The first major project I finished recently is a series of quiet book pages. I had set a deadline for our recent trip to Mexico, and finished 8 pages before we left (well, technically 9, but one is a 2-page spread). They are almost entirely made out of felt, which is great because the edges of the pieces don't fray, and the felt pieces stick together well.
The first page I did was this rainbow page, which I found on this website. I made a few changes - I used star beads, and I used a different number on each color of the rainbow, so this page can be used for both counting and colors. I also added a button-on sun and a snap-on rain drop, since those are the fundamental makers of rainbows! The kids love sliding the beads up and down the ribbons and counting them.
My favorite page is this sandwich-making page, which I got inspiration from here. A few changes I made were to have a one-door fridge, a blue plate to match the plates we use, a basket for the bread (which I would have liked to make more basket-like), ketchup and mustard bottles, and a jar of mayo, which is open at the top. There's also a knife I made by sewing a gray and black sleeve that fits over a jumbo popsicle stick that I cut in half.
A big favorite around here is the yellow school bus page. I came up with this one on my own, although when I searched later I found a few similar pages online. I used vinyl to sew 4 windows, into which I slid pictures of our family, and which have flaps that the kids can lift to reveal our faces. The wheels can turn or be unbuttoned. I would have liked to add something else, but I couldn't think of anything.
I came up with the autumn leaves page on my own, as well, after an afternoon spent outside raking leaves with Turtle. He loves helping me rake the leaves into piles, steering the wheelbarrow, and piling the leaves inside. The felt leaves stick to the felt pages and can be raked up with the dollhouse rake, which I purchased from amazon. I originally made a rake out of pipe cleaners, which might work for an older child who could be more delicate, but did NOT work for a toddler. The leaves can be raked up and stored in the wheelbarrow.
I got the pattern for these sock-matching pages here. I think these pages would be better for slightly older kids, and actually, the machine should have buttons that I haven't added yet. This page was more work than it was worth, I think, since making the socks is very time-consuming, but if that's your cup of tea, go for it. Also, I used magnets inside the socks to get them to stick together, but they're not strong enough to work through two layers of felt. Luckily, since they're made out of felt, they stick together anyway. That blog has many excellent ideas.
The number page was inspired by this blog. This is another one that will probably be better when they're older. I did not do the double-sided numbers with velcro, since it was becoming a lot of work and since the felt will stick anyway. The matching colors help the kids match up the numbers.
Another big favorite is the barn, which I have seen many iterations of around the internet. I used these two blogs for inspiration. It's quite simple, with a cute red barn and doors that open to reveal finger puppets. I wanted to do something with the hayloft window that would be more interactive, but in the end I couldn't think of anything. I added the fence and the grass, which I thought made the page look more "finished".
And the last page I made is for creating an ice cream cone, for which I took inspiration from this blog. I started hand-sewing this one, and then ran out of steam, so technically it's not finished - I wanted to have a little bucket for toppings, too. I can always add that later.
At some point, I will put them together to make an actual book. I bought grommets and I will make a cover and the idea is for it to be able to be taken apart so multiple kids (i.e. twins) can play with it at the same time. For now, having separate pages works just fine for me.
I have lots and lots more ideas, many of which can be found on my pinterest page. Considering how thick the book already is with only 8 pages, I probably won't be able to add too many more.
I would love to hear your thoughts and any other ideas you might have. And if you've made anything like this, please send me a link!
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