Dinosaur Train is a cartoon on PBS Kids that is beloved by many children, my son Quinn included. They have a new online club called Nature Trackers where children and their families can learn about nature and doing good things for our environment. In the Nature Trackers Club, you can have fun exploring nature, respecting the planet, having outdoor adventures, collecting items, observing nature in action, and more. Nature Trackers challenge themselves to get outdoors and moving and make new discoveries every day and the club offers new activities and challenges every month to get you going. For example, one of March’s activities was making a windsock.As a part of National Craft Month in March, we were given the chance to do a Dinosaur Train-themed craft. A few months back, Quinn got a Dinosaur Train mural sticker for his room, so when I was offered this fabric, I was excited to do something fun to match his dinosaur room. We decided to make a Dinosaur Train bulletin board to hold pictures and other small momentos he wants to keep. I got the idea on QuiltingTreasures.com but did vary a bit from the listed instructions because of having issues finding some of the materials listed.
(Click any photo to enlarge)
SUPPLIES NEEDED
Dinosaur Train fabric (amount depends on size of board you want to make)
¼ inch dense foam or cork board
Ribbon or yarn in coordinating colors
Push pins or thumb tacks
Hot glue gun & extra hot glue sticks
Sharp Scissors
Step 1: Cut your fabric to fit the board with a couple inches extra to fasten around the back.
Step 2: Pull the fabric tight around the back and secure with push pins and/or hot glue (I actually did a little of both). Make sure you are pulling it tight each time you secure so the front is smooth. For the corners, I folded them much like wrapping gifts so they’d be tight and not bunched.
Step 3: Flip the board back over and cut your ribbon or yarn to go across the board diagonally, parallel to the one before, leaving an overlap for securing in the back.
Step 4: Using the hot glue gun, place a small dot of glue on the edge of the board, and hold down the ribbon until the glue dries. Once dry, gently pull the ribbon across the board, making sure it’s taut, and secure on the opposite end with another dot of hot glue. Repeat until all the parallel lines of ribbon are secured and the glue is dried.
Step 5: Repeat step four using the ribbon but this time intersecting the other ones which will make small squares (see pictures). Use a dab of glue at every meeting of ribbon as well as on the ends. Once all the glue is dry, flip the board and glue down the ends of ribbon in the back.
Step 6: Using the push pins, put one at each intersection of ribbon for extra security.
Step 7 (optional): Using push pins or glue (I actually used both), fasten a piece of ribbon or yarn to the back for hanging the bulletin board.
This project was very easy and only took me about 45 minutes to complete but it looks great. It’s not professional looking by any means, but it looks good nonetheless. I used the extra fabric to make up some simple pillowcases and as a sash for one of Quinn’s stuffed animal dinosaurs. His room looks great with the new additions and all were very easy to make; even for a craft-challenged person like me.
I really loved all the Dinosaur Train fabrics available, but the yellow one I used for the board was my favorite. It was cheery and colorful and looks great with his mural. You can purchase these fabrics at many major retailers nationwide, such as Hancock’s. To find a retailer in your area, visit QuiltingTreasures.com. You can also follow the Jim Henson Company on Facebook and on Twitter, as well as PBS Kids on Facebook and Twitter. To watch Dinosaur Train on PBS Kids, check your local listings.
Thank you to Quilting Treasures for providing a complimentary product sample for us to use in this project.
