Felt Busy Book with Aleene's Felt & Foam Tacky Glue
Busy books are a great way for young children to learn through play! They can work on their counting skills, letter recognition, shape recognition, and more through sensory experiences in an easy-to-use book. Making your own busy book for the kids is simple with Aleene’s Felt & Foam Tacky Glue and Fabric Fusion Tape! Get inspired with this tutorial from LuLuMake to create a personalized busy book that your kids will love!
What you need:Step 1
Before you get started on this project, brainstorm the design and color scheme of your busy book! You can use your child’s favorite colors, characters, and more—let your imagination shine with this unique and fun project!
Step 2
If you have stiff felt sheets available, use them to create the pages. Measure and cut two square felt pieces (8.5 x 8.5 inches) using scissors or a loop rotary cutter. Cut one slightly smaller square of watercolor paper for each page as well. Watercolor paper or cardstock can be used to reinforce the pages.
Step 3
Mark where binding holes will be, so that objects on pages that won't interfere with the binding. It helps to create a template to reuse so there are no mistakes and all pages have holes in the same area!
Step 4
Use the leather hole puncher to create holes on both felt sheets. Use scissors to remove the felt circles if needed.
Step 5
Apply Aleene's Fabric Fusion Tape along the edges of the watercolor paper, except where the holes will be (create the holes on the watercolor paper AFTER you stick it to the felt sheets!). Remove the top liner of the tape. Align the watercolor paper square onto the felt and press to adhere. Repeat on the other side. Make two holes using the leather hole puncher. Repeat these steps to create as many pages for your book as you'd like!
Step 6 (optional)
Apply the eyelets according to package instructions. You can also choose to skip this step, but it makes everything look neat and tidy!
Step 7
One side of each page is an activity page, while the other side will be a pocket to keep all loose parts all together. This is a great way to teach kids how to keep things organized!
To create a pocket, use soft felt with the provided template. Apply the Fabric Fusion Tape on the bottom and side of the cloud pocket and press it to the page.
Step 8
Create the opening and closing pages of the busy book. Cut two watercolor paper squares and stick them to each side of the felt squares using the Fabric Fusion Tape. Mark the middle of the page and place a piece of fabric tape, then press on the closure ribbon. Lastly, apply the Fabric Fusion Tape along the watercolor paper squares and glue the two parts together. Repeat the same process for the closing page.
Step 9
Its time to bring your characters to life! Use the provided templates or create your own characters. Trace or draw each character onto the felt and cut them out, and add as many details as you'd like with additional felt, markers, or other embellishments. Glue the pieces together using Aleene's Felt & Foam Tacky Glue, then adhere them to the page using either the glue or Fabric Fusion Tape.
Step 10
After you glue all the characters and their details onto the pages you are all done! Allow the glue to dry fully, then use 2" binder rings to keep the pages together. Now your busy book is ready to play with!
Are you inspired to make a personalized busy book for your children? Show us your creative crafts on social media @AleenesDIY!
