How to Make Stuffed Knitted Christmas Animals
Beginning knitters are able to practice expanding their skills on more than just a scarf. Making a holiday stuffed animal is another way to use knitting skills. Christmas themed stuffed animals are a craft that can be knitted, and then used for decorating or gifting. There is a large selection of free patterns on the Internet, or books with patterns to be purchased at craft stores. The stuffed animal knitting project is somewhat forgiving, making it a good learning piece.
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Things You'll Need
- Straight knitting needles
- Holiday colored yarn
- Stuffed animal pattern
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
Instructions
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Find Christmas stuffed animal patterns that you want to create based on your skill level. Consult the pattern you choose for the type and amounts of yarn that you need for your particular animal.
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Knit the pieces that make up the animal. Most simple pieces use standard stockinette or garter stitch, which are the first type of stitches most knitters learn.
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Lay out the pattern pieces as they will fit together. Turn the pieces wrong side out to attach the pieces together before stuffing. This keeps the seams to the inside and invisible, and makes it easier to sew the piece before it is filled and bulky. Leave a space open to add the stuffing along a less visible portion of the body. If there are pieces that cannot be added before filling, sew the other parts together to make the animal before finishing. Turn right side out before stuffing.
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Stuff the sections you have sewn together, and any parts you could not add before sewing the main body. Overstuff just slightly because the stuffing will compress a bit over time and make the animal flat and loose if there isn't enough stuffing. Use a pencil with the eraser end or a wood dowel to reach areas such as the arms, feet or other parts that have small openings and are to the outside of the animal, and push the batting in place. Make sure all the parts are full.
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Sew the hole that was left open to stuff the animal carefully with the yarn needle and a piece of matching yarn. Cut off the tail of the yarn. Sew on any pieces that are added last with a mattress stitch so it is not visible. The mattress stitch is done by threading the yarn through a stitch on the inside edge of a piece and then threading it through the corresponding stitch on the other piece. Continue making a stitch every row until both pieces are sewn together. Add the eyes or other decorative elements according to the pattern instructions.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
