https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/leapfrog-book-card • Posted by Nicole R.
As a Nanny I know many children with these Leapfrog Leaning Systems, I think they are fantastic toys, however if the card that accompanies the book is lost then the book is useless in the system. I recently decided to buy a “LeapFrog My First LeapPad ABC Bus” and a few books for a little girl, but the thought of he loosing the cards for the books made me rethink the gift when I got home. So I decided that I would make it as close as impossible for the child to loose the cards as I possibly could. Here is how I did it…
As a Nanny I know many children with these Leapfrog Leaning Systems, I think they are fantastic toys, however if the card that accompanies the book is lost then the book is useless in the system. I recently decided to buy a “LeapFrog My First LeapPad ABC Bus” and a few books for a little girl, but the thought of he loosing the cards for the books made me rethink the gift when I got home. So I decided that I would make it as close as impossible for the child to loose the cards as I possibly could. Here is how I did it…
Gather all your materials… With the book clipped into the bus, for the length I measured from the centre of the top of my book (as it is a reversible book) round to the little hole on the card – with the card docked; plus 3 cm to allow for turning in the ends. And I cut them about 5cm wide to give me plenty of room.
With my fabric laid down outside facing I sewed my 2 side seams along the length making them about 2cm apart
Taking care to stop about 1cm from the end. *this makes life much easier when adding the elastics*
Trim the excess fabric from the sides, to about 0.5cm, to reduce bulk.
Now we are going to start turning the fabric right sides out *I like to use a pencil with an eraser on the end as it gives you some grip*
All the way to the end.
Now to prep the elastics… First cut off the metal clamp, they will fray almost straight away.
Using a lighter I slightly melted the ends which sealed them from fraying further through use.
Go back to your fabric tube you have made and turn in the top 1 – 1.5cm of fabric on the end.
Insert the elastic into the hole in your cartridge, try to get an even amount of elastic on each side as this will help with the next step…
Push the ends of the elastic into the end of your fabric tube leaving some length seen. You can hold onto the elastic inside the fabric.
Now sew!! I sewed 2 lines and I went back and forth over them 6 times each. I know that sounds a little much but I am under no illusion about the amount of pulling and abuse these elastics will be under.
Now repeat… Step 9 - at the other end of the fabric Step 10 – threading the second elastic through the punched hole in the book Step 11 – this time you need to leave the elastic loose enough that the book can be fully opened Step 12 – sew just as many times as you did previously
ADMIRE YOUR CREATION !