Designing Felt Boards

One Saturday, I was expecting my son and grandson for a visit...I also had a number of coupons to use at Michaels. Michaels is practically around the corner from where I live. It was the last day those coupons were good for. So before my guests were to arrive, of course I went shopping! Did I need any supplies for the studio...nope! So I went looking for something my grandson might like and I came across a stack of Creatology Story Time Felt Activity Boards. There was a large selection and the price was $7, which would be $3 and change with a coupon, it was hard to decide! Since my grandson loves trains, I bought the one above. It has many more pieces than what I used in this photo.

When my grandson arrived I asked him if he would like to play with a felt board. He ran right into my studio and took it from my hands and put it on the table in the porch and sat and played longer than I have seen him sit to do anything before, at my house!

So naturally I wanted to do anything I could to prolong and enhance his enjoyment...deciding to make some pieces in a different theme, that could also work on the board. After looking over the many articles and blog posts on DYI Felt Boards, I came up with the fact that not only felt works to adhere with friction to the board, but flannel and Pellon (stiff interfacing) works too. I have several yards of Timtex interfacing left from other projects. So here is what I did:

First I decided my theme would be the farm. Using my Cricut Gypsy, I found items that work for my theme. I didn't worry about sizes, just having them all on one sheet to cut out on a 12" x 12" piece of cardstock for patterns.

Here are some of my patterns!

I traces and cut the figures out of the Timtex and added detail with black marker.

They looked too white, so I colored them with markers and added details with dimensional paint. I was thinking of painting the figure, but I didn't have the right colors in fabric paint! 

Here are more Timtex figures added and painted with acrylic or fabric paints. The board is from one of the sets I bought at Michaels.
Here is how to make your own background flannel board.

Items you need to make your own flannel background board.

Flannel wrapped around art canvas.

Green felt for scenery stays in place on flannel board.

Flannel board I made with my Timtex interfacing figures, works really well.

During a lunch break my grandson and I played with the new board and the farm figures while I read "Old MacDonald Had a Farm." He helped me to sing the song too!

Before I finished the farm board there was another great coupon sale at Michaels, so I bought "The Three Little Pigs," felt set. I went to the book store and bought the book too!

My grandson came again to play and while he was sitting eating his lunch, we began to play with the Three Little Pigs felt board and I read him the story. He was very into it and love the pigs and the big bad wolf.

My son was enjoying watching our playing and sent a picture to my daughter-in-law.

Building each house was fun.

It was so fun, when my grandson began singing: "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf. The big bad wolf, the big bad wolf? Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Tra-la-la-la-la-a-a-a!"