Simple No-Sew Activity Books to . . .

help you out if you don't sew or are in a time crunch for making gifts for those you love. . .

and/or for those who need a little love. 

'Tis the Season for gift-giving but for those in special circumstances or who have special needs there is no special season.  Anytime is the right time if you have a little extra time.

Besides your own children or grandchildren, think of all the places (even for adults) were they would be lovingly welcomed:  Safe Houses and Homeless Shelters, Nursing Homes, Rehabilitation Centers, Hospitals, personal homes of those we may be aware of who are less fortunate than we are. 

These books are simple, quick, inexpensive, adaptable for any age and ability level, and can be used over and over again.  No sewing nor skill required.

Simply 

1. Remove coloring or activity pages from magazines or coloring/activity books or print them from the computer. (There are many free printable pages available for all age and interest levels).

2. Insert the pages into page protectors. You can put the two sheets back-to-back in each protector.

3. Put in a thin 3-ring binder. 

4. Include a small box of dry-erase crayons or markers and a small piece of cloth for erasing.

I buy most of my binders at thrift stores.  They often come with page protectors already in them. Even if you buy them new, there are soft vinyl ones available, in bright colors, at Wal-Mart for $1.00.  When I need new page protectors I use 50 percent off coupons  at craft stores. A inexpensive zippered pencil pouch that has holes to fit the binder rings is great for holding the crayons/markers and cloth.

If you want more information, here are three helpful.

http://www.feltwithlovedesigns.com/2013/08/08/busy-bags-dry-erase-binder-and-markers/

http://www.feelslikehomeblog.com/2010/06/dry-erase-activity-book-for-preschoolers/

http://www.buildsewreap.com/2011/05/quiet-book-for-o.html

Button Up with this Quiet Book Page . . .

I'm posting  this extra middle-of-the-week quiet book page in case you  are making one for a Christmas present.  I made this page early in my marathon project but forgot to include it..

It is another simple and quick page which teaches a very important skill.

The flowers are just something I had on hand from other projects and added for
 extra texture. I probably won't do it on the others.

I searched the 25 cent rack at the thrift store and bought shirts
that had large buttons.  Using pinking shears (so the edges wouldn't ravel) I cut out shirt shapes and sewed the shoulders, arms and sides to the quiet book page.

For our kids quiet books 45 years ago a simple shirt shape cut from felt completed the button page. Well, almost completed it, I did have to sew a button and cut a button hole! They were completely happy with simply buttoning and unbuttoning with nothing else to do on the page.

This time I added something to find when the shirt is unbuttoned. I didn't mean to have it showing beneath the shirt however.

Another pre-made pocket, this one with a pocket flap providing an additional button. 

You can leave the pocket empty---or fill it with a small note pad
and pencil or any number of things. They items could change as the child got older. I found these little magnetic hair activities in a package in the birthday party favors section of Wal-Mart and couldn't resist.  I haven't seen these in ages and have never seen mini-ones. Our kids loved them when they were kids (and when I showed these to a visiting 40+ son recently, he was excited to see them again!)

Before I close I want to refer you to another great quiet book site where all the pages are made from used baby clothing.

It is so cute!!! I may have to make one myself. 

http://www.piecesbypolly.com/2012/12/fast-easy-quiet-book-made-from-baby.html

(If you don't have baby or toddler clothes laying around, they are easy to find at garage sales or thrift shops. In our area, most of the thrift shops sell their baby clothes for 50 cents each)

I am posting again tomorrow. A special post on NO SEWING books that are simple, quick, and inexpensive. For those you love and/or for those that need a little love. 

"Wrapping Up" Weaving Page 10

Before I show you my more time-consuming weaving pages, I want to tell you what I am hoping to do for the remaining pages in this category.  I can't show you because I don't have what I need yet.  I think you will be able to picture it.  Felt pieces are available in a variety of animal skin prints. I want to use this variety for my weaving strips.  The "discovery" page a group  of various wild animals---protected by what else?  a sheet protector.

