Share
Welcome to Handmade Holidays with Benzie Design + Therm O Web! We're sharing autumn-inspired creative tutorials all week, along with the chance to win $25 gift cards from Benzie and Therm O Web. Find the details at the end of this Halloween Mini Quiet Book tutorial designed by guest contributor Kimberly Gleason.
We know that October isn’t all trick-or-treating and costume parties. For those times your little boo-things need a quiet activity, I’ve got just the thing to lift your spirits: the Halloween Hide-and-Seek Mini Quiet Book! Inspired by classic pumpkin pails and cartoon Halloween specials, you’ll have plenty of fun sewing flaps and pockets in the autumn night scene that are perfect hiding places for little ghost trick-or-treaters to hide. We’re using a combination of sewing and gluing to create this piece, so you’ll have it done in a couple of afternoons. What a treat!
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Time: 5-10 hours
Additional Supplies:
Halloween Hide + Seek Templates (click to download)
Fabric Stiffener Spray
Silver Glitter Dust Spray
Black Ribbon, 5/8" width
Tweezers - optional
Directions:
1. Print templates above on either iron-on adhesive sheets or freezer paper as instructed on templates. Iron-on templates are mirrored in order to work properly in the pattern. Follow the instructions to print onto HeatnBond Lite EZ print sheets with ink jet printer. If you don’t have an ink jet printer, you can easily print the templates and trace them onto iron-on adhesive sheets with a pencil. Arrange all pieces on felt before cutting. Iron the templates to corresponding felt sheets and cut out. The iron-on sheets will leave behind an adhesive so don’t peel off the paper backing until you’re ready to use them in the pattern.
Fold Base, Night Sky, Hill and Path pieces where indicated and press.
Spray Glitter Dust on the Night Sky to add a little starry sparkle.
2. Measure and cut two 10-12" lengths of ribbon. Glue the ends on back side of Base with tacky glue. Sew a few tacking stitches in each end for extra security.
3. Place Night Sky, Hill, Path and Left and Right Ground pieces on Base piece, with adhesive side against the base. Remove paper backing and iron in place. Take your time, as felt is thicker than other fabrics and may take a little longer to adhere.
With all pieces in place, sew to Base using a back stitch and coordinating thread.
4. Place Moon and Background Tree Tops and Trunks on Base. Iron and sew with the back stitch as in Step 3.
5. Next, iron Tree Flap Top and Trunk pieces to Tree Flap Base and the Haybales on the Haybale base. With the adhesive in place, sew around each piece with the back stitch. Leave the bottom half of the Tree Trunk and the bottom and left edges of the Haybales unsewn for now.
Put the Tree Flap on the page and continue sewing on the bottom half of the Tree Trunk to secure it to Base to form a flap.
Place the Haybales on Base and continue sewing on the bottom and left edges to create a flap.
6. Last for the scene is to make the Leaf Pile Flap and Pumpkin Patch Pocket. Place Leaf Pile Flap on Base and sew along the bottom edge. Then place Pumpkin Patch Pocket on Base and sew along the curved edges to form a pocket.
Protect your project with a sheet of paper or parchment between the Leaf Pile Flap and Base and then arrange and glue Leaves. I found it easiest to start from the bottom of the pile and work up.
Repeat the process with Pumpkins and Pumpkin Leaves on the Pumpkin Patch Pocket. For this section, it’s best to arrange the Pumpkins and Pumpkin Leaves from the top of the pocket and work down to the bottom. Place a few Pumpkins behind the pocket and a few that overlap the edges to camouflage the pocket.
7. Find placement for the magnets by folding Base closed and finding the areas at the top and bottom where there are only two layers of felt on each side. Fewer layers of felt will help our magnets secure together. Mark on one side.
Add E6000 to two magnets and place on the marks. Let dry for an hour and flip to the other side. Put the remaining two magnets on Base opposite of the glued magnets, letting them attract to find the placement, then mark. Glue each with E6000 and allow to dry.
8. Meanwhile, arrange Jack-o-lantern Face pieces on Front Cover, iron on and sew with a back stitch.
9. Place Front Cover on closed Base. The left side (where the “spine” would be on a book) will hang off the base just a bit. Carefully iron only on area directly touching the base - avoid the left side so adhesive on Front Cover stays intact. Flip over and repeat with Back Cover. This time the right edge of Back Cover will hang off the base (again, as if it were the “spine” of a book when looking at the back cover), but this time it should line up with adhesive side of Front Cover. Gently iron to activate adhesive.
10. Finish mini book by sewing Front and Back Covers to Base. Open the mini book and thread a needle with Clementine floss. Using a blanket stitch, start at top, just to the left of center crease.
Hide stitches on spread side so thread doesn’t contrast with nighttime scene. To do this, slide the needle under Night Sky, Hill, Path or Ground pieces and sew only through Base and Front Cover. Work your way around the left edge of spread, sewing Base to Front Cover until you reach bottom of the center crease.
Here’s how it will look on the Front Cover:
11. Close mini book and pin Back Pocket to Back Cover. With book still closed, sew a few stitches along the bottom edge of the spread, Back Cover and Back Pocket. Once secure, open book again and continue sewing all along the right edge of the open spread until you return to top of the center crease. At this point, close book and sew small section that is only the Front and Back Covers. Knot off the floss and trim.
12. A boo-tiful mini book is much more fun with some little trick-or-treaters in ghost costumes. Don’t worry, they’re no-sew! Stack and glue together three Ghost Bases with a thin, even layer of tacky glue. Let dry for 15-20 minutes.
Glue Arms and Pumpkin Pails to Ghost. I found it helpful to use tweezers to hold my pieces, dip them in a puddle of glue, and then place them on the Ghost.
Next, add eyes. You can draw eyes with a marker or paint pen or cut them from felt. For felt eyes, add fabric stiffener (following manufacturer instructions) to a scrap of Black felt. Cut strips and then trim strips into similar sized rectangles. Snip corners down to round them into oval shapes. With sharp scissors, a steady hand and a bit of patience, you can do this!
As optional embellishments, give your Ghost a little flair with a witch hat, bow or bowtie.
And hello, gourd-geous! Your Halloween Hide-and-Seek Mini Book is ready for hours of fun and festive play. No tricks, all treats! Happy Halloween!
Thanks to Kimberly for designing and writing this tutorial! You can see more of her work on Instagram @blueberrypatterns and on her website.
Follow Benzie Design and Therm O Web on Instagram and comment on the post promoting this tutorial to win a $25 digital gift card to benziedesign.com. The giveaway comment period will end at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, September 27th. All winners will be announced on the Therm O Web Instagram page on Monday, September 30th. Good luck!
