TheJLBs Craft: Make Your Own Board Books!

We’ve got this little tradition going on, the kids and I. Well for now, it’s mostly my project, though Bastien did show interest this year in making a board book for his dad on Father’s Day. I promptly squashed his enthusiasm with my “no scissors” and “glue stick is NOT Chapstick” rules. But that’s not the point.

Last year, we took more of an altered-art approach — using the book “I Love My Kitten” (pictured, top right).

This was fun, and I highly recommend it if you have the time. Like, when you only have ONE baby. Or when you’re retired. Same diff.

I had a series of photos of Jim with Bastien on his shoulders which I cut and pasted into various magazine scenarios, then pasted all that into the book. All that was left was to write a little story, which I actually suggest you START with as it gives you some kind of outline and makes things easier.

This year, I opted for a more minimalist approach and was excited to find some blank board books. This minimalist approach works really well for a person with a baby who does not like to be put down AND a toddler who does not like to stay under your watchful eye for more than 2.5 seconds.

I hope that Jim will read these with the kids some day. Or at the very least, pull them out and remember how very young and cute we once were.

With all of my spare time, I’m prepping to start another one. This will be for Bastien for our upcoming plane ride. I won’t give away the plot, but here’s a clue: TRACTORS. Ok, sorry, I just totally gave away the plot.