Sewing a do-it-yourself rug can be a very pleasant and exciting experience for a mother during pregnancy or in the first months after the birth of a baby.
Of course, you can just buy a rug, but by making it yourself, you not only save money, but also put your soul into the development of your baby.
It can be quite simple, but it contains different elements for learning about the world around you, or you will apply a lot of energy and imagination to its creation - it all depends on your desire.
In this article, we have collected the basic principles of creating elements of a developmental mat and ideas for using improvised means for the development of a child.
As a rule, such a rug is used for babies from 1-2 months. The child is laid out there on the back (if the rug is with arcs) or on the tummy. The main requirement for the rug is that it should be warm and cozy and have many different-textured elements that the baby can touch, kick, catch, push, send into the mouth.
The woven material and elements should be varied to the touch - smooth, rough, furry, fleecy, cold, with pimples, etc.
General idea and materials
First, come up with a general idea. – color range, mood. Will the whole story be depicted on the rug, or various phenomena (elements, seasons) are presented, or it will simply be sewn from squares or triangles of different fabrics. Draw a sketch.
The colors should not be too flashy, but also not too pale. Small child only distinguishes between contrasting colors well, so stitching the entire rug in different shades of pink is a bad idea. And fabrics and various elements should not pose a danger to the baby.
Think what you have- trimming fabrics, buttons, ribbons, fringes, braid, zippers, Velcro, appliqués, images of animals on fabric, something instead of an arc. Everything can become elements of a developing rug, the main thing is to sew it securely.
And do not forget that the rug will need to be washed, therefore the fabrics and all elements must withstand washing, or be fastened in such a way that they can be removed before washing.
To sew a developing rug with your own hands, we suggest taking an old blanket or synthetic winterizer as a basis, so that the baby is warm and soft. The blanket can be square 1x1 m or 1.5x1.5 m, or any other shape and size.
You will sew the blanket with the main material with already sewn elements in the form of some kind of pattern, or sew the outer surface of the rug using the patchwork technique from pieces of fabrics of various textures and colors.
Arcs for a developing rug can be made from a hoop, which is cut to length depending on the size of the rug. How to attach them is clearly shown in the video at the end of the article. The arcs are sheathed with fabric, then you can hang toys on them - store or homemade ones (for example).
There is another option than replacing the arches for the rug:
Design themes and elements of the developing mat
The design of the rug can be dedicated to the theme of animals, flowers, fruits, fairy tales. It can be some kind of plot or a town with houses, cars, a river and trees. Try dividing the playing surface of the rug into sectors dedicated to the seasons, time of day, or the elements - water, earth, air, etc.
If you just sew a rug from different fabrics, then take the most different colours and textures, prints with polka dots and stripes. Fabrics with drawings are also served, you can choose a suitable subject and sew everything from one fabric, the main thing is that it washes well.
Sew rustling plastic or candy wrappers into some game items. Use satin, tulle, artificial fur for the development of baby's sensing.
Let some elements be convex and soft, fill them with padding polyester or holofiber. Sew on different buttons tightly, you can fold a pattern from them, use buttons of different shapes.
The rain or the rays of the sun can be depicted using a fringe, multi-colored ribbons sewn in the form of a rainbow. Somewhere you can sew in lacing and a zipper so that the child trains his fine motor skills and learns how to use them when he grows up.
Let some elements of the rug be fastened with Velcro - for example, this is how the doors in the house can open and close. Hide some surprises in the pockets, the kid will be interested in how they hide and find themselves again. Sew some toys with elastic bands into the pocket.
Come up with sound effects... In addition to the rustling candy wrappers sewn into the elements of the rug, you can hang a bell or musical toys on the arcs. For old toys, try removing the music unit and stitching it into the rug.
And now a video that will clearly show how, from a technical point of view, to perform the developmental rug itself with arcs with your own hands, how to make and attach toys:
So let's get started.
The dimensions of the rug are 1m by 1m.
1. Required materials:
- base fabric with a children's pattern. Calico, 2 m
- plastic hoop, diameter 90cm
- one-color fabric, 4 colors (let's call it background), 30 cm each. The ideal option is a raincoat fabric on fleece.
- synthetic winterizer 1.5 m
- Velcro tape (Velcro) white and black
- laces, elastic bands, ribbons, fabrics of different textures, etc.
- rustling candy wrappers :))))
2. Cutting out the fabric-base and plain fabrics.
Those. we get:
Two pieces of base fabric: 1m by 1m and 63cm by 63cm
Two pieces of plain fabrics 21.5 cm by 1 m
- two pieces of plain fabrics 21.5 cm by 63 cm
Remains of plain fabrics are used for sewing developmental elements.
