy, busy, busy {I guess that's what I should expect with 5 kids...right?} and it has FLOWN by.  In all that craziness I completely forgot about pages 4, 5 & 6....oops! So here is page 4 of my quiet book for you "bugs on leaves".  It's another quick and easy design (the best kind).  It's more of a look, touch & feel page.  Younger kids will like the sensory aspect of just the different textures of the felt leaves and pompom bugs.  As they get a little older they can begin to count the bugs, name the colors, or match the colored bugs (try connecting them by drawing a line with a piece of yarn or string).

Here's what you need:

1 piece of felt for the background, cut to 8 1/2 x 11 inches, I used bright blue

Green felt in two shades

1/2 inch colorful pompoms, I chose more "autumn colored" pompoms

Sewing machine + thread

Embroidery floss + needle

Scissors

1. Cut out your leaves.  I know I say this a lot, but just free-hand it--you can do it!.  If it makes it easier, cut out a paper template first.  Make a large (about 9 x 5 inches) "football"...pointed oval shape, then just cut some notches out of the side to give it a more tropical leaf feel.

2. Arrange the leaves on the background, then pin in place.  Using a sewing machine, stitch the leaves onto the background, adding details for the leaf veins as you like (see pictures).

3. Arrange & hand stitch your pompoms in place using the embroidery floss.  Just knot your thread and sew through the background/leaves, into the pompoms and back down a few times to make sure they are extra secure.  Your stitching shouldn't show too much through the fluffy pompoms.  Add a few straight stitches around each bug's body for legs (see picture below). Repeat with remaining pompoms.  I added 5 pompoms to each leaf, one of each color.

And that's it.  Super quick and easy.  Enjoy!

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Page 1: Lion

Page 2: Snakes

Page 3: Hidden Flowers

Page 5: Tropical Fish {coming soon!}

Page 6: Coconut Tree {coming soon!}