Book Week

We’ve so many Book Week themed craft ideas... Connect to reading & discover through our craft activities!

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Book Week – Squishy Microbes

Have you read ‘Do Not Lick This Book’ by Idan Ben-Barak and illustrated by Julian Frost? Go on an adventure and bring the book to life with these cute and squishy microbes as they explore the life around us.
  • Step 1Download and cut out your template. Choose the character you wish to do (we have chosen Min for this idea) and then trace your template onto the corresponding coloured felt with a permanent marker. Trace it twice as you will need 2 x pieces then cut out your shapes.
  • Step 2To make a leg, simply take the corresponding coloured embroidery thread, tie a matching coloured wooden bead to the end and trim to approximately 10cm long. Repeat this 4 times so you have 2 arms and 2 legs.
  • Step 3Use a blanket stitch to begin sewing around the edge of the layered felt pieces. Click here to learn how to sew a blanket stitch. When you reach a position where a limb will go, lay it in place with approximately 2cm of embroidery thread on top of the felt. Sew 1 blanket stitch over the limb and then tie the loose 2cm of the limb around the stitch so it's secure. Fold back the top layer of felt and tuck the now attached limb inside. Continue to sew around the felt shape as normal, repeating the previous steps when you get to a limb. Once you are almost all the way around the felt pieces, tie off your thread and trim, leaving a decent sized hole.
  • Step 4The reason we left a hole is so we can now turn the character the right way out! Carefully fold back the edges of the felt at the gap and push the rest of the sewn felt up and through the hole. Use a pencil to help push the shape out for the smaller areas such as Mins hair. The arms and legs should now be on the outside and your blanket sticking on the inside.
  • Step 5Use glue dots to stick on wiggle eyes, a permanent marker to draw on a big smile and then a coloured marker to make some eyebrows.
  • Step 6Take some wadding and stuff it through the hole and into the felt shape, using as much as you need to get your character full and squishy.
  • Step 7Once the character is full of wadding, close the hole by pressing the 2 pieces of felt together and blanket stitching around the edge. Tie off securely at the end and trim the thread.
  • Step 8Your character is now ready for adventures!

Materials used in this activity

Felt Squares - Pack of 100
Optional
Product Code: 10785
EACH $54.99 (inc GST) $49.99 (ex GST)
4 to 7 $47.29 (inc GST) $42.99 (ex GST) 8 or more $41.24 (inc GST) $37.49 (ex GST)
Increase value Decrease value
Product Code: 10816
EACH $7.69 (inc GST) $6.99 (ex GST)
Increase value Decrease value
Student Scissors - Pack of 20
Optional
Product Code: 10897
EACH $43.99 (inc GST) $39.99 (ex GST)
3 or more $32.99 (inc GST) $29.99 (ex GST)          
Increase value Decrease value
Wadding - 200g Pack
Optional
Product Code: 11111
EACH $10.99 (inc GST) $9.99 (ex GST)
5 to 9 $8.79 (inc GST) $7.99 (ex GST) 10 or more $6.59 (inc GST) $5.99 (ex GST)
Increase value Decrease value
CleverPatch Glue Dots - Pack of 300
Optional
Product Code: 15173
EACH $16.49 (inc GST) $14.99 (ex GST)
2 or more $10.71 (inc GST) $9.74 (ex GST)          
Increase value Decrease value
CleverPatch Triangular Maxi Coloured Markers - Pack of 10
Optional
Product Code: 16523
EACH $10.99 (inc GST) $9.99 (ex GST)
10 or more $8.79 (inc GST) $7.99 (ex GST)          
Increase value Decrease value
Product Code: 16531
EACH $16.49 (inc GST) $14.99 (ex GST)
6 or more $10.71 (inc GST) $9.74 (ex GST)          
Increase value Decrease value
Bright Round Wooden Beads - 250g Pack
Optional
Product Code: 16619
EACH $15.39 (inc GST) $13.99 (ex GST)
10 or more $10.77 (inc GST) $9.79 (ex GST)          
Increase value Decrease value
Sewing Needles - Sharp - Pack of 6
Optional
Product Code: 17870
EACH $5.49 (inc GST) $4.99 (ex GST)
5 or more $3.84 (inc GST) $3.49 (ex GST)          
Increase value Decrease value
Embroidery Thread - Set of 10 Colours
Optional
Product Code: 20175
EACH $41.14 (inc GST) $37.40 (ex GST)
Increase value Decrease value