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!}

Quiet Book, Page 2 {Snakes}

So, the last few weeks have been filled with kids with colds,  me catching the flu and snow-days {which are rare when you live in the mid-Atlantic region}...and trying to get the house back into some semblance of order {we're almost there}.  Needless to say,  I didn't have much time to blog...but I'm back now & here is page 2 of our quiet book...

This "snakes" page is the most quick and easy of all the pages I put together, but has lots of value.  Use it to learn colors and patterns or to practice counting {with small children, use adult supervision, we don't want anyone choking on little felt triangles} :)
Here's how to make your own...

You will need:
8 1/2 x 11 inch piece of felt {I used purple}
green felt
red felt
felt scraps {or an assortment of colored felt}
scissors
sewing machine
needle and black thread
pins

1. Cut out your snakes, I free-handed mine by just cutting a squiggly form then squaring off the head.  If you like do a quick little sketch with a fabric pen, then cut out each snake.  My snakes measure 8 to 9 inches long, with the bodies about 1 inch wide and the head about 1 1/2 inches wide {at the widest point}

2.  Cut a 2 1/2 x 3 inch rectangle of scrap felt to use as a pocket.

3.  Arrange your pocket in the bottom corner of the page {with the widest side at the top, where the opening will be}, pin in place.  Arrange your snakes however you like and pin in place.

4. Cut a small forked tongue for each snake...make it a little longer than you would think, slip the non-forked end under the snake's head and pin in place.

5.  Using coordinating thread, use your machine to carefully stitch around each snake close to the edges.  When stitching the head, stitch over where the tongue is securing it under the head, don't worry too much if it slides a little {it gives each snake a little character if they are not perfectly centered}.  Leave the remainder of the tongue free for a little extra dimension.

6.  Machine stitch around 3 sides of the pocket.  Always be sure to back-stitch when you start and finish stitching to lock your work in place {there are few things worse than falling out stitches}

7.  Using a needle and thread sew two French knot eyes on each snake.

8. Using felt scraps in an assortment of colors cut out small triangles to decorate each snake and store in the pocket. 

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Page 1: Lion

Page 3: Hidden Flowers

Page 4: Bugs on Leaves

Page 5: Tropical Fish

Page 6: Coconut Trees