I have a toddler that is a mover and a goer, an escape artist, a wiggle-monster, (as his brothers like to call him), which is all good and dandy when we are playing outside. But at church, or at the doctors, or during times that require quiet and stillness, having a child that won’t sit still and be quiet for that matter, can be problematic.
So, after weeks of bribing him with toys and food, and after endless head-butts and patronizing glares from others across the pews, I decided to make my son a quiet book to help us get through our Sunday Services.
When I first started this project, I literally copied pages straight off of Pinterest from fellow bloggers like myself (Thanks all!) But, once I got into it, I decided to venture out and try designing a few pages on my own; so, I made a camping page, a snowboarding page, and a rock climbing page (my personal favorite).
I was pretty proud of how they turned out, so I thought that I would share them with you so that you all can enjoy! But before I do, here are a few tips about creating a quiet book that I learned along the way:
- It takes a LOT of time – No surprise here, right? I am sure that you have read this tip 100 times from other bloggers with similar experiences. But seriously, it takes A LOT of time. Like, as in every waking moment from sun-up to sun-down for a month straight. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- You pay for what you get- at least when it comes to felt. Because of where I live, my choices in felt are very limited. Okay, let’s be honest, I didn’t have a choice since there is only one store that carries it here. So, while visiting my mother, I took the opportunity to pick up some better quality material. I found that using a higher-end felt made a WORLD of difference! It sewed together much nicer, is much more durable, and looks 10 times better.
- Adhesive backed felt is The BOMB. No, literally. It rocks. Cut it, stick it and sew it. It’s that easy. It saved me a lot of time and effort and because I could draw my designs on the paper backing and didn’t have to pin it, which also saved my sanity.
- Last tip- Don’t get discouraged. Sometimes the pages don’t turn out as well as you had hoped. But don’t worry your little guy or gal will love it anyways.
So, as promised, here are my patterns. Disclosure: These patterns are for personal use only. Please do not use these patterns to sell, distribute or to make a profit in any way. All that we ask in return is that you give credit to Nature for Kids, and that you visit the site often!
Thanks, and cheers!
-Amanda
** Please note that I did not include a pattern for the rock wall on the climbing page. This is because my initial attempt did not work (thanks to the cheap felt that I used). My apologies.
