Week Re-Cap and My Busy Book Figurine and Play Mat Storage Envelope

Here's what I've been up to this week:

Tuesday: Daycare Freedom - Costco and reading (only have 1/2 books left in my library stack). Waited for my new Orla Kiely bag to arrive...isn't it awesome? Olive on one side, black on the other.

Wednesday: Naptime - had a lovely phone chat with one of my best friends.

Thursday: Daycare Freedom - craft store hopping, made this cute zipper pouch to match my new bag by altering this tutorial.

Today: Naptime - Busy Book figurines and play mat storage envelopes

Elijah loves My Busy Books. We grab a new one every couple of months for him. We currently have Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (although the play mat is missing), Thomas and Friends, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. We loves carrying the little figurines around and lining them up. I, however, am a little tired of them ending up all over the house. The books they come in are not very good storage options (you pick up the book and they all fall out), so I decided to make some very simple little envelopes to keep everything together.

Want to make your own? Here's how:

Materials:
fabric - two 21" x 7.5" pieces
Velcro (I used iron-on)

Step 1 - cut your fabric

Step 2 - Put the fabric right sides together, fold in half, and make a diagonal cut about 4" down, and 3/4" in to make the flap.

Step 3 - Sew around the two pieces, leaving an opening on the bottom for turning. Turn, and iron. Fold bottom half up to just below the flap, iron in a crease. Top stitch the bottom to close the opening.

Step 4 - With the bottom folded up, top stitch around the entire envelope.

Step 5 - Iron on the Velcro pieces.

Step 6 - Put the play mat and figurines into the envelope.

Congratulations! You now have easy storage for all those little pieces. As a bonus for us, these envelopes fit perfectly into the little messenger bag I made Elijah ages ago - these are great things to take when we go out.