This cutting is the most convenient in terms of assembling the rug, so in this master class we will consider it. I make allowances with a good margin - as much as one and a half cm, just in case.
3. Sew developing elements on the background.
There are several rules here (we focus on the age of 3-5 months):
- large
- contrasting
- understandably
- reliable and safe
- ban on small details
You should not puff and overload the rug with forks, a child at this age will not appreciate it. It is also better to store all sorts of locks, zippers, and so on at a later age.
We take into account that children love to fiddle with strings, pull rustling leaves-ears-wings, open-close, find something that is not immediately visible, touch different textures. Do not forget that what we are depicting will need to be named to the child, to tell something.
Here, for example: House. There are flowers on the window, clothes are drying on a string nearby (we call it with an older child).
We open the rustling door (fastening - Velcro) ... And in the house, it turns out, lives a girl! I like to make eyes from black Velcro, the soft half. I just cut and sew tightly by hand. I sewed the second half of Velcro onto my palms - with hooks, so you can play your favorite children's game "peek-a-boo" with your palms. The girl's handles are one lace: you pull one hand, the other becomes shorter. The hair is a tightly sewn yarn.
And a girl can also giggle at a frog that catches butterflies with a butterfly net))))).
Etc. Other examples of developing elements can be found in my posts about rugs: http://happynata.blogspot.ru/2014/03 and http://happynata.blogspot.ru/2014/02
4. Assemble the front part of the rug from the pieces.
First, we sew short pieces to the central part. It is imperative to maintain an allowance of exactly 1.5 cm! Now we sew on long pieces. With an allowance, the same is true.
All developmental elements should be directed towards the center, so that the child can, turning and turning, choose for himself what he is interested in or crawl from one element to another. The central part, in fact, is what is needed for this, in order to lie and crawl comfortably, so we do not attach anything here!
Approximately what should happen at the end of this stage:
5. Making arcs.
Saw off two arcs with a length of 125 cm and 132 cm from the hoop.
We cut off the synthetic winterizer - two cuts of 1.5 m in length and approximately along the circumference of the arc (with a margin) in width, i.e. about 10-15 cm. Accuracy is not important here.
Now we need to wrap the arcs with this padding polyester. We wrap and strengthen well with threads:
Here's what you should end up with:
Now we sew the arcs with fabric.
Hoops are thin and thick, so I can't give the exact dimensions of the parts. We wrap the resulting arc with a measuring tape (not tight) and add allowances. This will be the width of the cut of the fabric, we take the length of 1.5 m - we will cut off the excess on the spot. We cut off, of course, two of these))).
Fold the fabric face side inside, we sew, along the way, sewing on loops and ties, if necessary. Below I will write how to sew a tricky thing, thanks to which these ties are not needed. We turn it out, insert the arcs there. And put it aside for now.
6. Sew the rug, quilt with padding polyester.
Do not turn it right out yet. Cut off the synthetic winterizer 1m by 1m, put it on top. We grab it in the corners and in the middle of the sides to the rug. Now he will not move anywhere and get lost.
We turn it out. We sew up.
We stitch along the lines of joining fabrics and elsewhere, if we are not too lazy))). The main thing is to pre-sweep, because when sewing, the synthetic winterizer will completely take the fabric to the side.
7. Fastening the arches to the rug.
Of all the options that I considered, I liked this one. The arcs are passed through the holes and fastened from the inside with a wide Velcro. Firstly, it is fast (and when a child cries, it counts for minutes), and secondly, it is reliable - tested by several months of daily use.
So. we make four cuts (through and through) in four corners - not far from the joints of the background and the central part. And we sew as best we can))). I used a bias tape.
Sew on with back side Velcro - near the incision, closer to the outer corner.
Sew the second half of the velcro to the arcs, after cutting off the excess and bending. The Velcro should be on the front surface, i.e. the center seam of the arc will be at the back. In general, try seven times before starting sewing.
Insert arcs crosswise. Sew on the lower arc (the one that is shorter) in the middle with the fasteners for the arcs. I like to use a thick line and Velcro. Here's what happens:
Loving parents, trying to develop their child from birth, use modern techniques and all kinds of expensive toys. V Lately specifically for these purposes, developing rugs were invented. You can buy such a rug in a store, but many women prefer to make it with their own hands, because this is not at all difficult to do. In this article, we will show you how to make do-it-yourself developmental mat for children from 0 to 3 years old, and show Photo the most original ideas.
