Thursday, September 22, 2011

Felt Board

Ta-da!!! Presenting the latest project happening around this house: a felt board and a whole bunch of felt 'things-that-go'. It was a really easy project to do, super fun, but let me level with you - not cheap. (Plus I have a blister from the scissors...boo hoo).

Here's how it went down. Over the weekend we stopped by Fabric-Land to pick up 1.5 meters of the green and blue background fabric.  I cut out the green, pinned it to the blue, straight stitched it along the edge, and stapled the entire background to a 36x48" canvas artists' board from Deserres.
I bought a ton of felt squares in fun colours from the dollar store (plus I had some leftover felt from a high school project - its over 300 years old and in great shape!).  Also picked up child friendly craft glue from Mary Maxim, and new sharp scissors.  I ended up buying WAY too much felt. I will save it to create new felt board shapes as my son gets into dinosaurs, or pirates, or castles, etc...)
The dining room became our workshop. I will tidy it up today.  I don't bend down as smoothly as I used to (33 weeks!!), so we let the mess lie where it fell.  My son came up with what shapes he wanted me to make.  We have a rocket, a farm, the three bears cottage in the forest, and, of course, trucks and buses.  Most of the small shapes, such as the wheels, have been glued on (he pressed them into the glue), but I will take my time and sew each of them by hand.   I also added some velco to the shapes that seemed a bit heavy and fall off easily.




Here is the cost breakdown:
Artist canvas - $36
Blue Felt (sky) - $12 - $8/metre
Green Felt (grass) - $12 - $8/metre
Felt squares - $14 - $0.50/each
Glue - about $5
New scissors - about $12
Green thread - $3.50 (probably WAY cheaper at the dollar store)
Total: $94.50

Shocking, right?  I bought everything seperately on different days, so I didn't realize how much it cost until I did the math.  You could create a felt board using one colour background (save $12, and $3.50 for thread), tacked to a piece of cardboard (save $36), and buy fewer squares since I over bought (save $10), and use scissors you already have (save $12)...a more frugal (or sensible) version would only cost you $20.  (Are you judging me now? Just a little?)

Anyways, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it...and my son gets a kick out of it too.  I would like to mount it to the wall beside his bed, so we can use it for night time stories...but our drill died (I am not adding the price of a new drill to the cost breakdown!)

His room is almost done.  I just need to get my hands on a drill, and the truck photos redeveloped.

Fun, right? Worth $100? I think so! What shapes would you add?

Update: July 25, 2012

35 comments:

  1. I think it is totally cute! I also don't think that is crazy $$$ wise for what you got. I think people often have no idea (ahem, ME) what things cost when you DIY it.

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  2. I love it! I'm always shocked at how much fabric costs. When I first started sewing and doing craft projects I would just buy and add it up later. Now I keep a little pile of 40% off craft store and fabric store coupons on my fridge. It helps a little....when I remember to take them with me! : )

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  3. Love your felt board! I was shopping for felt too recently and was shocked too at how much it can cost. Looks like you & your little one had a lot of fun putting this together. Love the barn and the pumpkins!

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  4. I think it's great! And really, it's like art, so probably worth the money. You will have tons of fun with it with your little guy! I had a felt set as a kid with a whole bunch of different shapes and colors of circles, squares, etc. and played with it tons.

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  5. Lol! The aftermath of your craft project looks like my dining room table while I was putting together my wedding invitations. Things were falling left right and center! But what a beautiful end project you put together. Your son is a lucky ducky to have such a creative mother. :)

    My favourite has to be the hot pink and purple trimmed house. I wonder what that would look like on a real house? hehe

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  6. that is so awesome!! you are such a good mommy. I reallly need to do more of this stuff with my kids. 33 weeks already? wow...i hope you are feeeling good!

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  7. ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS !!!!!!!!!

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  8. OH my goodness, this is incredible! What amazing work you did Shannon - all the little details blow me away. My sons would LOVE this - what a lucky little guy (soon to be guys!) you have. SUPERMOM! :)

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  9. I love this idea! I bought some felt for a mobile I'm making for the nursery and was surprised how much it cost! Luckily, they had 30% off at fabricland that day. My dining room looked like that the other day after a sewing spree... okay and for like a week later too ;)

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  10. That is so cute. I love it. What a great idea.