#5 A Colorful and Textured  Variation of #1

This time I added sticky-back foam flowers in colors to match the felt background.
I added additional security by using thread to fastening down the flowers, creating petals in the process.

#6 is visual, tactile, and might make you think you are seeing things-----or not

Pretty much the same weaving strips as the others. I could have just
skipped right to the discovery but this was scanned before I thought of that!

This discovery is a take-off of another popular quiet book page---one I wasn't sure I wanted to undertake but my curiosity, fueled by the popularity of "I spy" on other blog sites, got the best of me.

This "discovery" page is a modified version of quiet book I Spy pages.
Nothing like this existed when I made our kids' original books.  

You can find many variations and instructions, with ideas for many add-in possibilities, for full page "I Spy" pages on the internet.

For my  reduced version I used two heavy-duty zip lock bags, one inside the other, hopefully thick enough to keep it from ever "leaking."

I filled the interior bag with rice, assorted beads and a variety of little flattish-type objects (again, guarding as best I can against including anything that would tend to puncture the bag). The baseball, snake, large lady bug, turtle and lizard are foam sticky-back stickers that I stuck to the outside of the inner bag before I placed that bag in the second bag. (If you look closely you might spy a soft plastic black widow spider peeking out from under the lizard). I zipped each closed, pushing out as much air as I could and stitched felt pieces along the top and bottom. I sewed the top of the bag to the felt background but left the bottom of it loose with just a small piece of Velcro on the backside of the bottom binding to secure the bag  at the bottom.

and finally . . .

#7 weaving "doesn't take the cake" (another old saying that, when I think about it, don't even know what it means exactly but do know I am using it correctly) but it does top the pie

Yes, the white object at the bottom needs some refining.
No, it  is not a shoe!
Look again and take a guess.
What  could go alone with a pie?

And the discovery . . .

Did you guess a pie server?

The pie filling is a piece of scrap-book paper. There were quite a few green leaves/stems on the page so I cut out extra strawberries and covered as many  as I could. Next I covered the filling with another trusty page protector, stitched across it to create the sections, with one section cut free.

I backed the removable slice by stitching on a felt crust a which had the sticking half of Velcro sewed to it,
so it would stay in the pie. Added the pinking sheared pie edging --- and went to find something sweet to eat!

The needs-refining pie server is two pieces of glittery craft foam stitched together to make it somewhat stiff. The glittery-ness makes it stick to the felt but I added the elastic strap to keep it more securely in place.

Watch for my last pages --- the combo middle pages --- next week.

'til we stitch ---- or eat ---- again

         I'm Simply, Gail

Weaving Our Way to Quiet Book Page 9

I don't remember whether our kids liked the weaving page or not but I am assured by daughter-in-law Cheri it is a must.  Checking other quiet book sites, they all agree with Cheri.  Most have included them.  As usual, I looked at several and then took off on my own--- making several variations.

As a result, the weaving page in the 12 books is the only page that will not be the same in each. Because there are several different ones I am going to spread the examples over two Fridays.

Most are very simple ---- a couple not so.

And, once again, I have put something to be discovered when the weaving is "un-weaved."  Just like I did with the snake page.  It is totally unnecessary but it is one of my things.

I will start with the simple.

The first thing I did was "to put whatever I decided to have discovered" on the felt page.

I found it easiest to cut the strips, pin them in place and weave them before sewing them. I cut them longer than needed and trimmed them after the page was finished.  I discovered that if you have the same colors of strips vertically and horizontally  the pattern is different than if you use all different colors.  You will see what I mean when you look at the pictures.

 #1 - Weaving with White

Weaving with vertical colors and white horizontals creates a 
simple checkerboard pattern.

The "discovery" is simply a piece of printed felt
sewn to the base sheet.  I used matching colors for the strips.

#2 - Weaving with mainly matching strips. 

Notice how using mainly the same colors across the top
and sides creates 3-color -block rectangles.

