Here’s the first in the series of tutorials on creating your own story pieces for flannel or magnet boards.
Besides being super fun for your kids, I think these custom flannel board pieces would make an adorable gift for a favorite school or church teacher, children’s librarian, babysitter, etc. Maybe wrapped up with a coordinating book?
To make felt story pieces, you’ll need:
- Image(s) you love!!
- Color printer
- T-shirt transfer paper
- Iron
- Felt sheet(s)
- Scissors
1. Print your image(s) on t-shirt transfer paper. There are a couple of different kinds–I used the one that’s recommended for white or light fabric.
The transfer paper package will give some tips on printer settings, but one tip that’s really important: if your image has numbers or letters you’ll need to flip (or mirror image) your picture BEFORE you print because when you iron your image onto the felt, it will be opposite of what it looks like on the printed paper.
Check your printer properties–often you can check a box that allows you to print “mirror image.”
2. Iron your fabric or felt to release wrinkles or moisture.
Fun Fact: Our iron gets used more often for craft projects than actually ironing clothes! Am I alone here?!
3. Place the printed iron-on transfer face down on your felt.
Press with a hot iron for about 20 seconds, moving around. (Check the transfer paper’s package for exact temperature settings, as it may depend on the kind you buy and the fabric you use.)
4. Allow to cool completely, then peel off the transfer paper backing in a swift, smooth motion.
Look at the copyright to see what I mean about the mirror image . . .
5. Cut around the images.
6. Stick to a flannel or felt board, and play!
After reading Mr. Seahorse by Eric Carle, we used these felt pieces on the flannel board to sing/say this fun counting rhyme:
Mr. Seahorse
Sung to the Tune: Are you sleeping?
Mr. Seahorse, Mr. Seahorse,
Count and see,
Please tell me,
How many babies,
How many babies do you see,
do you see?
Have the kids count the baby seahorses. (Encourage them to listen to the words and only to count the babies not Mr. Seahorse.) After counting, take one baby seahorse away, sing the song again, and repeat the counting activity.
If this specific activity and seahorse printable is something you’d enjoy, please feel free to download here: Seahorses by Keeping Life Creative
These are so adorable!!! Thank you so much for sharing. Would you be able to email me a link to your seahorses as well? Would love to do this story with my sunday school girls! Thank you from British Columia 🙂 Kerry
Hi Pam,
Your website has great stuff! Thanks so much for sharing your ideas!
Could you please specify the brand of transfer paper you used on the felt to make the seahorses?
Thanks again!
Warm regards,
Vidhya
Hey there! I know you posted this a few years ago, but I had to take the time to thank you for it. I’ve been dying to make some felt board pieces for my kids (I am an illustrator) and for some reason didn’t think to try this! And fortunately, I think I have everything on hand already!
Thanks a million! ♥
Quick question, is there a special felt to be used to iron on? I am making story telling printouts for the story telling glove (using small velcro backing) but not sure if I need a special felt for ironing on?
Thanks for your feedback. I’m so excited about this prospect. Patty
I just used the inexpensive polyester felt sheets you can buy for around $0.25 a sheet at the craft stores.
xoxo, Pam
Wow! You are amazing! I love all of your flannel printables! I’m so excited to add these to my FHE lessons. Can’t wait to see more! Thank you, thank you!!!
@pameladonnis, Oh my goodness that would be awesosme if I could get a copy of the seahorses. Sorry for rsponding so late it has been crazy up in my house and with school, ughhh… here is my email skubby1@aol.com I’m so excited thank you again from the bottom of my heart. love your site it is awesome!!!!!
Your felt characters are FABULOUS and your tutorial on how to make them is soooo easy. I can’t wait to try it and use these in my classroom. Thank you so much for sharing your creativity with everyone!!!!
I have been trying to think of a way to make my own flannel board stories so this is very exciting to me. I home school and love the bible felt stories on line but just can’t afford them so this is a great help and these little figures are SOOO adorable. Thank you for the time you put in and I would absolutely love more Bible stories/ characters available.
I will be using this book in my class in May. Can I please ask where you got the Seahorse patterns from. I just bought the book and waitung for it to be delivered. Thank you for the tutorial. I’m always looking for easy ways to make flannel board stories. God Bless. Mrs. Valerie
The seahorse patterns are some I made. I didn’t make the whole story, just these seahorses. But I’d be happy to send them to you, if you’re interested.
I would just LOVE to get these patterns if I you don’t mind sharing……….. They are fabulous and seahorses are just my favorite “animal”……. lol Janet
Wow! I found this through SugarDoodle. I didn’t know felt could be so easy to use. I know it is probably against copyright law, but I wonder if I could scan images from a book. I do know you can use so much of a percentage of the book as long as it is for personal use. Just wondering. Thanks for the tutorial. This looks super easy!
I love your digital felt! Is this how you make it and then scan it back onto your computer? I’ve been reading a few tutorials and it looks like you can create objects to look like felt in Photoshop but your stuff just looks so realistic! You are very talented!
Thank you!
A magician never shares her tricks, but I will say that I do a combination of real and digital :).
We love Mister Seahorse at our horse too, its a current favourite of our four year olds.