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Monday, March 4, 2013

Quiet Book - Boys

About a year and a half ago, I was looking around at quiet books for my daughter. I wasn't really thrilled with any of the ones you can buy, and the homemade ones looked - well, homemade.  

Then, I came across these quiet books at serving-pink-lemonade and decided I wanted to try making some of my own.  Check them out, they're very cute!

I decided I wanted all my own original pages (well, the artwork anyway) because I thought maybe I would sell them someday.  Okaaaaay.... nice thought. Ha! Have any of you ever tried making one of these?  They take a LOT of work.  Seriously.  A LOT.  And I quickly remembered that I am sewing impaired - can't even sew a straight line, as you will soon see. :)

However, if you are just making one, I say go for it! They are actually kind of fun.  It's also nice to look at it and think, "I made that!" 

So anyway, here are the pages I came up with for a boy quiet book.  I never even got around to binding it together. Haha  :) 
Tools.  Not a new concept, however very necessary for little boys.  My youngest son would have absolutely LOVED this.
I made the tools out of extra stiff felt, because I didn't think tools should flop around.  :)  They are also double-sided, so they can go either way and look more like real tools.
Traffic Light.  This is a snap-on page. 
I think this is my favorite of all the pages.  It was soooo hard to draw and make look right.  My oldest son, who is a soccer player suggested the lovely lime green color and also the stripes.
It was really hard to find small shoe laces, so I cut them and then fused the ends together with a lighter. :)  Just make sure you attach the shoe to the page before you add the laces, or the shoe will be all lumpy.
Every quiet book needs a clock page, right?  The hands are made from stiff felt and attached with a brad.  Remember to cut your letters out backwards - trust me. :)

My girl quiet book has a dress up page, so I really wanted one for the boy book, too.  These turned out so cute!  I intentionally left off the mouth, but you could easily stitch one on.
These glasses were made of stiff felt, also.
I looove this Viking!! His beard is the best!  I know the eyes are a little creepy, huh? haha :)

There are sooo many different things you can make for this page.  I just did a few.
Dump truck with button up tires - love!
I lightened this picture up a little too much, but the black just doesn't show up enough.  Oh-well, you get the idea. :)
I really wanted to do a finger puppet page, and so I decided to do the monkeys jumping on the bed.  I know, there's only three, but you could always do more.  Not me though, three's good.


This was one where the idea was much better in my head. It is supposed to be a jar, but I had a hard time sewing the vinyl.  I think a cute little mesh net might be better. 

The bugs turned out cute, though. :)

Okay, here are the templates for some of these pages.  Warning:  they are hand-drawn mostly, and not very professional, but they will work. :) 


Well, there it is.  I will be posting my girl quiet book very soon! :)

Thanks for stopping by! 
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51 comments:

  1. Thank you! These are great ideas, and it's harder to find ideas for boys!

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  2. I am obsessed with quiet books and have made about 30-40 pages of my own now (some are on my blog). Anyway, I absolutely adore your dump truck, dress up, and bug jar bags. They are amazing so I have pinned all three!

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    1. Absolutely adorable and sooooo creative! Thank you very much for sharing!

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  3. Your quiet book pages are absolutely adorable! They are some of the cutest ones I have seen. Do you have templates for your pages? I want to make some for my grandson and twin granddaughters. I especially loved the dump truck and ballet shoes, but they were all so dang cute it's hard to say which are my favorites.

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  4. Thank you so much! They took a LOT of work! I went in and added a few of the templates, so hopefully that will help. They are not very well done though, but it's the end result that counts, right? :)

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  5. I am wondering if you used fusible webbing for the pieces you didn't stitch it sew? If not, what did you use? Also, did you use stiff felt? Thanks! I love all your ideas and your pages came out great! My son will love these boy ideas!

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  6. Jenn -
    I used Wonder Under for everything that I didn't sew. You might want to reinforce some of the pieces that will get a lot of pulling,(Like the snap-on pieces)because some of mine came apart.

    I did use stiff felt for some of the pieces, like the tools because I wanted them sturdier. It's really up to you. :) Hope that helps.

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  7. Hi Beth! I'm in the process of making 4 (4!!!) quiet books for my kids (1yr-7yrs old) for a long haul flight mid-year. I LOVE your pages, but was just wondering if you have a template for the treasure chest that goes with the boy dress up? I'm struggling with the aspects of having it look 3D.
    Thanks!
    Clare

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  8. Okay - I updated the page with a link to the Treasure Chest. I didn't put it on there originally, because everything didn't really fit in it. If I was making it again, I would probably just make it one big pocket instead of opening up. Anyway - there it is, hope it helps. :)

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  9. What size are your pages?

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  10. Thanks SO much Beth! Off to cut it out! :)
    Clare

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  11. Completely adorable. :)

    You know ... you could make it into a pattern and sell the pages instant download on Etsy. Just a though. :) I've thought of doing that with dinosaur quiet book pages I've drawn for my boy.