This "discovery" is simply  a section cut from a sheet of scrap-booking paper
 (which was on sale!)
covered in one layer of a plastic sheet protector and stitched in place.

 #3 - Weaving with all different colors

Using all different colors for your strips results in a
simple checkerboard pattern.
The "discovery" in this one is another section of the
scrap-booking paper above.

#4 Weaving using more "boyish" colors

Using only one color, this time vertically, creates a
regular checkerboard look, as in #1 where I used white
strips horizontally.

This "discovery" is a section of flannel I had originally purchased
thinking I would use it to make a match-the-paw print page.
I made the strips from the same colors in the fabric.

#5 - Weaving and. . .hand sewing the strips

With this one I hand-stitched the strips.  Notice each strip is sewn in it's matching color yarn!

I know that sounds like an insane undertaking ---- and it probably is ---- 

but I want to show you a cheap trick on how to accomplish this without needing to buy a bunch of different colors of yarn.

Multi-color skeins!  The length of each color is long enough
to be of use.  I used the muted colors for tails, etc.on  page 4 Mix and Match.
This little trick might come in handy several times over time.

While I really like the look of the matching yarn on the strips  I don't think I am up to doing it 12 times.

I  looked into multi-colored thread (which I hadn't known existed until I read about it on a quiet book blog) and thought that would be fun to use so I took my 40 percent off coupon and headed to JoAnn's.  I figured it would be expensive but hadn't imagined how expensive.  Over $8 per spool. That is when, while I was creative with the yarn, the cheapskate part of me kicked in and I did the others with plain white thread!

If you scroll back up, you'll find white looks okay, and it's a lot easier than changing the thread on the sewing machine.

This "discovery" is another sheet of patterned felt. I tried to
match the strips to all the colors in the pattern.  It may seem like a
lot colors of felt "squares" (they are actually 9x12") to buy but when you are just making one of two
books it only takes an inch or so of one length of the the piece, leaving
a lot of felt to use in the other parts of the book.

When/if you do need to change thread here are a couple of hints 
I use:

This sounds complicated but it is not.  I will use blue as the thread you have been using and red for the next thread you want to use to see if that simplifies the instructions.
1. Leave the sewing machine threaded with the blue thread, and cut that blue thread off near the spool.
2. Remove the blue spool and replace it with the red spool.
3. Using a square knot (granny knots will pull out), tie the ends of the blue and red threads together.
4. Carefully pull the blue thread  through the workings workings and through the needle, until the red thread comes through.  (It does waste some thread but for me, with my declining eyesight and increasingly shaky hands, it saves my sanity.)

For these books, I have not found it necessary to change the color of the bobbin thread when changing the top thread. Another time saver!

And, in hand sewing and  working with several colors, I thread needles in the needed colors before I start. This may not be an issue. This may not be a big issue when making one or two books but it is a big help when making many of the same at the same time --- as in. . .probably the final pages I will post will be the companion center pages of the book.  Those involve 12 approximately 2-inch-high stop lights with red, yellow and green circles hand sewn on each!!!

'til we stitch again....

DIY Shaped Cakes without Special Pans

I realize this is only Thursday.  My regular post will appear tomorrow as usual.

This past week I received a request on my Teddy Bear Cake post of February 8, 2012.
Since she included her e-mail address I responded personally, but then decided I wanted to share what I found with all of you.

Here is the Teddy Bear Cake site---I love this little guy!

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-teddy-bear-cake-wo-special-pan.html


Her request:

Hi, I used to have a book to make all kinds of cutout cakes, somehow I have lost it and would like more patterns for our grand children. Can you help? I am making the rocking horse for our Grandson's 1st Birthday, just as I did for my son.  Norma

Here is the Rocking Horse site--Heidi's first birthday cake (and first taste of anything sweet!) 49 years ago. 

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-rocking-horse-cake-to-make.html

along with comments received when the post  first appeared.

