• Blog
  • Home
  • How to Start a Blog
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Hundreds of ideas for creative ways to eat, make & decorate!

  • Chalk Couture SHOP
  • eat
    • Dessert
    • Drink
    • Dinner
    • Side Dishes
  • make
    • crafts…
    • diy projects
    • cleaning and organizing
    • holiday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • 4th of July
      • Valentine’s Day
    • freebies
  • decorate
  • subscribe

DIY Christmas Gifts: Toy Car Play Mat

DIY Christmas gifts can make some of the best memories, for both the giver and receiver. It can be rather difficult to find ideas to make DIY Christmas gifts for boys, though. So this tutorial is for them! I made this for my grandson (who still plays with it nearly 4 years later!)
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!

DIY Christmas Gifts: Toy Car Play Mat

*This post contains affiliate links for your convince, which means I make a tiny portion of the profit with no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog!*

Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!

This project is a serious scrap buster, so it’s easy on the budget. You’ll need 2 pieces of quilting fabric that are 17 inches by 22 inches, a piece of felt 11 inches by 18 inches (the by the yard felt works best) and you’ll also need some sew on hook & loop tape (Velcro.) You will also need, a yard stick, scissors, a fabric marking pen, a sewing machine, iron & ironing board, and… some small toy cars (like Hot Wheels or Match Box.)

This is a lengthy tutorial – but don’t be intimated, it’s 
a really easy project and takes under an hour to complete.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
 

Start your project by pinning together the two pieces of quilting cotton, right sides together. I used a simple black & white stripe (it reminded me of racing) and a green solid (kinda grassy, don’t ya think?)

Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!

Stitch around 3 sides of the material with a 1/2 inch seam, leaving the last side open.

Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
Once stitched, turn it right side out and iron all the seams so it lays flat like a pillow case.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!

After it’s ironed, turn down the un-stitched edge into the interior, so that it will seal up with a seam.

Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
Stitch down the ironed seam to completely sew the two fabrics together seamlessly.
Now your piece is 21 inches long by 16 inches wide.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
Fold up the end of the 21 inch side 3 1/2 inches, to create a long pocket.
Sew it down with a 1/2 inch seam allowance on each end.
car roll up tutorial
Once you have your pocket, start at the seam and mark every 3 inches, then stitch a line down so that you create 5 individual pockets. (There are 15 inches between the two ends, so it works out perfectly.)
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
Now you have a home for some of those little cars! Of course, they need a little road room to go with them, so let’s make a race track.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
Start by printing this pattern. Click on the image and it will open in a new page. Click on it to enlarge, then save the image and print on regular printer paper for your pattern.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!

Fold your felt in half, so that it is basically the same size as a sheet of paper. Cut the pattern out by placing the open end of the track on the fold.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!

Start by folding the paper so that you can snip a hole in the middle of the “track” to cut out the insides.

Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
Trim it out, then cut around the outsides of the outline so that you get a figure 8 shaped “track.”
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
The track fits onto the roll up base from corner to corner perfectly. That way, they have the most track possible.
little boy stocking stuffer idea
Sew down the track to the fabric by stitching along the outside edge of the track, then again on the inside. Now that the roll is done, you need a way to close it up.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
I used small pieces of hook and loop, 2 inches by 1 inches.
Sew them in 3 spots, one on each end and one in the middle.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
Start by putting them on the inside of the roll, then roll up the cars to see where the matching pieces go.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
Tip of the day: Figure out where the hook part goes, then pin it to the fabric face down so that you can adjust it. Once you have them all pinned, just flip them over right in place before sewing it in place.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
And that’s it! WHEW! I find that it easily folds in half, so it can fit into a diaper bag, travel case, or even a back pack.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
It’s perfect for long car rides, etc. It really is one of the best DIY Christmas gifts I make each year.
Adding this one to my list of DIY Christmas gifts this year - the boys would love it!
ARE YOU A FARMHOUSE FAN?
Get instant access to this free guide to The Best Sources for a Farmhouse Style Home on a Budget!
YOUR NAME:
YOUR EMAIL:
_____________

Filed Under: Christmas, crafts

About Gina Luker

Gina Luker is a writer, photographer and lover of all things quirky. She's usually found with a drill in one hand and a cocktail in the other while blogging along the way. She's addicted to coffee, polka dots, rock stars, Instagram, and everything aqua.

