A no-sew quiet book is a quiet book you can make without sewing. You can use a hot glue gun, glue sticks and also felt glue (for smaller parts) to create many different quiet book activities with a no-sew method.
Are you wondering whether to make a no-sew quiet book or a sewn quiet book? I’ll try to help you decide what’s best for you in this section.
If you want to see the step-by-step instructions for a no-sew quiet book, see my quiet book patterns and tutorials, and select the no-sew category. You can make most of my activity pages with a no-sew method.
No-sew quiet book
Are you wondering if you can make a quiet book without the knowledge of sewing? Well, the answer is, of course, YES, you can!
No-sew quiet books are great because with gluing, you can make one easier and faster – I needed 40 hours of sewing for my first sewn quiet book and just 6 hours of gluing for a no-sew quiet book.
The no-sew method is an excellent alternative for anyone who can’t sew or doesn’t have a sewing machine. It’s a great way to make a quiet book if you don’t want to spend so much time making this great educational toy for your child.
To make a no-sew quiet book, you need glue sticks and a hot glue gun (besides all the material for the pages), which you can get for around $10.
For gluing smaller pieces on the activity page, I use permanent fabric glue instead of hot glue gun. It’s easier and safer to use because you can quickly burn your fingers with a hot glue gun.
Making a quiet book with a no-sew method is much more affordable (you don’t need to buy a sewing machine), and the process is faster. So there is a way that every child has his/her quiet book!
But you should always check on small felt and fabric pieces if glue is good for them. Some glue sticks are not working when gluing together felt with fabric. Also, always wash samples to see if the glue is permanent.
Nevertheless,
you know how “gentle” our toddlers are, if you make a no-sew quiet book for them, always check if everything is glued together well (use a little force to try it).
Also, be present when toddlers play with the book.
The biggest pros for a no-sew method are:
• You can make a quiet book even if you don’t know how to sew,
• cheaper tools comparing to sewing method,
• you can make a quiet book much faster.
And cons:
• you can’t make every activity with this method,
• quiet books are less durable than ones made with a sewing method,
• some glue sticks doesn’t work well gluing felt and fabric together,
• if you don’t use permanent fabric glue or right glue sticks, you won’t be able to wash your book.
If you want to make a quiet book with a no-sew method, you can read a detailed blog post about your gluing options.
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Sewn quiet book
If you have a sewing machine and know how to sew basic stitches, then you can challenge yourself to make a quiet book with the sewing method.
It’s true.
With a sewing method, you will need more time to make a quiet book. But you can make almost anything you want to design for an activity page.
Sewn books are also more durable and safer because stitches are more reliable and robust compared to glued pieces.
Advantages of sewing method are:
• you can make any activity page you like,
• sewn quiet books are safer, more durable and will last many generations of kids,
• quiet books will have a more professional look.
Disadvantages of this method are:
• you will need more time to make it compared to a no-sew technique,
• you need a sewing machine and basic knowledge of how to sew.
If you want to make a quiet book with a sewing method, you can read a detailed blog post about how to sew in quiet books.
Summing up
Both the no-sew and sewing methods have pros and cons.
But you should know.
It doesn’t really matter which method you choose (as long the quiet book is safe). What matters is you will make a great educational toy for your kid and help her entertainingly develop skills.
In the next chapter, we will look at the general procedure of making a quiet book!