printable // weather lacing cards

Has the weather been as crazy where you live as it has been around here? Every time I think that spring is at last showing up, suddenly it feels like we should expect snow. I'd really just like some sunshine and the opportunity to do some backyard stitching.

At least with these lacing cards you can stitch some sunshine. Or more accurately, your children can stitch some sunshine...and lots of other weather too!

I made these for my sister's classroom, where they are doing a monthlong study of weather. It's lovely to have a sister who allows me to make cute little projects for her and her students. And I get to share the fun with you!

DOWNLOAD THE WEATHER LACING CARDS PDF
To make a set of weather cards for your house (or classroom!), print the weather characters onto card stock, then trim on the dotted line.

So that they hold up after more than one time of lacing them, I laminated the cards and trimmed them so the edges are sealed. ooooooh...shiny!

You'll notice that many of the designs have holes toward the center of the card. To punch all of the holes, I used my Crop-a-Dile Big Bite. I swear, one of these days I expect the We R Memory Keepers folks to contact me about sponsorship. They don't pay me to say this, so know that I 100% mean this: Buy a Crop-a-Dile Big Bite. I use mine all the time, and can't imagine not having this tool.

Back to the hole punching. If you don't have a way to punch holes in the centers, instead of using these as lacing cards, you can make them into sewing cards. Just pre-poke the holes with a thick needle.

Doesn't this happy rainbow make you smile?

So let's get lacing. To make lacing cords, tie a wooden bead to one end of a piece of yarn. I used white cotton yarn. The bead is especially helpful for young ones learning to lace and stitch.

At the other end, use a small piece of packing tape to make it easy for the tip to thread through the holes in the cards. Roll the tape tightly so that it's a small tip.

Make a bunch of these so your child can stitch without stopping each time. Each piece that I made is about 24 inches long, but you could make different lengths. In fact, you may want to do that, since each card has a different number of holes. Just don't make them too long, or they'll twist and tangle. Even with long pieces, some cards will require more than one string. And that's okay!

Have your child start from the back and come through to the front. The bead will prevent the yarn from coming through...without knots! That was always my biggest frustration with lacing cards when I was a kid.

When I work with young children (and sometimes older children too!), one of the hardest things for them to learn is the process of going back and forth through the fabric, and not getting the floss wrapped around the outside of the hoop. (Confession: I made this mistake not too long ago...oops!) These cards are a great way to practice that motion, which is why the holes follow the lines, instead of being close to the edge (which leads to that lacing and wrapping idea).

Whether or not you're studying weather, I hope these happy cards bring lots of happy stitching...rain or shine!

While we're on the topic of stitching cards, I made some stitchable egg ornaments for Handmade Charlotte. Get the printable PDF and tutorial here!