How to Design Your Own Stuffed Animal

Create your own stuffed animal or doll from scratch starting with a design, creating a pattern, and sewing the animal together. Great gift idea or project with small children or even teens.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper
• Pen
• Pattern Paper OR
• Grocers Paper Bag
• Material
• Thread
• Needle
• Pins
• Sewing Machine
• Optional - eyes, hair, etc.

1. Draw an image on a piece of paper of what the stuffed animal to look like.
   
   Are you drawing a heart with eyes, a smile, and legs? Are you creating a teddy bear? A mouse? A person or doll?

2. Create a pattern for your stuffed animal on pattern paper or a brown paper bag. Using a brown paper bag is actually more durable than pattern paper.
   
   You will need a body and optional head, legs, arms, etc. for your stuffed animal. Some animals like hearts with faces or mice only have bodies.

3. Cut your pattern out, pin it onto some fabric or fur material on the "wrong" side (without the pattern or fur). Now cut the material to the pattern.

4. Pin your material together and see if you need to add little touches like a face, ear details, paw details. If you do sew these smaller pieces onto the larger pieces.
   
   Now sew the animal together "wrong" side of the material out. You will sew all around the parts except for a little 1 or 2 inch hole which you will use to turn the material right side out and fill with stuffing. Once filled, sew animal together.

Tips & Warnings

• Go to a library or search online for free patterns if you are using a typical animal like a teddy bear, cat, dog, etc.
• Save the pattern to repeat again and again.
• It is not necessary to have a sewing machine, this whole project can be done by hand.
• Pins and needles are sharp, be careful.
• Use good sharp scissors so that you don't pull or pucker the material.

Resources

• FREE Professional Stock Photos
• Convenient One Page List of Heather Inks' Articles

[heatherinks]

on 9/22/2009 Children and adults can have so much fun designing their own stuffed animal and saving the pattern for future use or to share.

[ramblin62]

on 9/4/2009 Love this craftsy project of designing your own stuffed animal! Perfect for unique gifts for kids. TX!

[heatherinks]

on 6/17/2009 Designing your own stuffed animal is an easy fun activity for children.

[labellefleur100]

on 5/4/2009 What a great and sweet idea for a rainy day! Thanks! 5* rcmd