Baby Books: How to Make Soft Books for Infants

Cloth books are easy to make and start kids loving books at a very early age. Although your infant can’t read he or she can still play with the soft books, made from cloth and pillow stuffing. Choose the cloth that will make your baby happy. Fabric stores have all sorts of patterns and bright colors that can be used for making the book.

Make the books as large or as small as you wish. Start by cutting two rectangles from the cloth. Cut another set of rectangles, about an inch wider than the first set. Cut a third set of rectangles, about an inch wider than the second set.

Sew or glue three sides of each of the sets. Turn right side out and lay a thin layer of pillow stuffing inside. The stuffing is optional – you can make the books without it if you wish. Stitch or glue the ends shut. Now you should have three stuffed rectangles, each one slightly smaller than the previous set.

Lay the largest rectangle on a table. Fold in half and mark the center. Use a disappearing marker for best results since the line you draw will disappear after a day or two. If you’re using fabric glue apply a line of the glue to the center of the largest rectangle, position the second largest rectangle on top, then add the glue to the center of it. Finally, position the smallest rectangle on top and allow to dry. If you’re stitching the set, align all three rectangles, according to which is largest, then stitch down the center of all three pieces at once.

Fold and press the book to crease it in the center and help it stay shut. Now the fun begins. Decorate the pages in any number of ways. Decide on a theme for the book and use small toys, cloth and other things to tell the story.

Write the title of the book on the cover, using permanent marker or fabric paints. Cut a puppy, for example, out of cloth and attach him, with fabric glue, to the front cover. Write short story lines that tell the story about the puppy. Use small toys, like a baby-safe mirror or a plastic butterfly, to enhance each page and tell the story.

Look around at a dollar-theme store or craft store to find small, baby-safe toys that you can use to make the book. Purchase glitter fabric paints, teething rings, flat rattles, and other things that will fit in the book and catch the baby’s attention. If necessary, attach a strap or velcro, to hold the book shut.

The cloth baby books make great gifts for a baby shower or perfect activities for your own child. Your baby will love the book so much you’ll simply have to make more. And, when the book gets dirty, you can simply toss it in the washer. If the book contains plastic toys and such, omit putting it in the dryer, and let it drip-dry instead.