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  12. This is TOTALLY adorable, especially the design-a-face page, the bugs, the... well, EVERYTHING!! Thanks for sharing your cute work!

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  13. Your books are awesome!! And thank you so much for the template

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  14. Wow! Just wow! Totally inspiring book for boys. Perhaps the coolest thing I've ever seen as a craft idea. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  15. Thank you for these quiet book page ideas. I am hoping to make it quickly and send it to my cousins child at primary children's hospital asap. Any recommendations for how the book stays closed? ... zipper, button, clasp?

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  16. Hi Do you have a pattern for your clock? I love yours but can't seem to find the template.

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  17. Hi,
    I have been looking all over to find a quiet book as cute as the one you made. Would you be interested in making one for me? How much would it cost? Thanks!

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  18. Beth, Your quiet book pages are absolutely amazing! I came across this post on Pinterest and am so glad I did. Super cute ideas! I especially LOVE your dress up page. You make me want to make another quiet book. Thanks for linking to my website too :)

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  19. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! This is just what I was looking for. It is perfect for our little man!

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  20. love this! I have a little boy and it has been hard to find cute/fun felt ideas but these are excellent :) Perfect for plane rides!

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  21. Do you have patterns for the "monkeys on the bed" page?

    Thanks!

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  22. Thank you so much for sharing! As a boy mom so many times all the cute stuff is so girly, it is so great to see some precious little boy stuff! SO CUTE!
    Jamie

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  23. thank you soo much. I've been looking around for quiet book ideas for my son, but most of them are quite girly. Yours work best!

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  24. This is absolutely beautiful and perfect.... and it´s hard to find things for boys.
    Thank you so much for sharing.
    Cheers from Brasil!

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  25. I am wondering what type of marking pen you use when you trace the patterns onto felt. The pieces that are going to be sewn on are not a problem, I can use ink for that. But the other pieces, where both sides are going to be visible....I don't want ink marks on one side. Any suggestions?? Thanks.

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  26. Mary -

    I ironed on a lot of my patterns and then just cut them out but if I needed to trace I think I just used Sharpies. If you don't want the lines to show, maybe trace a little bigger and then cut inside the lines. Hope that helps! :)

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  27. Can you explain 'ironed on' please...like with wonder under? Thanks.

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  28. These pages are so wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

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  29. These pages are so wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

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  30. I love your quiet book. I have been making quiet books for baby gifts. Have had trouble making one for boys,so love this. Here are some helpful hints I have learned from trial and error.
    I have found that if you put scotch tape(magic works the best) on the pressure foot on sewing machine the vinyl sews much easier.
    Also If I can't find the right felt or want to use up scraps I either sew or Heat bond(placing parchment paper like you use to bake with on top of felt) it to ultra firm Pellon® Peltex interfacing. (sometimes I use the fusible Peltex kind). I'm looking forward to your little girl one. Thanks for sharing.

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  31. Thanks so much for the quite book templates. I love them. I have 4 grandsons who will be so happy.

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  32. Do u have the bug template? I'm making a quiet book and the bugs are just so cutr

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  33. Love this book and what great ideas!! Thanks so much. Wondering if you have a template for the monkeys and the bed?

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  35. I love this book it's adorable. The vinyl bug jar would have been easier to sew, if you had done one of 3 things. Cover the vinyl with a piece of tissue paper. The tissue will slide under the presser foot without sticking, then tear it off. If that hinders the view of where you need to sew, then use a piece of scotch tape, not the shiny kind, under your presser foot, it will slide along. If those don't work and the vinyl is still sticking as you're trying to sew it down, try a Teflon foot.

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  36. Your quiet book pages are absolutely adorable! They are some of the cutest ones I have seen. Do you have templates for your pages? I want to make some for my grandson and twin granddaughters. I especially loved the dump truck and ballet shoes, but they were all so dang cute it's hard to say which are my favorites.....

    Branding Agency Singapore | Web Development Agency Singapore

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  37. wow! the book is really amazing. I must say you are very talented. keep doing things like this.


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  38. Adorable book project. Thanks for the templates. This grandma is going to be very busy in the next year. My little guy is just 6 months old....so I have some time to get these done.

    Melanie in California

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  39. Thank you so much for the amazing patterns! I'm so excited to make my very first quietbook for my God son! Hugs to you!!! Alisha

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  40. Do you have a Viking pattern or the monkeys in the bed?if so where can I go to get it?

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  41. Thank you for your kindness in not charging anything. It is appreciated very much.

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  42. Love the book. What is the size of page

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  43. Thank you for the dressing up faces..they have such character, and I know our great-nephew will love them....and thank you for sharing your patterns so generously,

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  44. These are all so cute! Do you have the template for the three monkeys on the bed?

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  45. How did you put the pages together as a book?

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