Keep 'em Busy: DIY Flannel Board

Wanna make a flannel board?

Remember how great those were growing up?

Remember how the pieces just "magically" stuck up there?

OK, then!  Here's what you need:

     1.  Artist Canvas (whatever size you want)

     2.  Flannel fabric, about 4 inches longer and wider than your canvas

     3.  Staple gun

     4.  Pellon sew-in interfacing (NOT THE FUSIBLE kind!)

Place your canvas on the flannel.  I really wish now that I had ironed my flannel first.  You may want to go do that.  Fold up the edge on one side and staple into the wood frame of your canvas.  Stretch and staple the opposite side.  Repeat on the remaining two sides.

I had some extra fabric hanging over.  I debated gluing the edge or stapling.  I chose to staple it down on the inside.  Flannel board = done!  Wasn't that easy?  OK, ready for some pieces?  You can order flannel board pieces online so if you really want a professional set of Jesus and the Disciples, go ahead and get your credit card out and zoom over to Amazon.  I'm cheap, so I decided to make my own pieces.

I made pieces in two ways.  First, using the Pellon interfacing, I drew and colored some letters using a sharpie and then cut them out.  You can see through the facing, so you could trace coloring book pages or use stencils and let your kiddos color them as well.  Secondly, I took some pictures I printed and had them laminated.  I used rubber cement to paste the pictures to the interfacing and let them dry.  Once they were dry, I trimmed around them.  They looked really nice when they were done!  I don't think you would even need to laminate them.  Maybe you could cut out coloring book pages or comic book pages and use them as well.

Now wasn't that fun?  And look how nice!  Happy crafting!

--Mandy--