Making the Mat

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Instructions for Making the Bible Story Mat

Materials Needed:	Yardage	Metric Amounts
Blue Fabric to represent water	1 5/8 yards of 45" or 60" width	149 cm of 115 cm or 152 cm width
Green Fabric to represent land	1 5/8 yards of 45" or 60" width	149 cm of 115 cm or 152 cm width
Blue Felt or double knit for bodies of water	1/2 yard of 72" or 60" width	46 cm of 152 cm or 164 cm width
Heat N Bond Ultra Hold (or other brand of a Non Sew Transfer Web	1 1/2 yards	137 cm

Tan felt square

Fabric Paint with a writing tip (White or neon green)
Paper to make the pattern pieces (at least 48" long - 122 cm) such as:	A large piece of bulletin board paper,
A roll of drawing paper available at art supply stores or teachers' store

Below is an illustration of the completed mat:

Layout of the Bible Story Mat

Jordan River has a flap that rolls back for the
crossing of the river on dry ground

Blue fabric is used on the reverse side of the mat
to represent the ocean and is used for telling sea stories.

1. Cut out the Cloth Mat:	Cut the blue fabric to a rectangle measuring 32" X 52" (81 cm X 132 cm)
Cut the green fabric to a rectangle measuring 32" X 52" (81 cm X 132 cm)
Place the 2 pieces of fabric right sides together

Illustrated Right

Illustrated at right
with all edges topstitched

2. Stitch the Cloth Mat:	Stitch the edges together with a 1/4" (7 mm) seam.
Leave an opening of about 15" (38 cm) along one edge for turning.
Trim Corners,

	Turn and press
Stitch the opening closed, (or topstitch close to the edge all the way around)
Set the cloth mat aside

6. Cut out the Fusible Web Shapes

7. Attach the Fusible Web Shapes to the Blue Felt

3. Make the Paper Pattern Pieces for the Bodies of Water:

Make a paper pattern for each of the following pieces according to the measurements indicated in the illustrations:

The Mediterranean Sea Approximate Metric Equivalents:	1" = 2.5 cm
4" = 10 cm
51/2" = 14 cm
8" = 2 0 1/2 cm
17 = 43 cm
48" = 122 cm
The Sea of Galilee - Jordan River Approximate Metric Equivalents:	2" = 5 cm
9 1/2" = 24 cm
10 1/2" = 26 1/2 cm
12" = 30 1/2 cm
29 1/2" = 75 cm

The Dead Sea

Approximate Metric Equivalents:

12 1/2" = 32 cm

13" = 33 cm

Make the Bodies of Water

5. Trace the Pattern Pieces onto the Fusible Web:

Lay the fusible web with the smooth side up over each of the pattern pieces and trace.

Roughly cut around each traced shape. Do Not cut directly on the traced lines.

Lay each piece on the blue felt with the smooth side up.

Press in place according to the Manufacturer's Instructions that came with the transfer web.

8. Cut out the Bodies of Water

Cutting directly on the lines you traced, cut out each body of water from the blue felt.

9. Lay Out the Bible Story Mat

Lay the felt shapes onto the green side of the cloth mat as illustrated:

Leave a gap between the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.

This will be for the dry River Bed and the Jordan River flap

10. Make the Jordan River Flap

Make a paper pattern for the Jordan River flap, (illustrated (below left).

Be sure to match the bottom of the flap with the corresponding edge of the Dead Sea.

Adjust the length if necessary to fill in the gap between the Dead Sea and the Jordan River.

Cut from blue felt and set aside, (illustrated below right).

Approximate Metric Equivalents:	2" = 5 cm
3" = 7 1/2 cm
4" = 10 cm
8" =20 1/2 cm

11. Make the Dry River Bed The finished dry river bed will be 1/4 inch, (7mm), narrower than the Jordan River flap and 1/4 inch, (7mm), shorter.	Using the paper pattern from the Jordan River Flap: 1. Cut 1/4 inch, (7mm), off the straight edge that attaches at the Jordan River edge- Illustrated below left
2. Cut 1/8 inch, (3 mm), off the 2 sides - illustrated above right	Trace the reverse side of the pattern piece onto the fusible web.
Cut out the Fusible Web Shape	Roughly cut around the traced shape. Do Not cut directly on the traced lines.
Attach the Fusible Web to the tan felt square	Lay the piece onto the tan felt
Press in place according to the Manufacturer's Instructions.
Cut out the Dry River Bed	Cutting directly on the traced lines, cut the dry riverbed from the tan felt.

15. Label the Bodies of Water - optional

12. Attaching the Pieces to the Cloth Mat	Place the dry river bed on the mat between the Jordan River and the Dead Sea:	Place the bottom edge against the Dead Sea.
Leave a 1/4 inch, (7 mm) gap between the dry river bed and the Jordan River as illustrated below
13. Press the Shapes onto the Cloth Mat	Remove the paper backing from each shape:	The Mediterranean Sea
The Dead Sea
The dry riverbed,
The Jordan River/Sea of Galilee
Press each shape in place according the manufacturer's instructions that came with the fusible web.
Finishing the Bible Story Mat 14. Attach the Jordan River Flap	Place the Jordan River flap over the dry riverbed.
Machine straight stitch in place in the gap. Warning: Be sure to stitch in the gap. Stitching through the no-sew fusible web that is holding the Jordan river and the dry riverbed in place can gum up your sewing machine.
With a paint marker, label the bodies of water as illustrated in the layout for the Bible story mat.

Have fun acting out Bible Stories with your new Bible Story Mat!

Use with the Free Bible lessons at this web site,

Use the blue side of the mat to tell sea stories:

Jesus walking on the water/calming the sea,

Jonah and the whale,

Paul's shipwreck, etc.

With the green side of the mat you can reenact every other story in the Bible!