DIY Portable Felt Board- Great Xmas Gift for the Kids!

UPDATE: The free pattern and tutorial for this portable felt book is available now right here!

This year, I've planned to make at least half the gifts I'm giving this Christmas. I originally planned to make EVERY gift but that was just a pipe dream. If I wanted that to happen, I would've started making gifts in January! Unfortunately, I am unable to plan that far ahead of time (no discipline whatsoever here!) and so, I have decided to focus on making the majority of the kids' gifts because they're just so darn fun to make stuff for.

My first project is a portable felt board that I drafted a pattern for after researching some on Pinterest. Here's a link to one of the inspirations that I absolutely loved! This first one that I made was great but I need to add a stiff interfacing or maybe even some thin cardboard inside for stability- which I didn't have at the time because I kind of sewed it up on a whim yesterday. I've got all sorts of ideas in my head about adding a magnet board to the inside of one instead of felt. My kiddos looooove magnets! Maybe it'll be K's surprise gift since she won't be receiving another felt board for Christmas. Hmmm...so many ideas!

 K is going to keep this felt board tester. She's in love with the colors and is already bossing me around about which colors I should choose for each of her brothers and cousins.

This week, Joann's is having a fabulous fabric sale: 50% off all red tag fabrics so I stocked up on some including the floral patterned fabrics featured here. I'm thinking I need to go back for more but I already have so much in my craft room, it's coming outta my ears! 

I included a pocket on the inside to hold all the felt pieces. I might consider using velcro to close the pocket so the pieces don't fall out everywhere. So far, it's managed to stay inside when my daughter carries it around but kids are whacky sometimes and will swing and fling anything that has a handle on it- am I right, moms?

I've cut out only the Potato Heads so far but plan on making some fun dress up dolls, train and road tracks with vehicles, letters, numbers and food shapes as well. There are so many ways to customize each board for every child! That's what makes these so neat! 

I love how sewing just a small strip of fabric onto the velcro makes it look so professional. 

Once I've cleaned up the pattern a bit more, I'll share that and a tutorial in the next couple of weeks. This is such a fun, easy project that you can whip one up in a couple of hours and have a blast cutting out felt shapes while watching Netflix. =) 

 UPDATE: I went on hiatus shortly after this post went up and the pattern got tossed accidentally! I'll try to re-draft it using the finished one I've completed. The pattern and tutorial should be up this spring! Thanks for stopping by and checking this post out!