Thanks for posting this image online. Back in March of 1981, my mother made this cake for my father's birthday. Right now I am in the middle of recreating a photographs from that day, in which the cake has a role. My mother lost the book that the pattern came from so we were going to have to try and make it from memory. I did an image check through Google and came up with your black and white image of the cake and your patterns.  We are going to make the cake tomorrow. I am excited, but probably not as much as my mom. I'll document the process and blog it a bit later.

Thanks! My daughter is turning FORTY-SIX and has asked for this cake every year for a long time. I lost the old Pillsbury pattern and this is a lifesaver for her birthday this week!

It was great to be able to help them  recreate their  memories.

To help Norma I did some internet searching myself.  Here is what I found. Hopefully it will be of help to
you.

Hi Norma,

I, to, used to have that great little book.  And have missed it many times. I remember it had a sailboat which was easy to make, starting with a square cake; and a butterfly, and a giraffe.  Hopefully just mentioning them will recall them to your memory. 

I did a little internet searching and found many on heart shapes, which use one round and one square cake but also found  the following. Hope they will be of some help

to you.  

Open book cake

http://cakecentral.com/t/742277/open-book-cake-without-wilton-pan

Giant cupcake
http://atsecondstreet.blogspot.com/2010/03/giant-cupcake-cake.html

How to make your own cake pans
http://voices.yahoo.com/make-cake-pans-unique-cakes-27963.html?cat=46

Numbers made from cake
http://veenaartofcakes.blogspot.com/2012/01/number-cakes-one-two-or-twelve-12-or-12.html

Elmo cake
http://diythirdtimesacharm.blogspot.com/2012/06/elmo-cake.html

Star cake

http://clumbsycookie.blogspot.com/2009/02/when-you-wish-upon-star.html

Princess Castle cake (with photos off to the side showing other types of castles
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pink-castle-cake/30644b1f-8ec2-4c23-b8d8-cce1d9566df4

47 years ago I made a clown cake for our 3 year old twin relatives.  It was time-consuming but a hit.  I have a photo but I am not sure how to copy it to here. I will try.

I can't remember the details but here is the gist of it. I think the body was a rectangle. The head a round pan. The hat was half a round with graham crackers frosted and standing "up" for the brim.  The clown had "shoes" placed at an angle against one end of the rectangle so the soles would be up. They  were also graham crackers frosted together like a sandwich, allowed to soften a while so one end could be gently carved into the round shape at the front of the sole. Square sandwiched crackers were placed at the other end for the heels of the sole.  

A few years later I made Heidi a doll cake using a Barbie-type doll and a cake baked in a bowl.  They were very popular back then;  they might be novel now.

Thanks for writing. 

Happy creating ,

Simply, Gail

Ouiet Book Page 8---Braid Her Hair

I debated a long time over including a braiding page in the quiet book.  One of the main reasons for the debate --- I am not good at creating faces---especially eyes! It finally came to me that I am the one who cares about details, not the little kids who are going to be playing with it.

Before I show you what I did, I want to tell you why I did it and how it can be done differently.

1.  My face parts are simply basic (and somewhat rough) shapes from a single layer of felt.  They "stick" well enough to the face, without any extra stick-um stuff.  Yours could be as elaborate as you feel like, and have the ability, to make them.

2. My hair is yellow because I was lucky enough to          

find pre-cut fleece strips in a bag at a thrift shop.
There were three packages in the bag for $1.99 ---
quite a bargain.  Unfortunately they only had yellow.
You could use yarn, ribbon, or even clean mop strings!
When our granddaughter Siera saw this page she told me
that her mom taught her to braid using three different colors.
I think that's a great idea!

3. Since the fleece is very soft and pliable I was able to make bangs that"fold down" over the forehead.  I left the top of the head open so it could be used as a holder (of something)

4. Again, when I was in the doubting stage of this page, I was uncertain as to what to put on the page along with the face and hair. There were many possibilities.

I decided a simple piece of clothing. It could have been made of fabric or felt or any number of things but since I am making
12 of them I wanted something that would come together quickly ---- plus, as I have said before, I like to add texture when I can.  Is smooth a texture?

