Lacing Cards for All Ages

 

 

Teaching children to be quiet is a tough task.

Their little voices are always full of enthusiasm and enthusiasm means “volume”.  

Every mother knows how hard it is to keep little children occupied in church. So, when I recently attended the blessing of a new grandson, I tucked a little bag of lacing cards into my purse “just in case”.  Just-in-case happened and I whipped them out and passed one to each little cousin as they sat on the long bench while trying to keep their hands to themselves and their voices quiet.

I was amazed how quickly they became absorbed in the card and the lace. The girls had some order to their lacing but the boys just laced and laced “any old way” and didn’t seem to mind if things criss-crossed or knotted up.  When the children finished with one card, they traded with someone for a different card. Sometimes I had to unlace the card with my finger to my lips to remind them to whisper.

I held my breath.

So. That brings me to my newest sets of lacing cards. The set above is going to two little boys I know who are wiggle worms in church. Ten pictures of funny animals from all over the Internet, neatly tucked into a cloth bag which took just a few minutes to make on the sewing machine.

(Oh, how I love little fabric scraps !)

 

How about this set for girls?  It is tucked into a “birthday box” which arrived but won’t be opened by the birthday girl until Saturday. (Don’t tell !)

 

 

 

This set of lacing cards include a paper doll and her clothes. I found the images on the Internet, printed them out on 5×7 photo paper, cut chipboard for the back and used spray adhesive to attach the paper to the chipboard. I rounded the edges with a “corner chomper” and punched the holes with a crop-o-dile. Instead of buying shoe laces, which can be pricey, I bought bead laces at Hobby Lobby which are less expensive and easier because they aren’t as thick. Then I made a little bag to hold the cards.

 

I found this adorable image some time ago and used it to make a fabric label. I used double-sided fusible bond to attach it. I don’t sell anything I make. My blog is simply my journal of things I love to do.  Everything is focused on my family and with great joy and satisfaction I keep making things for them.

I remember lacing cards from my childhood. Today they are called “vintage” which just kills me. It really doesn’t seem that long ago that I was learning to pull the lace through without running out before I got through all of the holes. Vintage. Hmmmmm.

Here’s hoping that there is some magical quiet fun in each bag. Ten or fifteen minutes of quiet in church is worth its weight in laces.