Developing mat for a small child
A developing rug is a textile or knitted cloth, decorated with bright applications, with movable elements placed on it for playing. It is sometimes supplemented with a frame for hanging toys. This rug gives children the opportunity to develop from the first days of life, and is designed to be used up to 3 years of age.
Developing mat for a newborn
Playing with a developing rug will help:
Did you know: a child's brain is not fully developed by the time of birth. In the first months and years of life, the most active growth and development of nerve connections in the brain takes place. This process, and the number of connections created, is influenced by the environment in which the child grows up and how he is dealt with.
Developing mat for babies
For a child, a developmental mat will become the largest and most useful toy that never gets bored, and for a mother - the main visual aid for working with the baby. When the child grows up and begins to sit independently, he will be able to play with him and develop without assistance. Bright applications and a large number of all kinds of elements will occupy the child's attention for a long time, and you will get the opportunity to relax a little, or do household chores. During joint activities it is necessary to show the child what actions can be performed with objects placed on the rug, and to get him to complete the assigned tasks.
Developing mat for the little ones
The advantages of a do-it-yourself rug
Tip: make a rug with a margin of size so that as your child grows up, add new developmental elements to it that are suitable for age. He will "grow" with the child and will always be new and interesting.
Making a developing mat
We make a development rug with our own hands
First you need to decide what exactly you want to see on your rug, and draw a rough sketch on a piece of paper. Then choose a material suitable in size and texture for the base of the rug and for its lining. To make the rug soft and warm, you will need a padding polyester or warm coat fabric. The latter will help the mat to better keep its shape and not wrinkle during the game.
Developing square rug ideas
Tip: Choose natural or semi-synthetic fabrics for the front. They must be stable in color and free of static electricity. Chintz, linen, gabardine, suiting fabrics with natural wool fibers are well suited. Use a non-slip material for the lining. Do not use satin and satin. It is better to take chintz, cotton jersey, linen or corduroy, woolen suiting fabrics.
Bright and colorful developmental mat for children
Preparation of fittings
Collect all the scraps and unnecessary things that you do not mind cutting. Try to choose different textures, bright fabrics with interesting patterns. Wash and iron everything. Look around your home for threads, buttons, and clasps. Find different colored laces, buttons and beads. Gather small toys and boxes together. All this will be useful to you in your work and for a start this is enough.
Photo of a model developing mat for children
Further, as necessary, you can search for and select the necessary materials. You may need tapes, elastic bands, Velcro. Useful metal and plastic rings, kinder surprise boxes and broken rattles. You can use multi-colored woolen threads of different thicknesses.
Important! Do not use toys with small parts that cannot be fixed on the mat, small children pull everything into their mouths and can swallow them! Do not use materials that crumble, break or come off!
Preparation of the base
Do-it-yourself developmental mat for the baby
Cut from the main fabric, from the lining and from the synthetic winterizer of the same size. Lay them out in three layers so that the synthetic winterizer is inside, and connect them together. Overlock the edges with piping, or simple hem. The base for the rug is ready.
Photo of a developing mat with overlay details
Creation of the playing field
On the prepared basis, we create a playing field according to the sketch. It can be a forest, a lake, or a flower bed, a road for cars and a river for ships. You can make a green meadow and a blue sky with clouds. We cut the parts of the desired size and color, bend the edges and sew them onto the mat, first by hand, and then on a sewing machine.
Developing mat with small details for a small child
Tip: put the parts on a soft glue base (non-woven), it will become easier to work with them and they will look better.
Making game elements
This is the main and most time consuming part of the job. You can make flowers, butterflies or mushrooms, come up with fabulous houses and locks. Make cars, airplanes or boats, sew any small animals or birds. Show your imagination. They can be sewn on or fixed movably, on cords or tapes, attached to the rug with Velcro or buttons.
Developing rug in bright colors
Tip: to make the game elements look voluminous, use a synthetic winterizer to fill them.
Interesting ideas
Tip: To make a lake, use a piece of clear plastic or organza and place your fish underneath. A matching fleecy cloth is suitable for the herb.
Developing mat with houses, butterflies and toys
Securing items to the rug
Arrange the finished elements on the rug according to your sketch. Sew on buttons, laces and Velcro, secure toys, place the game characters in place. Close the clasps and lace up the pockets. Complete each developmental composition according to the sketch you created.
Important! Check the reliability of fastening small parts, the strength of cords and threads with beads, the integrity of the loops and boxes!
The original idea of a developing mat for a toddler
Developing activities with a rug
Did you know: children with whom they regularly study are ahead of their peers in development by the age of two, and their vocabulary is 300 words higher.