I cut a rectangular piece of printed scrapbook paper as a simple dress shape, cut a collar from a contrasting piece, and an under-collar from white with edges cut with scalloped paper scissors. I fastened them together with bits of 2-sided tape and slipped it into a "pocket" cut from a page protector sheet, using the sealed edge of the page as the top. I zig-zag stitched around the page leaving the top of the "dress" open to make a second pocket.

I am pretty sure I have mentioned page protectors before. I am using them in several ways on various pages.

Oh and, just because (and because I had them), I threaded an narrow piece of ribbon through a button, and taped the ends of the ribbon under the collar before I put it in the plastic sleeve.

The pockets  hold the  face pieces and, according to the age of the recipient and your caution level, ribbons, barrettes, etc.

The two flowers at the bottom of the page are felt die-cuts with a small piece of Velcro on the back so they will fasten in her hair.

I decided there needed to be more face parts to play with so I made another mouth, another pair of eyes,
two noses and  a pair of glasses.  I considered making ears but Dave pointed out that since the braids would cover them so they weren't necessary.  Before you see the next picture I have to warn you that as I turned the face over to scan it some parts got kinda catawampus (showing my age, that's an old term for askew or awry) but it is easier to acknowledge the catawampus-ness than it is to re-scan it.

Again, they can be very, very simple, they can be moderate, or you can get "carried away."  I am Simply, Gail, but sometimes I get carried away.  I can promise you the ones I made for our kids when they were young fell in the very simple category.

More of the Way Things Were 'Back Then'

A continuation of  Slow Food with the author's 

MEMORIES from a friend : 

My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle. In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it.. I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea. She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. 

Do you recognize what the glass soda pop bottle had been "re-purposed" as? 

Note from Gail: Because I too am old, I knew immediately what it was --- the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to 'sprinkle' clothes with because we didn't have steam irons.

Irons? you ask! 

Since I am younger than the author, by the
time I was watching my mother iron, we had 
pre-made sprinkling tops for our pop bottles        
I was watching my mother iron, we had pre-made 
sprinkling tops for our pop bottles. 

Ahh, such progress. 

How Old Are You?

The author continues with the question, "How many of the following do you remember?"

• Head lights dimmer switches on the floor. 
• Ignition switches on the dashboard. 
• Heaters mounted on the inside of the fire wall. 
• Real ice boxes. 
• Pant leg clips for bicycles without chain guards. 
• Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.
• Curling irons you heated on a gas burner. 
• Using hand signals for cars without turn signals. 

And then offers an Older Than Dirt Quiz, followed by scores : 

Are you game to take it?

Count all the ones that YOU personally  remember ---- not the ones you were told about. 

1. Blackjack chewing gum

2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water 

3. Candy cigarettes

4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles 

5. Coffee shops or diners with table-side juke boxes 

6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers 

7. Party lines on the telephone

8 Newsreels before the movie 

9. P.F. Flyers

10. Butch wax 

11.. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (there were only 3 channels... [if you were fortunate]) 

12. Peashooters 

13. Howdy Doody 

14. 45 RPM records 

15. S& H green stamps 

16. Hi-fi's

17. Metal ice trays with lever 

18. Mimeograph paper

19. Blue flashbulbs

20. Packards

21. Roller skate keys

22. Cork popguns 

23. Drive-ins

24. Studebaker  (note from Gail: my parents gave me a 1951 model in 1960.)

25. Wash tub wringers 

If you remembered 0-5 = You're still young

If you remembered 6-10 = You are getting older 

If you remembered 11-15 = Don't tell your age,

If you remembered 16-25 = You' re older than dirt! 

Finally, the author concluded with "I might be older than dirt but those memories are some of the best parts of my life".

I am Simply, Gail, and I recognized ALL of them! And, I am thankful that I can. Life was simpler than and these two post were a great memory trip for me, also.

Count your blessings and have a great day!