How to Make a Stuffed Rabbit
Today's toy market has come a long way from the stuffed animals of yesteryear. According to TMA Toy Reviews & News, "Stuffed animals ... had early roots commercially in 1880 with sales of an elephant pincushion from Steiff in Germany. The company expanded the felt animals they carried and in the early 1900s created/invented the teddy bear." Making a stuffed rabbit at home or school has all of the charm of days gone by, and none of the expense of purchasing a toy at retail prices.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric - 1/2 yard, print or solids (or lightweight, low-pile craft fur)
- Felt - pink, 5 inches by 5 inches or scraps enough for 2 ears
- Cotton pom-pom
- Needle
- Thread
- Embroidery floss - black, 1 skein
- Ribbon - 12 inches long
- Stuffing - polyester fiberfill
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Paper
- Pencil
- Straight pins
Instructions
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1
Draw a figure eight measuring nine inches long by seven inches wide at the bottom of the eight and five inches wide for the top portion of the eight. Outline. This is the body pattern.
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2
Draw a six-inch diameter circle. This is the body base pattern.
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3
Draw an elongated capital letter D three inches long by one inch wide. This is the ear pattern.
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4
Pin the body pattern to fabric. Cut three. Pin the body base pattern to fabric. Cut one.
Pin the ear pattern to the felt. Cut two. -
5
Place one of the body pieces on top of another body piece, right sides of the fabric touching. Pin. Sew one side only using a one-half-inch seam allowance. Do not sew the top or bottom--only one side.
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6
Open the joined body and spread flat. Place the third body piece, right sides of fabric touching, on top of one body piece. Pin the edges of these two pieces.
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7
Sew body pieces along the pins. Do not sew top or bottom--only one side. Three body pieces are sewn together.
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8
Turn body so the wrong sides of the fabric are facing up. Pin a felt ear to each "ear spot" on the middle body piece so the ear felt overlaps the wrong side of the body fabric one-half of an inch. Sew the ears to the body.
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9
Place the two body pieces with unsewn edges on top of each other, right sides of fabric touching. Pin. The body should be inside out, so you're looking at the wrong sides of the fabric. Push the ears inside of body leaving the one-half of an inch sewn to the fabric visible.
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10
Pin the head along the same pin seam as body edge. Leaving the bottom open, sew the body and head.
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11
Pin the circle (rabbit body base) to the bottom opening of the body. Leave a three-inch gap. Sew base to body, leaving the three-inch gap. Turn inside out.
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12
Stuff with stuffing until the body takes on a filled shape.
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13
Fold the raw edges of the three-inch gap inside. Pin. Hand-sew closed.
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14
Using black embroidery floss, stitch four stitches for eyes in each eye spot. Repeat on the nose spot for a nose.
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15
Tie a ribbon around the neck.
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16
Sew a cotton pom-pom tail to the backside.
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