The idea of a beautiful development rug
After spending a little time making a development rug, you will be using it for your child's development for several years. You always have something to keep your baby busy and what to play with. A bright and colorful rug will decorate the children's room and become a favorite place to play. Made with your hands with love, it will bring a lot of joy to your son or daughter, and will leave fond memories for a lifetime.
Developing mat for babies
Do-it-yourself developmental mat for children from 0 to 3 years old 39 photo ideas:
The birth of a child for all parents is a very joyful event, for which they prepare in advance, stocking up on various accessories for a new family member. All kinds of toys, pacifiers, bottles, diapers and clothes are all an integral part of the preparation. And quite often during pregnancy, a woman shows an interest in needlework. Someone knits socks and booties, someone decides on hats and blouses, and some dare to take on more serious things, such as a play mat for children. Of course, the baby will not need it right away, but two months later, when the baby learns to concentrate his attention on individual objects, but it’s better to do it in advance, because then there simply may not be time. It is about how to sew developmental rugs with your own hands, and will be discussed in this article.
First stage - sketch
The first stage of the work is that you should draw a plan-diagram, having thought over exactly what the play mat will be. With your own hands, you can create a real developmental center for your baby or just a warm blanket with interesting elements. Therefore, when making such a thing, you need to take into account the age of the child. For children of two months of age and a little older, developmental mats for newborns with special arches are suitable, on which all kinds of rattles and Stuffed Toys with various fillers. Such a thing will be of interest to a child until the time when he learns to sit. But an older baby who already knows how to crawl will not be left indifferent by soft or rustling details on the rug. They can be removable. When developing a sketch, you need to decide not only on the developmental elements, but also on the color scheme. It is best to give preference to rich, but natural colors. Red, blue, green, yellow, orange, blue and other natural shades will create a harmonious composition, while rich lime green, neon and hot pink will irritate a child's eyes. Therefore, it is better to make a do-it-yourself development rug using fabrics of natural colors. After all the details are thought out and a sketch is made, you can proceed to the selection of materials.
The second stage is the selection of materials
In order to sew a children's developmental rug with your own hands, you will need to stock up on dense material or leather for the lower part of the product and colored cuts of fabrics to decorate the main elements. In addition, you will need various fillers, such as plastic balls of unequal size, well-rustling cellophane, insulation of different densities, such as holofiber, synthetic winterizer, as well as plain cotton wool. As for the quality of fabrics, for the place where the baby will lie, it is better to take natural warm and soft fabrics such as flannel, fleece or polar. And the rest of the parts can be made from raincoat fabric. Also, quite often, craftswomen in such works use coarse calico for children's bedding, because it is this fabric that has a cheerful children's color and will look very appropriate in such a product.
It is good if the main play elements are removable so that they can be easily washed. Therefore, Velcro or zippers are useful in work. You will also need to buy several meters of corset bones, with the help of which it will be easy to design stable arcs for the rug.
The third stage is the template
As with sewing any thing, you first need to build a pattern for the product. This will require paper, a pencil, a ruler, and scissors. If you do not find a drawing paper or other large sheet at hand, then it is quite possible to use wallpaper or construction film.
First of all, they draw an oval, circle or square, depending on what shape the base of the rug will be. If some special drawing is planned on it, like a 3D application, then you should immediately select or draw yourself a suitable picture on a duplicate base and cut it into parts. If these are small elements, then it is enough just to draw the base into sections to make it easier to determine the size additional details... It is also necessary to estimate the size of the arches if the rug is intended for a baby. Here you need to measure the height of the future rack on which the toys will be hung. As well as the width of the strip, which will fit a corset bone in several layers, wrapped in padding polyester. You should also consider what kind of fasteners for the rattles will be. It can be just ribbons, strings or fabric ribbons that are attached to the arc with Velcro. Quite often they make loops sewn into the upholstery of the arc, on which rattles are then hung. Nowadays, it is quite easy to find toys with special hanging hooks in stores.
The fourth step is cutting the fabric
Using templates, you need to cut out all the elements of the product. Namely: the base, the inner filler (for softness), the fabric on which the baby will lie, stripes for decorating arcs and applique elements. In order for the rug to be soft enough, lightweight and at the same time stable, a combination of batting and padding should be used as an internal padding, or thick foam rubber should be used. In fact, it is not difficult to sew a development rug with your own hands. The main thing here is to correctly develop a template and, when cutting, do not forget to give allowances for seams. It should be noted that for dense materials, in which threads do not crumble, allowances can be 5 mm. But for fabrics such as raincoat fabric, the indent from the edge to the seam must be at least a centimeter, otherwise the product will begin to creep during operation.
