There are lots of child-themed stuffed toys on the market. There are cartoon characters and movie creatures, but I wanted something different for my grandchildren. I was thinking how cool it would be if a kid could design their own stuffed animal. A child couldn’t do all the work of course, but even a toddler could design it and you could transform his simple drawing into a stuffed toy of his very own. It’s a simple project that will take only an hour or so. Your child or grandchild can help with some of the steps and the results will make him so happy.
Here’s what you’ll need
A simple child’s line drawing White paper for a pattern Fabric – a half yard will do for a small stuffed toy. You’ll need more fabric for a larger version. I used an owl print organic fabric leftover from some of my baby grandson’s owl-themed nursery projects. Both my daughter and I have owls on the brain now. Scissors Trim of your choice Color coordinated thread Enough stuffing to fill your toy. You can use your choice of fill material. Babies like the sound of toys stuffed with heavy cellophane like you get from a craft store. I used soft and silky bamboo stuffing. A sewing machine (hand sew if you choose)
Prepare your drawing
My 3 month old grandson can’t draw yet, but my 3 & 1/2 year old grandson can. Unfortunately he wasn’t around when I started this project, so I had to put myself into the mindset of a child and draw a picture myself. I chose a simple child-like owl. I’ll use my grandson’s drawing the next time.
If you want to keep the original child’s drawing, make a photocopy to work with. Enlarge it if you choose. The bigger the drawing, the easier it is to complete the details. Add a 1/2 inch border around the drawing for your seam allowance. Cut out your pattern If your child wants to help and he’s old enough, give him some child-safe scissors and let him do the cutting. (You must agree ahead of time to use his cut-out whatever the results.) Round out any detailed areas that may be difficult to finish. (I had to eliminate my little owl’s feet…too annoying to sew. Use the cut-out as a pattern
Cut out your stuffed toy and add trim
Fold your fabric in half and lay on a flat surface. Lay your pattern on top, pin into place and cut. If you need to sew or glue on your trim with fabric glue, add it to the right front side before sewing the seams. I added big felt owl eyes a beak and “feathers,” but be careful when you attach trim to a toy for a toddler or under. Don’t add trim that can be easily removed and swallowed
Sew the pieces together
Sew pieces together right side to right side using minimal seam allowance. Leave a small un-sewn opening on the straightest side. Clip corners and curved areas for crisp points and curves. Iron seams then turn your toy inside out. Use something pointy to push any corner areas to a nice point. If you don’t have a sewing tool for this, a large scissors might do. Stuff your toy Add more trim if you choose.
My little stuffed toy didn’t turn out exactly the way I wanted, but you have to admit, it’s cute. The idea has lots of potential. You can make your child-designed stuffed toy in any fabric you choose. You can even make one big enough for your young one to use as a pillow. Just have fun with it. That’s all that matters.
Source: My crafty brain