How to Make an I Spy Bag
I Spy Bags are small, square fabric bags with a clear window in the center. Through the vinyl window, a child will see an entertaining assortment of small objects and items floating among poly pellet material. The items and the poly pellets can be manipulated and moved to enable the items to be found. I Spy bags come with a label that lists the items to search for in the bag.
Things You'll Need
- Fleece fabric Poly pellets Funnel Small novelty buttons and items Clear vinyl Sewing machine Thread Scissors Pins Tape measure 8-inch length of ribbon (1/4-inch wide) Word processing program Card stock Contact paper Hole punch
Instructions
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1
Cut the fleece fabric to the dimensions desired. For example, if an 8-inch by 8-inch bag is desired, cut an 18-inch by 9-inch piece of fabric.
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2
Fold the fabric in half length-wise and place it folded onto a work surface. Cut a 3-inch square in the center of the fabric.
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3
Cut a 6-inch square of clear vinyl. Lay the vinyl on the wrong side of the square hole. Pin the vinyl to the fabric several inches away from the intended sewing line.
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4
Stitch around window opening, sewing the vinyl and fabric together. Trim the vinyl seam allowance to 1/2 inch outside the seam.
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5
Place the right sides of the fabric together. Take the ribbon, fold it in half and place it in between the two layers of fabric along the bottom edge of the bag so that the raw edges of the ribbon are even with the raw edges of the fabric. Sew around the edges and leave a 3-inch opening at the top to enable turning. Turn the fabric right side out. You now have an empty I Spy bag with an opening and a ribbon length extending out from the bottom seam for attaching the I Spy label.
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6
Select approximately 50 novelty items and buttons to place inside the I Spy bag. Place the items inside the bag. Make note of the items you place in the bag.
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7
Place a funnel into the opening and pour the poly pellets into the bag. Fill the bag so that it is full, yet the items can be moved and shifted around within the bag. Top stitch around all the edges to finish the bag and close the opening.
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8
Make a list of most of the items placed in the bag. It isn't necessary to list all of the items; however, most of them should be listed to assist in finding them. Enter the list into a word processing program, print it out onto card stock and consider covering it with contact paper.
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Punch a hole in a corner of the list. Thread the ribbon through the hole in the list and tie it in a double knot.
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Tips & Warnings
Suggested novelty items include buttons shaped like dinosaurs, balls, dolls, butterflies, cats, fish, stars, hearts, cars, teddy bears, apples and ladybugs. Using fleece makes it unnecessary to finish the raw edges of fabric around the vinyl window. The fleece fabric can simply be sewn to the clear vinyl without worry about fraying.
