How to Make an Alligator Pillow

With a few simple materials and just a couple of hours of your time you can make an alligator pillow in any size you like, from a small throw pillow to a huge alligator for the floor. Only the most basic sewing skills are required.

Things You'll Need

• Green fleece fabric in two shades
• White fleece or felt
• Red fleece or felt
• Stuffing
• Buttons or black felt
• Sewing machine
• Coordinating thread
• Hand sewing needle

Instructions

1. Draw a pattern. You might want to start with an image froma coloring book and enlarge it. The shape of an alligator is quite simple. You can make separate legs for your alligator pillow or simply cut them onto the body. Find a good picture of an alligator to use as a model for your pillow. Typically, you will need an underside for your alligator, a top side and two mouth pieces.

2. Cut the top and underside of your alligator pillow out of dark green fleece. Fleece is very user friendly to sew and requires no seam finishing. You will also want to cut the inside of your gator's mouth from red fleece or felt. Use the lighter green fleece to cut accents for your alligator, including a lighter belly panel. You will also want to cut small triangular teeth from the white fleece or felt.

3. Pin and sew any accent pieces into place. This can be done very simply or you can add machine stitched or hand embroidery to add playful details to your alligator pillow. Consider at least adding a belly panel with a few additional horizontal lines of stitching and perhaps some additional detailing on your alligator's tail.

4. Pin the teeth to the red fleece or felt pieces and stitch them into place. You can also add a tongue at this point if you would like. Next, pin each mouth piece to the appropriate section of your alligator pillow and stitch them all into place. Once these pieces are sewn, lay the top and underside of the alligator and pin them well.

5. Sew your alligator all the way around, from nose to tail. Clip the curved parts of your seam allowance and trim the seam allowances. Turn right side out through the opening in the stuffed alligator's mouth.

6. Stuff your alligator pillow fairly firmly. You may need to use a pencil, chopstick or knitting needle to push stuffing into the feet, legs and tips of the tail and nose. You may wish to stuff the belly or body portion of the stuffed alligator a bit less firmly to make a softer and more relaxing pillow surface.

7. Sew up your alligator pillow. You should have only an opening in the mouth of the stuffed alligator. This will not be a highly visible area and can be sewn up by tucking in raw edges and threading a hand sewing needle. Add button eyes to your alligator or make eyes from felt and hand stitch them into place.