A quiet book cover can be a really simple design. Don't be intimidated with the amount of work required to make a quiet book. It is your book, so you decide the amount of work. There are many many page ideas which are simple to execute but will keep your children engaged in play.
These cover pages were made with very little effort. The shape of the cross easily identifies the subject matter of the book, and they can quickly be embellished with a little ribbon or some such.
I just used the normal stitch on the machine to sew this on top of the outer edge of the cross. I did consider putting it underneath, but it seemed like it might be difficult to keep in the right spot, so I opted for on top so I didn't end up with the background page showing through. I started at the short vertical line at the top left hand of the cross and ended in the same place, folding the last section of lace back on the underside to give a nice finish without any raw edges visible. It might have been better to start and end at the bottom edge to avoid being lop-sided. I think it turned out well anyway.
You can see a list of my easy pages by clicking on the Difficulty Level = Easy label in the right column.
Before I added the ribbons these red crosses on white backgrounds looked too much like first aid kits for my liking!
If you wanted the cover to be interactive you could always attach velcro to the back of the cross and attach it to the page. Another idea is to attach the ribbons on top with kam snaps. You could even make a weave-able cross out of several ribbons sewn at the left and top sides only.
Today I would like to introduce you to Brenda Dent and her Devotions Through Play quiet books. I saw how she was able to include a printed Bible verse in her books and just HAD to invite her to share her method with you though an Interview on Faith and Felt Obsession. Brenda operates the Creative Seamstress Shop in Tacoma, WA.
Devotions Through Play Quiet Book Video
Carissa D: How did you get interested in making quiet books?
Brenda: Got interested in Quiet Book sewing because they are colorful and entertaining even for me. Is a great distraction from nursing and I am in midst of retiring in 2-3 years. Thinking about starting a sewing business. Just something to do when retire from, as of now, 48 years of nursing. Love being imaginative and sewing since age 11. Altering my own clothes was essential due to then, my large size. And then had a little sister who laid on floor (sucking her fingers) asking me to make her a dress. I instead made her pajamas. Her pajamas were made by laying fabric on the floor, spreading arms out, like an angel, cutting around her. Then sewing the seams, elastic around neck and wrists, and hem. Well, she loved them, and made these requests every time I opened the sewing machine. My mom noted the talent and began buying patterns, sewing by their instructions and making dresses for rest of sisters and me. I did take a class in Home Economics, but did not ace the class because I had already developed techniques that were not favorable to my teacher.
Carissa D: I love your story about how you learned to sew by making things for your little sister :) does she sew too?
Brenda: Haha. No my sister does not sew.
Carissa D: What inspired this particular quiet book?
Brenda: I became inspired to sew a "Lutheran Quiet Book" because noted little resources for "Lutheran " version of a quiet book. I began making them for new babies in my church after baptism. I also sold them at a local store who sold local home made items. I then changed the name to "Devotions Through Play". They sold like 'hot cakes'.
Carissa D: Where did you get your ideas and did you use any templates?
Brenda: Ideas originally came from templates but refashioned them to the Lutheran teachings. Being a Sunday School teacher, in my high school and college years, promoted the idea of attaching God's word while a child plays.
I think that is why this quiet book stands out because it is learning His Word through play; Reading bible references/stories, hymns, and excerpts from the Lutheran Catechism. Promotes parent and child to spend time together, inspire child to learn, and remind parent of The Word of God.
Carissa D: I am totally loving the method you came up with for adding the written Bible verses to your pages. Could you please explain to everyone how to do this?
Brenda: I transfer bible verses to 'Light' Fabric transfers by AVERY. Just follow directions. Then I Iron the transfer on to a light cloth,I use muslin, then sew on to the page.
Carissa D: What encouragement can you give to anyone wanting to make a quiet book for someone special in their lives?
Brenda: This activity book is great for any ladies church group, where each person can sew a pattern or activity and one other can design a cover. Less work and time. Then all bring pages and place in the cover and present to a new parents of a child who has been baptized. This book is geared for 18 months to 3 years, so you have plenty of time for production. These pages do not necessarily require sewing, activity page can be done with painting and pasting. There are plenty of templates out there for free for references.
Carissa D: Feel free to give your business a plug!
Brenda: Please visit astitchintimecreations.biz. My business is thriving called Creative Seamstress Shop. I mend, sew, tailor, and create custom requests; jean bags out of a father's old jeans for a couple of sisters after his death, activity blankets/aprons for people with Alzheimer's, and make angel gowns for infant deaths to support families during grieving. These gowns/cocoons are donated to hospitals or given to those who request them.
Thank you so much for sharing with us Brenda! I love that you were able to find an easy way to include writing in your quiet books. It is often quite a difficult thing to do without an embroidery machine, which many of us do not own. But you have solved the problem. Well done!
Here is one of Brenda's activity aprons for Alzheimer patients. They are much like a quiet book or a fidget quilt to help exercise the minds of our dear oldies, but aprons are a little more practical as they cannot get lost. Terrific idea.
In Australian primary schools it is very common to have a yearly Easter Hat Parade competition. Each child makes or decorates a hat at home to wear in the parade at school. I remember them when I was a kid.
Now that its my turn to supervise the hat making, as a Christian I couldn't bring myself to make a hat full of eggs or bunnies. In an effort to make the most of the opportunity, and try to teach Tahlia how to share her faith, we made a Palm Sunday Easter Bonnet.
