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| © shoutingforha |
One of the young fellows that works for my hubby has a deliciously adorable little boy named Harvey. The Harvster turned one on Thursday and his parents are having a party this afternoon to celebrate the momentous occasion.
At the hubby's request, I have been working on a quiet book for the little man. It's a close replica to the one I originally made for my boy's first birthday.
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| © shoutingforha |
The book is made almost entirely of felt. In my opinion, it is the perfect material for this type of project. Here's why...
First, felt is incredibly durable and doesn't fray like other fabrics. Second, it is inexpensive and comes in a million different colors. And third, the pre-cut sheets are the perfect size for the pages of the book.
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| © shoutingforha |
Hidden inside the pocket is this little note. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
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| © shoutingforha |
I used my sewing machine to secure many of the pieces, like this train, to the pages of the book. I prefer to use matching thread whenever possible. The process is rather tedious, but is well worth the time and effort.
Old buttons were used for the wheels.
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| © shoutingforha |
The belt is from my boy's closet. It no longer fits around his waist, so I cut it to fit this tiny pair of pants.
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| © shoutingforha |
While the sides and top of the baseball glove are securely attached to the page, the bottom was left open. It forms a pocket that is just the right size for a tiny hand to slide inside.
When I made my niece's quiet book, I replaced the glove with a brightly-colored mitten.
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| © shoutingforha |
The doors on the barn can be opened to reveal cute little animal friends.
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| © shoutingforha |
All of the removable pieces, like these shapes, are made from two pieces of felt that have been sewn together. They attach to the book with velcro.
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| © shoutingforha |
The eyelets for the shoelace were made using grommets. I also placed three grommets down one side of each page. They make assembling the book and turning the pages a snap.
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| © shoutingforha |
Harvey is already being indoctrinated into the St. Louis Cardinals fan club. I decided to make a miniature Albert Pujols so that Harvey can help the MLB star run around the bases after a grand slam.
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| © shoutingforha |
All of the words, with the exception of those on the cover, were written with fabric paint. It is relatively inexpensive and comes in a rainbow of colors.
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| © shoutingforha |
Inside the tent is a picture of the birthday boy (I told you he was adorable). The photo, which rests in a pocket, can be easily swapped out as desired.
Once all the pages were completed, I paired them up and sewed them back-to-back. A coordinating ribbon was used to tie the whole thing together. I placed a few quick stitches into the knot of the bow to ensure that the book doesn't fall apart.
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| © shoutingforha |
After my boy examined Harvey's completed book, he asked me to retrieve his own quiet book from the top of the closet. It was carefully packed in a box along with some of his most precious keepsakes. He flipped through it's pages, removing and replacing each shape and unzipping the tent to reveal his once chubby cheeks.
I hope that little Harvey will enjoy his new quiet book.
I've had a few people ask for a supply list. Here goes:
10 white felt sheets
2 lime green felt sheets
3 red felt sheets
2 yellow felt sheets
5 pale blue felt sheets
1 orange felt sheet
1 purple felt sheet
1 turquoise felt sheet
1 bright blue felt sheet
1 bright pink felt sheet
2 dark green felt sheets
1 black felt sheet
1 gray felt sheet
2 dark blue felt sheets
2 brown felt sheets
1 cream felt sheet
misc. scraps of animal print fabric
thread in matching colors, although you can sew everything in white thread
4 1/2 ft. of ribbon in a complimentary color
1 pkg. soft velcro
1 shoelace
3 sets of snaps
1 short zipper
11 buttons
24 large grommets
10 small grommets
1 belt
1 photo for inside the tent
fabric paint in a variety of colors
To check out a Quiet Book I made for a little girl, click here.
*** Feel free to use my design to make a quiet book for someone that you love. That said, I request that you refrain from using my design to create products for sale. Thanks!
26 comment(s). Leave yours!:
Wow, what a project Mrs. Ha!
I can see all the work and time it takes to create this wonderful gift.
Happy Birthday Harvey!
I hope that Harvey has many happy years enjoying his quiet book. It's an absolute work of art. You are truly amazing Mrs. Ha!
Could you be any more amazing???
OMW!!I'm speechless!! You are SO creative!! What a priceless gift!
This is really lovely....what a wonderful gift.
This is really lovely....what a wonderful gift. I can't imagine how long it would have taken. I think you have a lot more patience then me!!
Darling! Saving this for ideas for my daughter's quiet book.
So amazing. Beautifully done! I love the Pujols page too. Go cards!
Most adorable thing I've ever seen. Definitely doing this when I have kids. LOVE that it's not flashy/expensive to make, but it's still interesting, colorful, interactive, and personalized to each child. Seriously, kudos.
Found this blog on Craftgawker and I am so happy I did...this is the most amazingly beautiful idea! My little girl turns one next month and this would be so special to make for her...better jump on the ball! Thanks for your inspiration!
tankyounotes.blogspot.com
I LOVE love love this project! Thank you for being so kind to share such an original and sweet idea! (so nice to see NEW ideas!)
I had one of these when I was a kid! I loved it! After more than 20 years I think it's still hanging out in a box somewhere.
I'm so inspired by the beautiful quiet books you created for Harvey and Emmie! Even though this Grandma doesn't sew ~ I can glue! haha I'm going to start one of these for my own little Emmie ~ Miss Emerson Lee. Also, my apologies to Harvey and St. Louis Cardinal fans. We here in Anaheim love that Albert Pulols is now part of our Angels! ;) Thanks again, you're so talented!
This is really amazing and a great idea to use in kindergarten!
I am not a crafty person meaning, I am fairly skills in this area. Can you please share what you used for the holes? I see metal reinforcers,
@Mrs. Alice
Hi Alice! I used gromets for the three holes in each page. I punched out the fabric and then hammered the gromets in place.
Hi! What an amazing book!! How did you affix the belt? It looks so nicely done but I can't imagine how lol
@the Potter's Vessel
Thanks for the question! Here's what I did to attach the belt. Let me know if you need further instructions.
1. Buckle the belt, center it on the pants and then cut it to the right length.
You will be attaching the belt along the two cut ends, but first, you will need to make those edges a little thinner.
2. When you look at the cut ends of the belt, you will notice that the belt has the attractive top layer, the back layer and maybe something in between.
Using a pair of sharp scissors, cut away a portion of the belt backing (maybe 1/2 an inch worth) leaving only the top layer of the belt.
3. Make sure the edge of the belt is lined up with the edge of the pants. Attach the belt using a simple straight stitch. I went over it 3-4 times to make sure it was good and secure.
Hope that answers your question!
I LOVE this idea... I was just wondering if you could post ALL the items you used to make this book...
Thanks :-)
@Anonymous I've added a supply list to the post. If you have any more questions just let me know.
Your quiet book is really amazing. The attention you paid to detail really makes it look so professional. You came up with some really fun pages. I made a quiet book too not long ago so I know how much work they are. You can see mine here: http://servingpinklemonade.blogspot.com/2011/01/quiet-book.html
I love this! Everything is so clean and perfect looking. It doesn't look sloppily put together like other activity books. Thanks for the inpiration. Much success to you!
I used to make these for the little children in my life. They've all grown up now and just the other day, one of them called me and asked me to make one for her son. I think I may add a blinking LED kit (from Maker Shed)to make a railroad signal for a train...
it is awesome!!!!! thanks for the idea!!!
I am making a quiet book for my first grandson. I love your ball glove page. Do you have a template for it?
Would you be willing to share your baseball glove template? This is the only one I could find that I like. Thanks so much.
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