How to Make a Plush Toy

Plush toys are toys made from soft fabric. A plush toy can be anything you like from a scary monster complete with a dangerous grin to a soothing teddy bear. You can purchase many different kinds of plush toys in stores. You can also make one of your own at home with a few simple steps. A personalized plush toy can be a fun gift for a child and a great way to express your own creativity.

Things You'll Need

• Adobe Illustrator
• Sketch pad
• Fabric
• Sewing supplies
• Cotton
• Dried beans
• Felt

Instructions

1. Create a design for the toy. This can be done with a sketch pad or design program such as Adobe Illustrator. The design need not be realistic. You can get fanciful and make imaginary creatures such as unicorns. You can also draw simple shapes such as hearts and balls.

2. Decide which fabrics you would like to use. Traditional materials for plush toys include satin, velour and cotton. Each element of the plush toy may require separate fabric. For example, if you are making a bunny, you may want to use separate fabric for the bunny's ears, tail and nose.

3. Sew the outside elements of the plush toy together. This can be done by hand or on a sewing machine using a basic attachment. Leave room for insertion of the filling materials.

4. Insert the filling of the plush toy. Filling can be soft material such as cotton balls or a pre-sewn pillow. Filling may also be dried material such as beans. If using beans, make sure that they are fully dried for at least 30 minutes in the oven first.

5. Add details. Glue on eyes to make a plush puppy look alive. Add character to a monster with an appliquéd smile. Make a plush tomato look real with the addition of a felted green top and a few fake ants along the sides.