When I told my friends I wanted to make a Christian themed Easter Hat, they all immediately thought of putting a cross on the front of a hat. Kinda morbid looking next to a bunch of brightly coloured and fun filled Easter Hats. Of course I didn't want to embarrass Tahlia, and it's probably not the greatest method of convincing people that the Christian movement is something they should join either!
I think we came up with a hat that is equally bright and rivals the fun of any Easter Hat I've seen.
I would love to see and share your Christian themed Easter Hats!
It is made of painted paper mache molded over a hat and bucket. We made the rim and Jerusalem gateway arch out of aluminium foil, and paper mache over the top. The sign saying "Welcome to Jerusalem" is made from a painted pop stick and marker, and is hung with some elastic and hot glue.
The battery operated car and track are from one of Tahlia's toys. Jesus on the donkey and the crowd are finger puppets copied and laminated from the book Bible Stories by Twin Sisters Productions, 2005. We used plain old sticky tape to attach them to the hat (and car so Jesus can actually ride the donkey). And as you might have guessed we used felt and hot glue to make the palm tree trunks (and a cardboard hand towel roll for the top one). She wanted the tall one on top because there was a 'Tallest Hat' category. The palm branches are also felt hot glued around some pipe cleaners. They can be taken out and laid on the road or waved around while shouting "Hosanna!"
This hat was inspired by a quiet book page which I am yet to post on the blog. When I do, I'll put a link to the post so you guys can get the template for the palm leaves.
We had a great time making the hat together. Stay tuned for the next few years to see what else we come up with, and if you have any suggestions or requests, please let us know in the comments below!
Genesis chapter 1 records the events that occurred on days 1-6 of the Creation Week. The seventh day is also included here for convenience.
Memory Verse: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1.
Materials needed to create the Days of Creation quiet book page:
A4 felt background sheet. I used black.
Betty Lukens Felt book 01 Bible Stories available at Koorong (not an affiliate link).
sewing thread to best match the page
scissors!
Cut out all the pieces for this page and the page itself from the Betty Lukens set. The Betty Lukens FAQ section has posted a cutting tips PDF.
Sew the Betty Lukens page onto the background felt along three sides, leaving the top edge open to form a pocket. Pop the pieces inside the pocket (or better yet - play with them)!
Finished!
Difficulty Level = Easy, plus No Sew version.
A very easy quiet book page!
Just use hot glue wherever sewing is recommended for a no sew version.
Key Learning Areas and Skills
Genesis 1 - Learn the order of events on each day of creation week
Matching - Match each piece to the corresponding spot for each day of creation week
Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination
There are heaps of patterns in the days of creation. The most basic is that in the first three days God creates a space, and days 4-6, He fills those spaces. There are lots of other patterns too, such as numbering some days by their cardinal numbers, and others by their ordinal number. Such an interesting study.
I have discovered that the days of creation, aside from being literal, are actually a prophecy of the Earth's history and coming events.
Day 1 - God created light and separated light from darkness
Millennium 1 - Adam and Eve chose between light and darkness
Day 2 - God separated the waters above and below with a vault (the sky)
Millennium 2 - The Flood occurred
Day 3 - God made dry ground to appear, and vegetation grew on the land
Millennium 3 - God made dry ground appear for the Israelite's to cross the red sea after the Exodus, and the Earth was re-populated after The Flood. David is promised a descendant who will be a branch...
Day 4 - God created the greater light and the lesser light (sun and moon) and the stars
Millennium 4 - Jesus was born and lived (the Sun of Righteousness), announced by John the Baptist (the moon), and the earlier part of this period was characterized by the prophets (perhaps represented as the stars) or perhaps Abraham's descendants have now become a nation and are now as numerous as the stars).
Day 5 - God filled the water and sky with birds and fish
Millennium 5 - The Gospel went to the gentiles
Day 6 - God made the animals and Adam and Eve
Millennium 6 - The Gospel continued to go to the gentiles, and perhaps the second Adam (Jesus) will return (my guess is at the edge of the 6th and 7th Millenniums).
Day 7 - God rested
Millennium 7 - God will provide rest for His people during the thousand year respite/Sabbath in Heaven (after which we return to Earth - re-created for our eternal home).
It's pretty cool when you start recognizing patterns in the Bible and find something like this.
Anyway, if you want some great scientific evidence articles (journal, lay and children's) regarding the young Earth and literal days of creation, you can find some great stuff at Creation.com and Answers in Genesis.
Hanging Tahlia's felt board on her bedroom wall was a big achievement! After we set it up with a calendar ready for starting school, she decided to use the free space to pretend to do her makeup for school in the morning - just like Mummy does for work.
Which inspired me to make her this...
... her very own makeup palette!
You can make your own with our free template available here.
I used craft glue to attach the felt to the background, and hot glue to attach the plastic pocket. You don't have to attach them at all if you don't want to - aside from the plastic pocket of course.
Tahlia really enjoyed adding the glitter glue to the top of the oval eye shadows. I won't pretend I didn't enjoy it either. It really makes the item, really topped it off.
This activity provides a great opportunity to learn shapes and colours. And I suppose if you don't attach the items, you could use it to learn spatial awareness too.
I refuse to spell colour the American way... the English way is correct in Australia, and so much more rich and colourful - pun intended!
It does fall off the felt board easily when played with, which is disappointing. It is just too heavy. It will stay up for days when not being played with though. If you have one of those A-frame or slanted felt boards, it would work wonderfully I'm sure. Here is our tutorial on How to Make a Felt Board.
I will probably convert the makeup palette into a quiet book page once it gets neglected like most toys do eventually. Hopefully that will spark another bout of imaginative play, and I'll get twice the value out of my efforts.
