How to Make Stuff Animals

Stuffed animals have come a long way since the classic teddy bear. These days, there is a whole menagerie of options, not to mention fantasy creatures as well as the limited-edition art toys made and embellished by hand. Also known as plushes or soft sculptures, the new breed of stuffed animals are funky and stylish. It is fun and affordable to make your own.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pencil Paper Scissors Fabric Needle Thread Fiberfill stuffing Buttons, pompoms or doll eyes (optional)

The basics of sewing stuffed animals

1. Seek inspiration. You can look at any toy store of child's room for ideas, but there is other great source material out there. Check out classic children's book illustrations, such as those in the "Golden Books" series of the 1950s. Take in some "Sesame Street" or watch DVDs of "Fraggle Rock" to see the potential of fantasy creatures. Check out the nouveau stuffed animals made by Uglydolls, Shawn Smith and Friends with You, that have created stuffed animals in the forms of a cranky garlic clove, a takeout container, aliens and dumplings.

2. Sketch your stuffed animal on a sheet of paper. Determine the key characteristics, such as arms, legs, shells, wings and claws. If you are a beginner, try simple or abstract shapes and creatures, such as snakes, jellyfish or fluffy balls that can be called bunnies or kittens. Take a moment to consider how you will represent the stuffed animal's eyes. Googly eyes do not stand the test of time, but pom poms, felt or sew-on doll eyes work well.

3. Use the sketch to draw an outline of your pattern on pattern paper. Cut out the pattern and place it directly on the fabric. The best types of fabric to use are the thinner kinds that are easy to sew, such as felt or a recycled cotton dress, though fake fur makes for a beautiful stuffed animal. Remember to think in double and fold over your fabric before tracing and cutting.

4. Turn the pieces of cut fabric inside out to prepare them for sewing. Leave a small gap at the bottom so that you can turn the pieces right side out before stuffing the plush. Stuff the plush with cotton batting, aiming for maximum plumpness, because the filling tends to settle over time. Sew up the remaining space and apply decorations as needed.

5. Create a plush trading card for your stuffed animal. Use the original sketch and cut and glue it onto an old postcard. Write in details such as the stuffed animal's name, hobbies, favorite foods, magical powers and likes and dislikes. You can color in the trading card or decorate it with stickers.

Tips & Warnings

• Turn this into a simpler project by customizing a preexisting cushion or stuffed animal with embellishments.
• If you use buttons or other embellishments, your homemade stuffed animal is probably not safe for babies and toddlers, but it will look beautiful displayed on a shelf.