Today I am sharing with you how to make your own My A.G. To Go lap book. A lapbook is a a handmade, inexpensive book made from a file folder portfolio. (*For more information on lap books see http://lapbooking.wordpress.com/lapbook/)The flap book I made to share with you today has an inside pocket to hold our dolls, and a felt surface for playing with our dolls.
To make your own lap book to go you will need
- A file folder portfolio
- Felt (I used blue for the “sky”, green for the “grass” and cream for the backs of the dolls)
- 4 inch American Girl Doll Stickers (*or similar sized images of AG dolls from the catalog or printed images)
- White craft glue
- Scissors
- A paint brush
- A ruler
- A pencil or pen
- Stickers to decorate
- Felt markers to decorate
- Clear tape
- A small piece of peel and stick Velcro to keep your lap book closed
- ** if using catalog or images you have printed you will need to cover them with either peel and stick shelf paper or use clear tape.
Step one-Draw a straight line just above the file tab as shown.
Step two- Cut along that straight line.
Step 3- Fold the tab edge towards your lap book. This will be where the peel and stick Velcro will go in one of the last steps.
Step 4- Cut your felt to fit. Cut the blue felt so that it measures 2 1/2 inches tall by 8 inches wide. Cut the green felt so that it is 3 1/2 inches tall by 8 inches wide.
Step 5- Add your glue to the inside of your book on the tab side. Spread the glue evenly with a paintbrush as shown.
Step 6- Add your blue felt first, then your green press down with your hand to get all the air bubbles out. Let it dry.
Step 7- make the inside pocket to hold your dolls. Use the other half of the file folder to create your pocket. Measure your pocket piece 7 inches wide by 3 inches tall.
Step 8- fold the side edges as shown in the photo above to create the sides of your pocket. Tape the inside flap down as shown in the photo above. and repeat on the other side. Then tape the bottom in place.
Step 9 - Make the dolls. If you are using the pre cut doll stickers you can either peel the backs off and press them onto the felt or you can just add glue to the back and press into the felt. Let dry.
Step 9 A: If you are using cut out images, you will need to cover your dolls with a clear tape or clear shelf paper to protect them. You can leave the back uncovered as you will add felt to it or you can cover the back with tape as well, your dolls may slide more on the felt with out a felt back but they will work just the same.
Repeat on all your doll cut outs as shown.
Step 10- decorate your book use stickers or glue on more AG dolls to the front of your book and the inside pocket.
Step 11- Apply the Velcro closer as shown to the flap part of your book, in the photo above. Place one side of the Velcro on the inside flap and the other on the outside of your book.
Now you can take your dolls everywhere with you – camp, the cabin, in the car at a restaurant and more!
I can not wait to share more ideas with you next week.
That’s such a cute idea, I’m going to make this for my holiday to Port Macquarie using Catalogue pictures!
Secondie! Cute!
wow that is so clever! love it!
4thie!
cool!!!
Can we also add Maplelea?
Great idea! A variety of the American Girl stickers were on sale at Michaels when I was there earlier this week.
This would be fun if you photographed your doll in lots of outfits, then laminated only the full photo wearing undies…the rest cut out only the clothed so you could play dress-up! I would laminate both sides of the clothing and use those “reusable” sticky glue dots to attach the clothes, as both the doll and the clothes would be laminated they would stick but be completely removable!
Or you could print a photo of your child to scale with the dolls- so they could play together! (possibly put your childs head on a doll body?) This would be a great craft to have pre-made up for those summer road trips-thanks for sharing!!!
Cool, it would be great for roadtrips!
Cute!
Of course you can!
cute! and cool idea!
I love the ideas you guys had to make this better! I also like the idea of making the Maplea one I will have to make one now! I am so happy to have Doll Diaries to share my ideas with you and to hear your ideas too!
Have fun making this!
Oh! This is a flannel board! As a pre-school teacher, this is something I use all the time. It’s a cute idea for AG and a good way to recycle catalogs.
Wow! That is a really cute way to bring your AG dolls with you everywhere!
looks hard
Wait. Now I get it good idea!
I am totally making this! This is so neat and easy to do and would make a great item to slide in the car. I always look forward to your stuff Karen! Between your Friday stuff and Doll Play, my craft room is overflowing with goodies! I think I need to send in some more pics.
Jen – you definitely need to send in more pictures
I will get on it this weekend! I am waiting to print out a lot of the printables because my printer is out of colored ink but the things that I have printed or that did not have printables, I have already made. It is killing me waiting on making some of the stuff..
Will probably take a trip to the library to print out the rest of them!
Amanda: wow that’s a WONDERFUL idea!
Hey Karen, could you teach us how to make a doll sized ukelele?
SO COOL ONLY INSTEAD IF JUST THE PLAIN BACKGROUND (NO OFFENCE) I MADE IT REALLY PRETTY!! =)