Felt Play Set #5, 6, 7...

Am I going overboard here? Okay, confession time: I go on crafting binges. I always have a little project that I work on a couple of times per week but then there are times when I slack off on all other responsibilities and craft like crazy. This is one of those times but I'm coming out of it. I've only got one felt set left and it's almost done.

I've had a lot of compliments on these but they are SUPER SUPER easy so let me try to explain how I've made them. All you need is a hot glue gun and lots and lots of felt. 

I made several different types so here's a sort of tutorial for the one I like the most.

1) Cut out at least 2 rectangles of about 10" by 16". Size doesn't matter as long as they are about the size of a placemat or smaller. I said at least 2 rectangles because for some of these play mats I doubled up the thickness. Some of them were for carrying hard plastic toys that might puncture through felt.

2) Glue a handle to each rectangle. Again I used double thick felt to add strength. Try to place them in the same place on each rectangle so that they will line up together when you close the playmat.

3) Put the rectangles together with the handles on the inside so that they stick out of whichever side you will be carrying the bag by.

4)Glue the rectangles together on the 3 sides that do NOT have a handle.

5) Now decorate the play surface (The outside of the bag.) with whatever theme looks like fun.
The trick is to think in layers. Put the stuff that is "far away" on first like the sky and the volcano. Add the "nearby" stuff last, like the tree and the lake.
And it doesn't have to be all felt. In some places I used permenant markers, pom-poms, ric-rac, ribbon... whatever scraps you have handy!

The first play mat with the play food was not strong enough so this is a new one.



The treasure chest and clam actually open! I'm still making fish, octopus, sharks, etc. for this one.



I've got to find Buzz Lightyear to add him to this one. He's around the house somewhere.