The fifth stage - sewing the elements and assembling
Of course, this stage of work is not so difficult in comparison with the calculations, but here, too, it will be necessary to make a lot of efforts to connect all the elements into a single whole. DIY do-it-yourself rugs should be done as accurately and competently as possible. The sequence of work for the implementation of each specific idea must be considered separately.
How to sew a rug with arcs
So, we sew a developing rug with our own hands for a nursing baby. Usually it is made round or square, two arcs are attached to its base, connected in the center. To make such a developmental rug with your own hands, the patterns of which are quite simple to develop on your own, you only need to correctly calculate the height of the arcs, so that the baby is comfortable in such a structure, and, of course, the base area, taking into account the fact that children grow very quickly.
How to make arcs
To decorate the racks, you need to take plastic corset bones, which are sold per meter, and tape three or four sections with tape. After the workpiece is wrapped with padding polyester. Next, they start sewing the cover. To do this, measure the diameter of the prepared arc, add a seam allowance to this value and cut a strip of fabric 30 cm longer than the workpiece. After the strip is sewn, turned inside out and the workpiece is put into it, and Velcro is sewn around the edges. In order to make it convenient to hang rattles from the rattles, loops folded from the same fabric are put into the seam. A tape or braid is attached in the center of one of the arcs in order to secure the two racks together.
How to make a base
Next, they begin to work on the base. All layers of the rug are cut out according to the prepared template. To prevent the padding from crumpling, it should be sewn to the bottom of the base plating, and then the second front section should be stitched. It should be noted that the filling should be dense enough so that the bent racks do not deform it. If the shape of the rug is square, then the fasteners for the arcs must be placed in the corners, but if it is round, then the diameter should be measured and the value divided by 4. And it is at this distance that the arcs should be placed. At this stage, it is necessary to decide on the option for attaching the racks. If it is Velcro, then one of the parts of the tape should be sewn to the bottom of the base at the joints. If there are strings, then tapes or braid must be put into the seam.
It is difficult to say which shape is the best for developing rugs for newborns. The plus of a square one is that such a product will take up much less space, and while the baby is very small, it can easily be arranged right on the changing table. At the same time, such game centers round shape more spacious, and hanging toys will not be in front of the child's face, but at chest level.
How to connect base and arcs
How to connect all the prepared parts to get a ready-made developmental mat? You can fix the racks and the base of the play center with your own hands in several ways:
- Velcro tape. One part of the tape is sewn to the elongated edges of the arch covers, and the other to the bottom of the mat. This connection is very convenient and reliable. Even if the baby juggles the toys strongly, the arc will stay in place. The main thing is that the tape is not shorter than 15 cm.
- The fabric ties are also quite secure. The main thing is not to use thin satin ribbons for this purpose, because they tear easily and may not withstand constant load. To make such a connection along the edges of the arcs and at the points of their attachment, either wide ribbons or processed strips of fabric are sewn at the base. It is worth noting that they cannot be tied with a bow, since the baby can easily untie them by accidentally pulling on one of the free edges.
- Sew-on bows. This option is also very common, but folding the rug with fixed arcs is very inconvenient. For beautiful design of such an attachment at the junction, a small pocket is made from a piece of fabric, which, slightly going into the arc, will hide the alignment seam.
By connecting all the details and attaching the rattles to the loops, you will finish making the development rug with your own hands.
3D Printed Rug Ideas
For a toddler who has learned to sit or even crawl, it is better to sew a rug with a large number of removable parts, because he no longer lies in one place, looking at several rattles. And here - just a huge number of ideas. It can be a rug in the shape of a tree with removable fruit, or a whole city with towering houses from which windows and doors are removed, where there are roads and soft cars, as well as various flowers. It can be a clearing with removable plants and insects. For inspiration, you can consider the already made developmental rugs with your own hands, the photos of which, in particular, are in this article.
How to make a 3D applique
Removable elements for the rug are not so difficult to make as it might seem at first glance. Such a developmental rug, reviews of young mothers about which they say that kids can spend hours playing a game, will form the logical thinking of the baby and train fine motor skills of fingers. After all, you can only imagine how much effort you need to make a crumb to figure out how the elements are attached to the base. Any fabric can be used to create such interesting details. And it is not at all necessary to be sophisticated and make, for example, a typewriter with all the little things. It can be a flat version of the toy, with two wheels, windows and headlights. Also, the fruit should be as simple as possible with a few leaves and lines, if only it is clear at first glance that it is a pear or an apple. In order for such elements to interest the child, a rustling oilcloth or plastic balls can be added to the filler. It is better to make such elements double-sided, stuff them not tightly and sew on small pieces of a tenacious piece of Velcro tape on both sides. In order for the child to understand exactly where this or that element should be, stripes should be made on the rug with the outlines of the objects that need to be attached there.
