When I was little I remember being fascinated by a quite book my Grandma had made for my brother. There were buttons, snaps, strings, and beads to tinker with. I didn’t realize the time and effort that had gone into hand sewing the unique and interactive pages of a handmade quiet book until I gave a shot at making my own.
Ever since I became an aunt to a cute little girl I had been wanting to create a quite book for her just like my Grandma did for her dad. I started sketching quiet book page ideas with basic learning skills in mind and here are the pages I created in my handmade book.
Quiet Book: Cover
The book cover was the last part made to complete the project. The interior spine of the cover has six metal grommets to hold the pages in place with key rings. The exterior spine of the cover has extra stitching for security and decoration. The front cover has my niece’s initials cut from velvet ribbon.
I made the cover slightly larger than the interior pages and added a handle for carrying with a snap closure to hold it all together.
Handmade Quiet Book Page: Shoes and Laces
This shoe tying page was created with faux leather, metal grommets, and shoe laces. My favorite part is the contrasting stitching that is reminiscent of the stitching on real shoes. These shoes can be tied and untied just like real shoes.
Handmade Quiet Book Page: Numbers
The numbers page of the book features numbers 1–10. On a piece of felt I drew out the number shapes and cut. I arranged them on a piece of fabric and machine sewed them with a zig-zap stitch.
Quiet Book Page: The Seasons
Living in Minnesota year-round we get to enjoy four distinct seasons and a full gamut of weather types. It seemed necessary to include a page with imagery to represent each of the four seasons. Spring features flowers made from ribbon, a golden felt sun represents summer, fall has a felt tree with embroidery thread leaves, and winter has several unique hand-sewn snowflakes.
Quiet Book Page: Rainbow
My favorite page of this handmade quiet book is the rainbow created from colored zippers with felt grassy hills, and fluffy white clouds. Each zipper still functions as a zipper for finger fidgeting fun.
Quiet Book Page: Counting
The counting page has an abacus-like interactivity. Numbers were hand-sewn down the side with corresponding beads on strings to slide and count.
Quiet Book Page: Shapes
This page features large colorful shapes with a matching white shape underneath. Each shape has a piece of velcro to hold onto the page so they can be removed and matched to their corresponding shape.
Quiet Book Page: Alphabet
To create the alphabet pages I typed out letters in a bold uppercase font, printed, cut-out each letter, and traced them onto white felt. I arranged the alphabet onto the pages and hand-sewed each letter using a blanket stitch.
These pages were the most time consuming pages of the entire book but turned out so cool and worth it. :)
Other Quiet Book Details
Here are some common questions I get about this handmade quiet book:
- Dimensions are approximately 12″ x 12″.
- The cover wraps around from front to back, has two handles, and a snap closure.
- There are eight unique pages that feature colors, numbers, letters, shapes, seasons, and shoes.
- Each page has quilt batting in-between the layers of fabric.
- Each page is finished with 2.5″ binding around the edges.
- Each page has three metal grommets that align with six grommets on the cover.
- The pages and cover of the book are held together with three keyrings.
- The pages were sewn both by machine and by hand.
- Quiet book materials used: fabric, quilt batting, ribbon, zippers, metal grommets, wooden beads, felt, velcro, embroidery thread, metal snap, shoe laces.
Were you inspired to make a quiet book for someone special? Let me know who in the comments below.
Thanks for sharing your book. I was given 3 machines and plenty of sewing supplies. I started making quiet books because I love to see. It’s been fun making these books. I really like how you did the cover along with handle. I’m on esty under thelearningcarnival
Hi Jackie – Thank you! The handle was one of my favorite parts. I do think velcro would have been a better closure though, for little fingers to get open.
You have some beautiful work too. My son would love that dump truck page :)
Do you have step by step instructions?
Hi Geri – No, sorry I did not document the process for the quiet book.
I made a quiet book (from a McCall’s pattern) for my best friend’s oldest daughter when she was 3; now I’m making one for the granddaughter, also 3. Did you draw the pattern pieces freehand, or trace them from a book, something like that?
Quiet books make great gifts for little hands. :) These are all free-hand designs.
Yes, my friend told me that Addy needs something to occupy herself with during nap time at preschool (she’s not big on naps!).
I’m trying to figure out, from your photos, how the looseleaf binder rings ‘sit’ in the book in relation to the wrap-around cover – are they stitched down where the two halves of the ring join, or do they sit loose between the cover and the pages? (I hope I’m explaining this properly). thx.
Oh my son dropped his naptime last year, so I know how that is. :)
The cover and spine layers are basically a quilt sandwich with the grommets only going through one layer. The rings then go through the grommets under that layer. Does that make sense? If not, I’m happy to help.