Quilts can be such meaningful items. No matter if it's made of t-shirts that have special significance or contains images that remind you of special people or events, many have found that quilts can bring a lot of comfort. That's just the inspiration of this craft. This was my very first craft idea that I had with the purpose of honoring a deceased sibling, and I am happy to finally share it with you today!
You will need the following materials:
construction paper in the colors of your choice
markers/crayons
scissors
glue
(optional) larger roll of paper or poster board
Step 1: Make your main quilt square
Choose the color of construction paper that you would like to be the main quilt square. To make the square shape, fold one corner of the paper down to line up with the edge of the opposite side of the paper. This will create a triangle.
Now cut off the rectangle that is just below the triangle. Unfold the triangle, and you will have the main quilt square.
Step 2: Create the name "patch"
Choose the construction paper color you would like the names to be written on, and cut out a shape of your choosing. We went with a square. You or your child can write the names on this "patch" and decorate it. If there is more than one deceased sibling, you can choose to either places the names on one name patch or create a different quilt patch for each sibling.
My daughter wanted to put both Jessie and Eden's names on one quilt, so that's what we did! Glue the name patch to the center of the main quilt square.
Step 3: Decorate the quilt square
Since quilts are made up largely of geometric shapes, I cut out shapes from the rest of the construction paper colors. Don't stress about the shapes being perfect! This can be a good lesson for a child about how to trace objects you already have around the house to create the desired shapes.
I had my daughter decorate the quilt with the shapes as she liked. Once she was happy with the placement of the shapes, then we glued them down. Children can also be encouraged to use their markers or crayons to further decorate the quilt square.
Step 4: (Optional) Create a larger quilt if you've made more than one quilt square
If there is more than one deceased sibling and you decided to make a quilt square for each, you can use a larger roll of paper or a poster board to combine them into one cohesive quilt. You would simply glue the main quilt squares onto the larger paper in the pattern you prefer and cut the excess off from the larger paper.
Once you are all finished and the glue has dried, it is ready to display!
Since small decorative quilts can be used to adorn a wall, hanging your own "quilt" on a wall can be a good choice, especially if the quilt is made of more than one square! If it is smaller, then it would also be cute propped up on a shelf!
I hope that you and your family find that crafting these little quilt squares is a fun and meaningful way to remember those little ones who have made a big impact on your life!
-Megan