This is a great skill-building toy right out of 100+ No-Sew Fabric Crafts for Kids by Mary Link. The colorful pieces of fruit are very appealing to preschoolers, and little fingers will gain fine motor skills by lacing the string through the holes.
Materials
(For 1 apple, 1 banana, and 1 pear)
- 1/3 yard heavyweight fast2fuse®
- 3 fat quarters for apple, banana, and pear
- Fabric scraps for leaves and stems
- Colorful cording or shoelace, 1/8” to 1/4” diameter, approximately 1 yard per fruit
- Fabric glue (such as Fabri-tac)
- Paper punch
Instructions
The patterns for this project are downloadable here: Just click this link and they will start downloading automatically.
- Once you have downloaded and printed out the patterns, use a copy machine to enlarge the patterns to 125%.
- Fuse fruit fabric onto the fast2fuse according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the fast2fuse packaging.
- Trace the fruit patterns onto the fused fabric and cut them out.
- Fuse and glue the stems and a leaf to the fruit.
- Punch holes for lacing.
- Knot one end of shoelace or colored cording and lace it through the first hole.
- Wrap any fraying ends with tape to make a firm, pointed end.
If you want to continue the fun,
- Make more lacing kits from simple shapes, such as circles or squares.
- Paint the project with clear acrylic varnish to increase durability.
- Make fruit magnets by shrinking the patterns and attaching magnets to the back.
One Comment
You are my “Christmas Angle.” I have two great granbabies who are already reading. I had them or a day and had them busy for hours stringing beads. I make all my Christmas gifts and have exhausted myself trying to find something I could make for them. I recieved an email from C&T’s Fiber Arts. The beautiful quilted “Lone Star handbag” and the “Fruit Laces project,” were the free patterns offered. They will love laceing the fruit. My grandaughters will love the purse. Thank You from NanaB.