There is no limit to fantasy
Knowing how to sew educational rugs with your own hands, you can make a whole series of such toys for your child. With their help, the baby can easily learn geometric figures, numbers, letters, names of fruits, berries and animals. In order to simplify the task, you can pick up a printed baby fabric and make simple geometric parts with a hand-drawn image. You can also use photographs embedded in the element and covered with a film part for long-term use. In general, only your own imagination can be a limitation for creativity.
Basic rule
Do-it-yourself development rugs can be of different themes, but you need to try not to overdo it, trying to fit many different elements in a small area. Better it will be a small but neat play center for the kid. In addition, as already mentioned, you can not stop at one product and make several of them. At the same time, also arrange the connecting elements and start with the baby. addicting game, clinging to the rug more and more new areas.
When such a small miracle as a child appears in the family, young parents begin to think about how to ensure the correct physical, emotional and mental development of the baby. Faced with such a task, difficult trips to children's stores begin in search of the right solution.
Nowadays, the modern industry for the production of didactic games, manuals and toys for children of different ages not only is on high level, but also continues to rapidly gain momentum. In particular, at the moment, such a versatile product as developing rugs for children is in considerable demand - they can be easily made by yourself.
You can see one of the master classes on making a small round rug below.
Appointment
Kids rug Is a kind of first didactic manual for kids and parents. When developing such a product, the main idea was to place all kinds of developing elements on a colorful and bright canvas of different sizes: fabrics of different textures and colors, musical details, rattles, rodents, etc.
The purpose of this attribute is to develop hearing, motor activity, cognitive sphere and sensorimotor skills of the baby. With the help of such rugs, the child learns during the game to reach for toys, crawl, sit, walk, distinguish colors and shapes.
It is important that the mat meets the following requirements:
- Materials must be of high quality. This requirement applies not only to the fabric, but also to the component parts in order to avoid an allergic reaction in the baby.
- The integrity of the materials, i.e. lack of various kinds of damage, cracks, chips, poor-quality seams, etc.
- The build quality of the product must be high. Decorative elements and various accessories should not dangle, but should be firmly sewn and attached.
- The versatility of the canvas. Since babies grow up rather quickly, there will be a need to improve this children's accessory. It is worth paying attention to whether it is possible, if necessary, to change and supplement the developmental parts and toys on the purchased rug. For example, if such a developmental product is sewn for newborns, babies up to 3 months old and is planned to be used in the future, perfect choice there will be models with folding soft sides and strong hinged arches, to which various didactic materials can be attached. The presence of arches and folding sides in this product makes it possible to modernize and increase the playing area.
- Age features child. You should not sew a canvas overflowing with musical and electronic elements for a baby, or make puzzle rugs. Babies of this age are just beginning their acquaintance with the environment and are not able to think logically and establish causal relationships.
- A variety of component materials. The more noisy, rustling, ringing, sensorimotor, moving, interactive, mirror, glowing, etc. elements that are different in texture, color, size and shape - the faster and easier the child will become interested in the game. Such a canvas not only develops the baby, but also entertains him when the parents are busy and cannot pay attention to him for a while.
- Mobility. Possibility, if desired, to easily fold and transport this product.
- All elements of a children's development rug should be easy to remove and unfasten, especially musical and electronic ones. This must be taken into account, since the linen will sometimes need to be washed.
The search for a product that would meet all of the above requirements can lead parents to a result where the price of such a children's attribute will be quite high. An excellent way out of this situation is to make such a development center on your own.
DIY sewing process
Without a doubt, the benefits of such a product for the development of the baby are quite obvious and clear. Therefore, if the choice is made in favor of a home-made center, you should work a little, stock up on patience and imagination. And first you need to think and decide how the rug will look like and which option to choose for its manufacture, so that the result is an original attribute filled with parental love, care and warmth.
In order to prevent mistakes in the work of creating the canvas and not to harm the baby, it is important to consider the following points:
Firstly, the presence of mirrors on the rug is unacceptable. This is dangerous not only because the mirror may break or part of it may break off, but it is also harmful to the baby's eyes, since the light reflected from the mirror surface is 100% polarized.
- Items for fine motor skills fingers should not be uniform. The child will quickly lose interest in this play activities... It is necessary to alternate textures that are different to the touch. This is also necessary in order to comprehensively develop the tactile sensations of the crumb.
