sewing basket - the felt stringer

*

as i promised when last we chatted, here is more about one of the items in elfling's sewing basket - the felt stringer. yes, i could possibly have chosen a better name for this, but i spent all of my creative energy in cutting eleventy billion wee felt squares instead.

elfling loves playing with this. it's simple really; you slip the button through the slit in the felt square, & slide it to the button at the other end of the ribbon; then repeat with the remaining squares. rather, the toddler does. or you. i am not judging.

i am told this gives them practice buttoning, & that you can control the activity by asking them to string only one color, or alternate colors, & the like. my observation? it does. better though, is that this activity also keeps my darling elfling still & quiet. le sigh.

the others who made this used a shorter ribbon than i. quite possibly i perhaps maybe did not read all the way through, or pay close enough attention to the photos, but whatever the reason, i made a freakylong ribbon. apparently it does not matter what length, because elfling does not seem to mind.

i used wool felt for this project. i strongly recommend you NOT use regular felt, as it gives. you are making a slit in the center of your small squares, which if pulled too hard, could rip the square apart. also, the slits will definitely stretch, so the button would then slip through the space too easily. i know wool is pricey, but you don't need that much for this activity. still, if the cost is a deal-breaker, if you cannot find wool felt in your area, or if wool is an allergen issue, opt for eco felt over regular. i know you can buy squares of it at the larger fabric & craft stores. eco felt is much stronger than regular.

here is the how-to:

length of ribbon 

wool or eco felt 

sharp scissors

needle & strong thread (i used embroidery floss)

two medium or large buttons (they need not match)

* fold the end of the ribbon over, & over once more, then press with your iron. only joking, i did not iron it. stitch across the fold, then stitch the button in place. you want your button to be affixed  firmly, so it will stay put with much toddler play. do the same at the other end of the ribbon, with the other button. 

* cut eleventy billion 2-inch squares of felt. snip a slit in the center of each. measure the slit against your button. you'll want the button to ease through with only the barest of resistance. 

* show your wee one how to use it, & go enjoy a quiet cuppa.

~peace.

notes of note ::

in case you wanted to know the measurements of the felt stringer i made:

ribbon - just over feet

buttons - 3/4 of an inch across

felt - 2x2 inches

slit - a hair over 3/4 of an inch (see button measurement)

# of squares - 34

inches to centimeters converter

toddler sewing basket

*

if you follow me on pinterest you will know that i have a toddler homeschool board. on it i pin activities that i think elfling will like. not all have been the huge success i had hoped they would be (example), but others have been. the toddler sewing kit is one such success. here are the beginnings of ours.

the stringing kit long ago lost its favor, but reclaimed it by being added to the sewing basket. fickle toddler. we still store this set in the pouch i had sewn for it, to help keep the basket organized.

yarn & a blunt yarn needle for sewing practice. i have wrapped the yarn (there are actually two shorter lengths on this) around a spool. it helps eliminate a tangled mess, & elfling thinks it is fun to wrap & unwrap.

the others used mesh in an embroidery hoop for practice. he tried it, but no matter how taut i made the mesh, there was too much give, & he would become frustrated. i should say here that elfling is not what you'd call the most patient of toddlers. i am sure that most wee ones would do well with the mesh-in-hoop version. happily, i had this metal tray? decoration? basket? (i honestly do not know its original purpose) acorn in the studio which works perfectly.

also in the basket: a nylon zipper, a bag of cable ties (aka zip ties), & a felt stringer. more on the last two another day.

if you have any other ideas for the toddler sewing basket, i would love to hear about them. you know. in the comment section. which this blog has. nudge, nudge.