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How to Make Cloth Books for Children

Babies can't read, but a cloth book can still function as an entertaining introduction to reading. Choose bright fabrics to catch the attention of the baby or use soft pastel colors for a more soothing tone. Cloth books do not have to be limited to babies, as toddlers and young children will appreciate a book they can tote around and take to bed with them.

Things You'll Need

Sewing machine 1/2 yard fabric (for pages) Fabric scraps, embellishments

Instructions

- 1
  
  Design your book. There will be a total of 12 pages and each page will be six inches by six inches. Choose a theme, such as letters, numbers, animals or shapes, or tell a story through pictures. You could embroider words by hand or with your sewing machine, or just choose simple pictures.
- 2
  Cut six pieces of fabric that are 12.75 inches by six and a half inches. Iron the pages flat. Sew your designs, leaving a quarter inch seam allowance on all sides. Leave a half-inch column in the center of the page for a margin allowance.
- 3
  Sew your pages together. Put the cover and back page together with page one and 10, right sides in. Sew around the edges with a quarter inch seam allowance, leaving a half inch hole. Sew together pages two and nine with three and eight and pages four and seven with five and six.
- 4
  Turn your pages right side out. Push the page corners out and sew the holes shut. Iron your pages flat, taking care around any embellishments. Fold each page in half and iron a crease in the center.
- 5
  Put your book together. Make a stack of the pages so they are in the correct order. Sew directly down the center of the pages. Fold the book in half and iron the spine. Sew another line an eighth of an inch from the spine.

Infants Toys