How to Stuff Animals
Stuffed animals have long been favorite toys for toddlers and children. Associated with comfort, many organizations give stuffed animals to sick or traumatized children. Making stuffed animals for your children is not difficult and there is a wide variety of patterns and materials available for any type of animal you can imagine. You will also have an array of stuffing options from which to choose.
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Things You'll Need
- Stuffed animal pattern
- Stuffed animal material
- Sewing machine, needles and thread
- Chopstick or pencil
- Fiberfill
- Goose down
- Old clothing
- Scissors
Instructions
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Using Fiberfill or Down
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1
Cut and sew the stuffed animal of your choice, leaving open a 2-inch seam. This opening should be in a place where it will be easy to sew by hand or machine and gives you access to the tight places such as hands and feet.
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2
Turn the stuffed animal inside out and use the chop stick or pencil to press out the features of the ears, hands, feet or other small places.
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3
Begin stuffing the animal with fiberfill, if that is your choice of stuffing. Use the chopstick to press the fiberfill into the tight places first. Continue to add fiberfill until the animal is as plush as desired.
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4
Stuff goose down in the same fashion as fiberfill. Because goose down can mat, fill the animal with the down until have reached the limit that the animal will hold.
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5
Thread a needle with a matching color sting and sew up the stuffing seam using a whip stitch.
Using Old Clothing
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6
Use scissors to remove buttons and zippers from old, clean clothing.
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7
Cut the clothing into 1- inch strips.
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8
Stuff the clothing strips into the animal using the same method as for fiberfill.
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9
Sew up the open seam.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Make sure when sewing the open seam that you use tight stitches as this area will often be the first to begin to pull loose in a homemade stuffed animal. Early teddy bears were stuffed with straw or animal hair.