- For the basis of the canvas, you should not choose saturated monochromatic fabrics with a glossy effect. The baby's eyes will quickly get tired and the passion for the game will disappear.
- When decorating a product, it is important to take into account the level of development of the crumbs. Don't over-elaborate and over-complicate the composition. Better to leave some free space to make the desired changes later.
- Use in the manufacture of this children's attribute of fabrics of both cold and warm shades. Colors should be bright, but not flashy.
- It is also important to think over what zones the canvas will be divided into. Choose the decorated elements in such a way that they look appropriate and reflect the idea of the plan.
Choosing a model
There are a lot of variations of children's developmental paintings. Focusing on the model you like, it will be much easier to design your own, making it more perfect and individual.
Developing mini-sites can be classified as follows.
By the age of the child
- For newborns. The canvas is soft and bright. The presence of sides and arcs is required. The toys are positioned so that the baby can reach them. Additional elements are used in the form of soft laces, strips of fabric different material, thundering and rustling toys. Often these rugs are produced as "transformers". If desired, they can be folded quite easily, they can transform into a bag for toys or a cradle.
- For babies from 6 months to 1 year. Most often these are rugs with musical attributes. The kid at this time learns to sit, crawl and walk. There should be plenty of space for play. The child becomes more comfortable and interesting to play on the floor. Based on this, the developing fabric is sewn with a foam or synthetic winterizer insert. The bottom of such a product is oilcloth. This helps in cleaning it from possible dirt.
- For babies from 1 year old. For children of this age, the choice can be made in favor of a double-sided canvas. If you want to change the field of activity for the game, you just need to turn the product over. A one-year-old child will also be interested in musical or electronic rugs, as the baby is rapidly developing its auditory skills and dance movements.
- For children from 2 years old. At this time, the baby's speech development is gaining momentum. The subject-didactic environment of the playing field should stimulate the baby to activate vocabulary on topics: size, the first colors, animals and the sounds they make. The formation of a role-playing game takes place at this age. The ideal would be the choice of a developing attribute in the form of play houses and paths - labyrinths;
- For children from 3 years old. At this age, children learn to establish causal relationships. The main activity is a role-playing game. Toddlers learn to find new uses for familiar toys. Logic and thinking are actively developing. Rugs - puzzles, complicated labyrinth paths are very useful and interesting for children of this age.
With arches and sides
Products of this model are quite common and in demand. Arcs intersect with each other, quite simply detach from the rug. They can be used to hang various game elements, musical details, etc. Bumpers-limiters are sewn from soft tissue, sometimes made in the form of rollers.
For boys and girls
Such canvases may differ in color, shape, component parts. There are a lot of ways how to make such gender rugs. It all depends on the imagination and skills of the master who has undertaken to create such a product.
Boys mainly use shades of blue and light blue in their product and the image of road and construction equipment. Such "car mats" will help the child to get acquainted with the rules of the road. As an idea for decorating a canvas for young motorists, you can make a traffic light, in which you need to choose the right colors and attach them using Velcro tape or rivets. Self-made cars that can squeak or strum because of the small parts placed in them will also look worthy.
In decorating rugs for girls, red and pink colors, dolls, flowers, hearts, etc. are depicted. Interesting and relevant for young ladies canvases with an emphasis on household labor will seem: it is appropriate to use various deep pockets, inserts, inserts, appliqués in the form of ovens, cabinets, in which small fabric pots and doll dresses can be placed with the help of Velcro or rivets.
In the form of puzzles
The most common canvases of this type are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, since it is shock-resistant, not rigid, long-lasting and heat-retaining. Thanks to the listed qualities of such raw materials, you can be sure that the child playing on the floor will be warm and comfortable.
There are also textile puzzle mats that mothers are happy to make on their own.
Stages of work
Having decided on the model of the children's development rug, you can proceed directly to its manufacture. It will be much more convenient to work based on the drawn up action plan.
The first stage is preparatory. At this stage, we need:
- Make a drawing of the playing canvas, taking into account all the decorative additional elements and developmental details.
- Pick up fabric. When choosing a fabric, it is important to consider its hypoallergenicity. This quality is possessed by: cotton, coarse calico, denim material, bike, satin, felt. If there is a knitted decor element in the project, it is necessary to choose cotton yarn, since it is not only pleasant to the touch, but also does not cause irritation on the delicate skin of the child. Do not forget about foam rubber or synthetic winterizer, which will allow the baby to play on a warm and soft canvas.