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  11. This is absolutely adorable! No wonder your son loves it. I think it's totally worth the $100

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  12. Jordana @ White CabanaSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    SOOOOO Amazing Shannon! Congrats! Felt boards really foster a child's imagination. Your son (and future son/daughter) can create stories, learn about shapes, colours, etc. all through this awesome (and super cute) project! I absolutely love this and I applaud your efforts. Wow!
    J
    p.s. I love the hot air balloon.

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  13. It's fabulous!!! So bright and fun, love it all, esp the little house amoung the pines! Think of it as art...almost $100- isn't really so bad for something that is so wonderful!

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  14. I love it! Suggestion: make people shapes to represent your family (your son, you, your husband, new baby) so you can tell stories about yourselves. Kids enjoy that.

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  15. ABsolutely love this! I have a whole pack of felt and have been wondering what to do with it! Going to do this at our after school kids program - sooo excited!!! Thanks for such a detailed post!

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  16. I love this! I totally flashed back to my childhood. :) I want to head out to the store and get supplies right now!! Thank you for the inspiration!

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  17. Canvas purchased! See? I was serious! Crazy is definitely contagious. ;)

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  18. this is amazing. I have pinned it for a craft in the future (maybe next summer?) And I fully support the use of an artist's canvas: it gives structure and allows for more longevity - for when trucks give way to dinosaurs: same background, new shapes. The base was an investment :-)

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  19. this is a random question, but if you wouldn't mind sharing--where did you get your round dining table jessanderyn@hotmail.com

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  20. Oh, I was in love with the felt board-- until I saw the photos of your living room! Swooning... Please, oh please, what is the name of that lovely soft gray paint on your walls?

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  21. Thanks!
    The paint colour is para paint silver fox P2238-4 (it is blue in the shadows)

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  22. I agree! I tried making a felt board with a cheap old picture frame with the cardboard backing and it just seems...flimsy and inclined to fall over. I'm prepared to do it over again your way.

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  23. I just saw this - it's gorgeous but what I don't get is... did you put velcro under all the items for them to stick and be moved on the board? Or are they stuck up there?

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  24. Thank you so much for the inspiration! I have so many craftsy friends and I'm always amazed by what they do and I always really enjoy my son playing with it...at their house. I don't really feel like doing any of those things myself, but when I came across some finger puppet pictures online the other day, I thought, "I can do that!" I came across your board while looking for more finger puppet ideas, and I felt so inspired, I went right out and bought all of the materials (a smaller version) and spent the last few days making pieces. I really have to have something to copy, so it looks almost exactly like yours, and I love it! My 2 year old son loves it too (his favorite parts to play with so far have surprisingly been the clouds and the mud puddles:) and keeps asking me to make more pieces. It's been such a great project for me to work on, and really so cheap compared to a lot of other things. I love that I can make anything I can think of, and it doesn't matter how much stuff I make, it really doesn't take up a ton of space. Thank you thank you thank you for the inspiration!!!

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  25. It is satisfying, no? I just rearranged all the pieces...umm, I mean, my son and I rearranged all the pieces this morning...

    My son always puts the monster truck back into the mud puddles...I once made up bedtime stories about monster truck that got stuck and had to be hauled out...

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  26. ...and I found it myself, ha ha. LOVE!

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  27. I was wondering the same thing? Help please!

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  28. felt sticks to felt! i put velco on the back of the roads in the corners so they were 'stickier' than the cars and trucks...

    the only thing you have to watch for is when your child starts throwing random socks and things in the air, one hit and most of the decorations will pop off!

    but felt sticks to felt without any help!

    ps i glued the small details down, like the wheels, else my son would pull everything apart!

    good luck!!

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  29. Farm wife in progressDecember 28, 2012 at 11:57 AM

    Did you make a pattern for the pieces or are they free hand?

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  30. I made a pattern first, drew a picture, cut it out and pinned it to the felt!

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  31. I like your board-- It looks like you and your son had a great time making it! That's a good idea to use velcro for some items that need a little more "stick."

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  32. you inspired me to make a flannel/felt board for my girls 2nd birthday. i've found flannel that looks like grass and one that is blue with clouds so background pre made hah. wish me luck!

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  33. So cute!
    I have one question, do the pieces come on and off? Or did you glue each ( car ) on the board..
    I plan on making one :)

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  34. They come off quite easily...a little too easily!! The wind blew a bunch off last night so we are going to reassemble the board this morning!

    Have fun with it!

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