Today we're having more fun with flannel boards and making felt animals.
To make my animals, I found simple animal shapes online and in coloring books. Then I printed or copied the picture and cut out the animal outline to use as a stencil. Then I simply traced the animal outline onto felt using a permanent marker and cut it out. You can be finished at this point and just use your animals as silhouettes. Or you can add faces, hair/feathers, feet, arms/wings, etc. I like adding a little something to each animal to make them come to life. Here are a few different felt birds that I made:
To make my animals, I found simple animal shapes online and in coloring books. Then I printed or copied the picture and cut out the animal outline to use as a stencil. Then I simply traced the animal outline onto felt using a permanent marker and cut it out. You can be finished at this point and just use your animals as silhouettes. Or you can add faces, hair/feathers, feet, arms/wings, etc. I like adding a little something to each animal to make them come to life. Here are a few different felt birds that I made:
I like using lots of different colors and shades of felt to make my animals, but you don't have to. For example, on most of the birds I cut out a wing in a different color, but the swan is layered white on white and it looks just as good!
As you can see, I also like cutting just outside the black outline rather than just inside or on the line because I like the way the animals look with the outline. But that is totally up to you, whichever you think looks best--outline or no outline.
To make my animal faces (like eyes, nose, mouth, etc.), I mostly drew them on using permanent marker. To add other features and body parts (like the horns and tail on the bull below), I used fabric glue. I also used googly eyes, ribbon, and yarn to add more texture to some of the animals.
As you can see, I also like cutting just outside the black outline rather than just inside or on the line because I like the way the animals look with the outline. But that is totally up to you, whichever you think looks best--outline or no outline.
To make my animal faces (like eyes, nose, mouth, etc.), I mostly drew them on using permanent marker. To add other features and body parts (like the horns and tail on the bull below), I used fabric glue. I also used googly eyes, ribbon, and yarn to add more texture to some of the animals.
This is a craft that you can make with your kids, and you don't have to make a whole bunch all at once because there are only a few supplies that you have to get out and put away. So you can keep adding to your felt and flannel board collection later by making new characters or objects. Plus, they last a long time. I actually made some of these animals a few years ago and they haven't lost their "fuzz" and stick to the flannel board.
Having felt animals are not only fun to play with, they can help teach a lesson or tell a story. They also can be a great quiet time activity during afternoon naps or church, and can be easily toted with you on your travels.
If you haven't made yourself a flannel board yet, check out our previous post here for some ideas.
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