« How to make Chalkboard Place Cards
Orange Julius {knock off} recipe »
become a blogger banner

Comments

  1. The Cottage Market {Andrea} ♥ says

    November 10, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO adorable I can’t take it!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE this…I love it so much I WANT TO PLAY WITH IT!!!! Great job Gina…you really ROCKED this one! hugs!!!

    Reply
  2. Nancy says

    November 10, 2012 at 11:41 pm

    This is so cute Gina..I miss making toys and clothes for my son since he is grown up..sigh..

    Reply
  3. NanaDiana says

    November 10, 2012 at 11:46 pm

    Gina- THIS is PERFECT for my three year old grandson. Something he can take with him for play dates, etc. I absolutely love how self contained it is- xo Diana

    Reply
  4. melody-mae says

    November 11, 2012 at 12:16 am

    adorable!!!

    Reply
  5. Miranda @ Pressing On says

    November 11, 2012 at 5:11 am

    What a fantastic idea! Thanks for a great tutorial.

    Reply
  6. Dawn says

    November 11, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    How cute, what a great idea:)

    Reply
  7. Vanessa @ Our Thrifty Ideas says

    November 11, 2012 at 11:24 pm

    My son would love this. I may attempt it for Christmas.

    Reply
  8. TheSewingLoft says

    November 12, 2012 at 1:08 am

    Gina, this is SO cute!

    Reply
  9. Angie CountryChicCottage says

    November 12, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    This is awesome my friend.

    Reply
  10. Bonnie and Trish @ Uncommon says

    November 13, 2012 at 3:51 am

    Love this! incredibly clever!!

    Reply
  11. Stephanie Decker says

    January 2, 2013 at 5:33 pm

    Cute + Practical = life changing for the mom of a 2yr old boy 🙂

    http://dolldefined.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  12. Kay Shaw says

    September 19, 2013 at 6:39 pm

    Precious idea for my 2 year old grandson. He had the most fun putting the cars in the pockets and rolling them out. Kept him entertained for a long time. I used a loop of elastic to keep it together after folding in half. No hooks to catch hair and string.

    Reply
  13. Shannon says

    November 15, 2013 at 7:14 pm

    I loved this tutorial and made two to give away to some nephews- see the finished product here:
    http://starb37.blogspot.com/2013/08/im-making-progress.html

    Thanks again!

    Reply
  14. MartaZet says

    January 19, 2014 at 6:53 am

    It is GREAT! I am borrowing your idea. I will modify it though – I will make stuffed fabric cars that will be sticked to the street thanks to velcro.
    When finished I will share!:)

    Reply
  15. Rachel says

    January 25, 2014 at 9:06 pm

    I just made my first one! Your tutorial is awesome…this was the first sewing project I’ve completed on my own and it turned out great! Thank you!!! (I’m planning on making several more to give as party favors to my son’s race car themed birthday party)

    Reply
  16. Cara says

    March 2, 2017 at 6:06 am

    Hi! I love this! Is the pattern for the road still available? It brings me to Pinterest when I click, but does’t open the pattern Thank you!!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 20 Handmade Christmas Gifts to Start Now - HoneyBear Lane says:
    July 15, 2014 at 7:51 am

    […] Car Roll Up from The Shabby Creek Cottage […]

    Reply
  2. rusztowanie says:
    November 13, 2014 at 7:17 pm

    rusztowanie

    Handmade Christmas Gifts: Car Roll Up – The Shabby Creek Cottage

    Reply
  3. 15 Busy Bag Ideas - Intentional By Grace says:
    November 14, 2014 at 6:01 am

    […] It folded up nicely and fit right in a bag. He loves it! We got the idea from here. […]

    Reply
  4. car mats shout outs - A girl and a glue gun says:
    April 4, 2016 at 5:01 pm

    […] it on the go so clever…so cute. love target. crochet track felt activity page roll up car mat Wood roads masking tape freeway Homemade by Jill  Rubber mat car tracks […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Gina Luker

Privacy Policy & Disclosure Statement

Searching For Something?

The Shabby Creek Cottage is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

[instagram-feed]

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 The Shabby Creek Cottage Log in

ARE YOU A FARMHOUSE FAN?
Get instant access to this free guide to The Best Sources for a Farmhouse Style Home on a Budget!
YOUR NAME:
YOUR EMAIL:
_____________