My kids love books. We are playing with making books for them to write and draw in. It's a cold Sunday. Sounds like a good day to play to me!!
I found a tutorial of a 'sweet paper bag book' but I had to go dig around on the wayback machine to actually find the tutorial. One look and I realized...... It's a pocket mod
http://www.pocketmod.com/ made with a paper lunch bag. SWEET.
Materials used:
Paper Lunch size bag
Paper cutting scissors
Sewing machine (optional)
Items to write with/decorate book
Yer lunch bag:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4375938907_8b59dc3b60.jpgStep one:
Cut out the seam in the bag and cut out the bottom. (I cut out the seam to avoid the thickness). You will have a large rectangle.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4375938989_ab61181595.jpgStep two:
Follow instructions for Pocket Mod folding. If you've never done a pocket mod before, print one and and try it with the paper template first. (There is a flikr toy for making pocket mods full of your picts, too!)
http://www.pocketmod.com/howto/http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4375939067_8a5797fca5.jpgI creased my lines and you've got to keep track of which are your creases and which are the bags creases!!
You can stop here with you book and be happy. But I noticed that you could stitch them together. You can't stitch down just the center line, you have to stitch on either side of the center. Open it up and see why.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4376686700_2fe0b91e5e.jpgThe inside folds don't overlap in the middle, they just touch. So you if you stitch on both sides, where the marks are, you will catch the sides. Obviously we are going to sew on the top, and not with the insides opened up like this.
Optional Step Three:
Stitch on both sides of the middle fold.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2580/4375939213_aa83642835.jpgI marked the middle with marker so you can actually see it. I find about the foot width away (ie place the edge of the foot on the crease) to be about perfect.
Then, I thought, If it's all stitched together it will hold if you....
Optional Step Four:
Cut open creases (doubling your pages!)
Cut both on the sides
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4376686894_cf8eae099f.jpgand on the top.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2747/4376686990_924c84db8c.jpgFinal step:
Give to toddler.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2677/4376687076_a9296c807f.jpgYes, mom is still unpacking her studio after the move. You would be to if you were almost 35 weeks pregnant!
I ended up writing stories in the books for the kids to illustrate. Both stories were about scrambled eggs. Hm, I think my kids are hungry.
You could do ANYTHING you wanted with them!!!
The biggest problem with crafts like this and little kids is the balance between mommy time preparing /kid creative time/ cost. I think this is a pretty good balance. The bags are cheap, it seriously takes me a few minutes to whip them out, and the kids had a great time coloring and drawing. I may add these to our pile of mama made books in our sunday bag.
Give them a try!! I imagine someone with some scrapbooking mojo could have a GREAT time with one of these!!
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