Making Sensory Busy Quiet Books: How to Get Stiff Pages, Design, and my Best Short-Cuts to Save Time

I wish I had known this when I first started doing busy books. There are so many styles of activities and you have to find your own style and methods that work best for you. This video is just my opinion, and I am sharing what has worked for me to make busy books quickly and profitably. Of course everyone is different and what does not work for me, may work for others.
There is no wrong way! Just the way that works for you, your goals, and your customers.
Here is a link to my website, where you can order the 1.2mm Korean felt that I use for the busy book activity pieces:
www.bambinobusybooks.com
A link to my patreon if you have a cutting machine and would like access to my bulk templates:
www.Patreon.com/DIYBusyBooks
A Link to the precut 8"×8" felt that I order on amazon for the page/backgrounds:
www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B01MU64...
Thanks for watching!
❤️❤️❤️

[@mary-estherwilson7773]

Thank you for this video. I am glad I watched it all the way through. I am wanting to get into busy books for my grandkids. I will have 3 by the end of the year. I will be visiting your site more to get page tips and it sounds like felt.

[@diybusybooks]

Thanks so much Mary! Thats greay you want to make books for your grandkids. Nothing beats a handmade gift from grandma ❤️❤️

[@NICHOLPUB4]

So many great ideas for a beginner to try. I've been wanting to make a quiet book for my grand baby and have been so overwhelmed. You shared such great info and wonderful ideas. Thank you so much.

[@diybusybooks]

Thank you so much! I am so glad this helped. You can totally do it! Just do one page at a time and you will love it! It's going to be so cute!

[@giselerinaldi1497]

I really appreciated your tips. Thank you very much!

[@diybusybooks]

Thanks so much! ❤️❤️

[@mishiwihi]

I'm a new mother to an autistic and delayed development child. I'm planning to make a busy book that suits her tactile needs. Thank you so much for the tips I love them 💕

[@diybusybooks]

That is wonderful, thank you for your comment, that makes me so happy!! ❤️❤️❤️ I hope her loves her busy book! I would love to see how it turnes out if you want to send me any photos!

[@mishiwihi]

@@diybusybooks for sure I will. Although I know mine won't turn out nearly as clean and professional as the ones you've shown but I'll give it a try.

[@diybusybooks]

@@mishiwihi ❤️ I promise whatever you make for your daughter will be perfect for her. And you can hold onto it her whole life and give it to her as an adult for some sentimental nostalgia ❤️

[@Bagsandthingsbysilvia]

Fantastic tips! Thank you so much for sharing ❤👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@diybusybooks]

Thank you so much! ❤️

[@SijamHusna]

these tips are very useful for me

[@diybusybooks]

I am so glad to hear that, thank you! ❤️

[@merivandernest6753]

Thank you for sharing Sarah,🌳

[@diybusybooks]

It is my pleasure, thanks so much for watching! ❤️

[@meg4223]

I just saw this lady edit the blade she uses in her cricut to be the rotary fabric cutting blade for felt. Then you might not have to push down on the blade. Idk if that helps. I'm excited to try this! Thank you for all the tips!

[@diybusybooks]

Thank you! I think I tried that before but I dont remember lol! 😅 I will have to try it again. Thanks so much! ❤️❤️

[@lorraine3499]

Great video. Loved it

[@diybusybooks]

Thank you!

[@poojabaheti2086]

Hey, your tips are amazing !! Loved them … Which cutting machine are you using? Can you share the link?

[@diybusybooks]

Hey thanks so much! ❤️ I don't have a link but I currently use the Cricut Maker. For the price, I think it works well!

[@fleuretteisraelsen3600]

Hey hey! I am making my first pages and I'm a sewing newbie so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but it feels like the felt slides around a lot when I'm sewing. Do you have any tips or tricks for keeping the felt from moving around when sewing? Is my tension too tight on my machine??

[@diybusybooks]

Hey! Sorry for my late reply! To be honest, I am not the best with sewing tensions and issues. I like using the sewing clips though to help keep everyrhing in place when I am sewing. Best of luck!

[@colleenswider7515]

Hello! Love your work and helpful tips. What are you using for the scalloped ring inserts. It looks like heavier felt? How do you prepare them? Thank you!

[@diybusybooks]

Thank you so much! Yes it is 3mm thick felt (so very thick felt) that I buy from my local fabric store. I cut it with scallopped edge fabric scissors... I have the link for them in my amazon storefront, I will link it here... www.amazon.com/shop/diybusybooks I use the 7mm size ones and they cut great!

[@V0nneke17]

Thank you so much for your videos! What kind of hole punch do you use for the binding strips? I use 3mm thick wool felt. I tried a heavy duty hole punch and the kind of tool that you use to make extra holes in a belt. It just seems so easy when you do it. Here in the Netherlands it is very hard to get stiff felt, does someone have any tips?