- Prepare everything necessary tools and accessories: scissors, needles, threads, appliques, candy wrappers, buttons, ribbons, zippers, adhesive tape, laces, beads, etc.
The second stage is working with fabric.
The play mat consists of two main parts - the seamy side and the front side. Having decided on the fabric, shape and size of the product, we begin to make a pattern for the bottom and top of the canvas, not forgetting about the indents for the seams. Next, you should carefully overcast the edges, making sure there are no protruding threads.
The third stage is working with decorative trim.
Sew the selected fabric appliqués onto the upper fabric, which is the basis of the rug. We do the same with the prepared fittings, rustling and sound parts, toys. When working with the decoration of the canvas, it is especially important to ensure that the attached elements are firmly attached.
The fourth stage is the completion of the work.
At this stage, parts of the canvas are sewn from the seamy side - the base and the bottom. But in order for the rug to be soft, it is necessary to put foam rubber or synthetic winterizer between the fabrics (if it is very thin, then you will need two layers).
Master class on making a rug
Let's consider step by step how to make a developing mat with arcs for a newborn.
The manufacturing process can be seen in the video:
Step one. Preparation of the necessary tools and materials.
Attention! The fabric for the canvas must be selected of the highest quality, for example, cotton. This material is quite durable and completely natural. It is better to use fabrics of different tones to create a product - cold and warm shades.
- about 1 meter of plain bright fabric on the bottom and arc;
- 8 scraps of fabric with polka dots, flowers, stripes, checks or any other pattern;
- cotton braid, satin ribbons or strips of fabric (optional);
- gymnastic plastic hoop, the diameter of the arc of which will be approximately 65 cm;
- paper pattern in the form of a square with sides 45 cm long;
Attention! The sides of the square paper pattern will change depending on the diameter of the hoop you choose. If the arc is longer, the size of the product will turn out to be larger.
- scissors, needle, thread, stationery knife, pins;
- synthetic winterizer: 2 meters per arc and 1 meter at the base of the canvas.
Step two. Pattern of material.
Cut out the first base - the bottom of the canvas.
A paper square is superimposed on the selected fabric, which is neatly outlined with chalk or soap. On the sides, you need to leave indents of about 1.5 - 2 cm, these are the so-called seam gaps. Next, the pattern should be cut out.
It is necessary to fold the paper square 4 times diagonally to form a triangle. Then it is alternately superimposed on 8 pieces of fabric, then outlined and cut out. It is important not to forget about leaving a distance for sewing the material. The result is 8 fabric triangles. It is from them that the upper part of the rug will consist.
Every two triangles are folded with large sides to each other and sewn together. The result of such actions will be 4 squares, which also need to be sewn together in such a way that at the end you get one large square. All material should be sewn so that all seams remain inside.
Now you will need to work with padding polyester. Two squares with sides of 50 cm should be cut out of it.
The result of this stage of work will be the finished top, soft base and bottom of the product.
Step three. Making arcs.
The selected hoop is divided into two equal parts using a clerical knife. Arcs are obtained, which should also be soft. To do this, pieces of padding polyester must be attached to each half of the hoop, tightly pressing and wrapping them with threads at intervals of 2 - 3 cm. Further, such peculiar arches should be closed with a cloth and sheathed. However, in the middle of one of the arcs, you will need to insert two strips of braid, tape or fabric, which will be tied at the top and hold the structure.
Attention! Using pins will make it much easier to work with parts of the hoop, as they will fix the fabric and prevent it from slipping.
Step four. Creation of "pockets" for arcs.
In order for the arcs to be firmly attached to the base of the rug, it is necessary to make four "pockets" from pieces of material. It is necessary to sew a kind of tubes, the width of which should be slightly larger than the diameter of the arc wrapped with padding polyester and fabric, and the length should be about 10 - 12 cm. The arc should freely enter the pocket, but not dangle.
Step five. Completion of work.
You must first sew in the pockets at the corners of the canvas. Then you need to sew the bottom and top of the product inside out, obverse inside (like a pillowcase), leaving a small opening through which a synthetic winterizer will fit inside. The base of the rug is ready.
Next, you should install the arcs. They should be inserted into the pockets, positioned diagonally of the product, crossed with each other and connected at the top with a sewn tape or braid. In order for the arcs not to pop out, you need to tightly wrap the pockets with arcs with the help of the material.
The developmental mat for newborns is ready. It remains only with the help satin ribbons or cotton tape to hang toys, teethers or rattles on arcs.
The process for creating the next rug is presented in two parts. Be sure to take a look - you will see many interesting ideas.
