Here is how to make quiet book pages stiff

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INSIDE: Learn easy ways how to make quiet book pages stiff.

There is beauty at combining different fabric book pages together into a book but the real question, or often a problem, remains: how to make quiet book pages stiff? I assure you, a floppy quiet book is not fun at all. The solution to this problem is quite simple, adding just another piece in between page layers will do the trick.

2 ways how to make quiet book pages stiff

In between two fabrics that are quiet book pages, you can add quilting batting and/or fusible fleece. If you are not sure how to start making your book check out What Is The First Step And How To Start DIY Quiet Book.

Quilting Batting for quiet book page reinforcement

One of my first quiet book pages was made with quilting batting. It comes in different thicknesses and variations, you can also choose between polyester batting or cotton batting. Quilting batting adds thickness to quiet book pages but not much stiffness, it turns the pages to be rather puffed and soft. Quilting batting still remains my No.1 for baby sensory books.

Luckily there is one trick I’ve learned. If you cut out a piece of quilting batting and iron it, it will become more stiff and compact. Big warning! Place batting in between two sheets of parchment paper to prevent melting and sticking to the surface and iron.
This little trick can only be used on polyester batting, cotton will not ‘melt’ or change the structure if ironed.

Fabric stabilizers for stiff quiet book pages

Fabric stabilizers are a quick and easy way to make your quiet book pages stiff. It comes in different variations, thick and thin. I normally use iron on medium-weight fusible fleece but the heavy-weight will be good too, while lightweight won’t do much for your pages.

Here is how to do it.
Iron your fabric very well to get rid of wrinkles, cut it in the size of your page, and cut fusible web piece slightly less than fabric, leaving 1/4 inch for seam allowance.

Place fusible fleece with glue side, which is also a grainy or shiny side, down to the fabric.
Use a layer of thin fabric between fusible fleece and iron to prevent sticking to the iron.

You will want to apply a fusible fleece piece on each fabric background that will be your quiet book page. This means when you put two of your activity pages together to make a book page, it will be quite stiff but thin.

Now that you know both ways to stiffen fabric quiet book pages you will probably ask which one to use. This I’m leaving to you to experiment and see what makes you happy.

In my toddler quiet books, I use medium fusible fleece on a fabric background. But I use both, fusible fleece and quilting batting for cover pages as I like them to be stiff and thick, they are covers, right?
And I just love soft cotton quilting batting for little baby sensory books. They make little baby books soft for little fingers to explore.

If you are still not sure how to exactly make quiet book pages or how to even start making a DIY quiet book, this PDF guide with step-by-step instructions on how to make a fabric quiet book will help you out in your journey from start to finish.