[@diybusybooks]

@@V0nneke17 thanks so much! I don't have a brand even on my hole punch I don't think... I bought it at a local office supply store a few yeas ago when I was teaching because it said it could hole punch a ton of papers at once on the packaging... maybe 30 papers or so I can't remember. It has worked incredibly well. I also use 3mm thick felt.... next time I go to my fabric store to buy more, I will film the tag and see what the felt is made of. I am sorry to hear you are having a hard time with the holes though. That is frustrating but I am sure there is a solution 🙂 For felt, are you able to buy the felt from amazon? I am sorry, I am ignorant about what services are/are not available to you. But the stiff 1mm amazon felt isn't bad... it is what I used for the first year of me making the books. Only recently did I switch to Korean felt but the amazon felt will still work quite well. Korean felt is harder to find and the place I get my felt from only ships to a few Countries, not Netherland. Have you tried Etsy? I have seen lots of sellers on Etsy from all over the world who sell Korean Felt. Try there... maybe there are sellers close to you. If you want to message me through my website (bambinobusybooks.com), I can look into the cost of shipping to you but I expect it will be quite a bit more in shipping. Try Etsy sellers in Netherlands or Germany who sell Stiff korean felt first. Let me know and Good luck! ❤️

[@BEDCAN23]

🤙

[@diybusybooks]

Thank you!

[@ixchelvasconcelos7681]

Hola Sara.Un gran problema es que no hablo inglés. Espero puedas traducir mi comentario. Porque mereces en realidad que alguien te diga lo acertado que son todos tus comentarios en este video..Cuánta razón tienes en todo lo que has señalado aqui. Y muy especialmente que siempre has tratado el tema de los costos de estos libros hermosos, con absoluta honestidad. Asi que encuentro en tus palabras un tesoro invaluable para quienes hemos experimentado , al igual que lo has hecho tú, lo dificil que es que los clientes reconozcan el valor de nuestro trabajo y el tiempo invertido.Yo hasta la fecha no lo he conseguido.Asi que atesoro tus consejos , y los pondré en practica.Una duda que me quedó es si usas el fieltro coreano solo para las piezas que incorporas, o si lo usas para las paginas, pero entendi que al recubrirlas con tela no importa que sea una pagina con el fieltro mas economíco.Perdona por extenderme tanto en mi comentario.Aun me gustaría poder decirte más pero al tener la limitacion del idioma no podré hacerlo.Te sigo desde siempre en tus tutoriales, has realizado paginas muy hermosas que yo también he realizado en mis libros después.Te deseo un gran año 2024.

[@Bagsandthingsbysilvia]

Hola, te quería comentar que yo hablo inglés y te explico. Sara usa el fieltro coreano más duro y grueso para las piezas y el más fino para las páginas que al ponerle dos y a veces cubrirlo en tela quedan firmes igual 😊 Espero que ayude.

[@ixchelvasconcelos7681]

@@Bagsandthingsbysilvia Te estoy muy agradecida por haberte tomado el tiempo para explicarme.

[@diybusybooks]

​@@Bagsandthingsbysilvia thank you so much for your help translating, I appreciate it so much!! ❤

[@diybusybooks]

Hola my friend! I am sorry for the language barrier but thank you so much for your kind words, and for taking the time to write your message. Don't give up, keep working at it, I believe you can have success with selling books. I will be doing another video for how I price my pages and hopefully that can help too. I usually only use the 1.2mm korean felt for the pieces, and I use the 1mm felt from amazon for the pages themselves (usually). Thanks so much for your support and for watching. Wishing you the best of luck! ❤

[@ixchelvasconcelos7681]

Thank you so much@@diybusybooks

[@tammybarnes9378]

Do you use a specific type of blade with your Cricut? Also, what mats do you recommend?

[@diybusybooks]

I use the blue blade for cricuts (Sorry I forgrt the name for them) but I like the blue ones the most for cutting felt. People have told me to try the rotary blade but I prefer the blue one. And for matts, I like these ones... they are less expensive than the cricut brand but I find they work great. Here is the link I use: amzn.to/49OTN1H

[@alicebauer9783]

Is your felt out of wool or polyester?

[@diybusybooks]

I am not sure... the felt I have in my storefront that I get from amazon says its Acrylic/Rayon... I am not 100% sure about the Korean Felt though. I believe it is the same kind but it does feel a bit softer to touch, but still stiff in it's structure. It is also a bit thicker.

[@user-gi9mc4pd4e]

I´m from Algeria I have a question please if can I do quiet book for child 8-12years if yes I need an ideas

[@diybusybooks]

Hello! Wow all the way in Algeria!! So neat, welcome and thanks for watching❤️❤️! I can try to work on a book for that age but it may take me a while. Some pages I would do though would be: 1. Memory Matching Game 2. Clock 3. Tangram Puzzle 4. I Spy Page with a Card that shows what's inside 5. Dry Erase Drawing Page

[@user-gi9mc4pd4e]

@@diybusybooks yes from Algeria so far 😆😆😆 and I like your channel 😊 good luck for you

[@diybusybooks]

@@user-gi9mc4pd4e thank you so much. That is just too cool! ❤️

[@lorraine3499]

I've wanted to do the elmo and cookie monster but copyright scared me.

[@diybusybooks]

Yes, me too. I think you have the right idea to just avoid tv characters... I have some left still that I have already made but once I run out, I will have to discontinue them. Even though I don't sell enough to be significant, It isn't really a sustainable method of making and selling busy books unless you are going to look into licensing, which I will not be doing. But man, who can resist that cookie monster page. I am going to miss him when he runs out 😥💔