How to Sew a Tooth Fairy Pillow

Use a roll cutter to cut straight lines when sewing this project.

Make children a small pillow with a pocket to hold their lost teeth in anticipation of the tooth fairy. Children put their teeth into the pillow pocket before bed. When they wake up the next morning, they may find their teeth replaced with a shiny coin. It's a traditional gift for a child who has lost that first tooth and it's something she can hold onto for years. This project requires a minimal amount of sewing and can be done by almost anyone.

Things You'll Need

• Card stock
• Pen or sewing pencil
• White felt
• 1/4 yard of fabric
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Embroidery thread
• Embroidery needle

Instructions

1. Draw a tooth on your card stock. This will be your pattern for the felt patch, so draw it exactly as you want your tooth patch to look, the same size and shape. If you are not an artist you can print a picture onto your card stock. Cut out the tooth pattern.

2. Pin the card stock tooth onto your felt. Trace around the card stock with a pen and cut out your patch. Cut just inside the pen markings so they are not visible on your completed patch. You may use a sewing pen and wash it out after you complete the project. Draw a face on the patch and use your embroidery needle and thread to embroider over your drawing. MarthaStewart.com suggests a French knot to create the eyes and a backstitch for the mouth.

3. Cut out two squares of fabric. This will be your pillow body, front and back. Cut them to the size you desire your pillow to be. A pattern found on the Crafty Carnival website uses squares cut 6 inches by 6 inches. Be sure that your felt tooth fits within the boundaries of one of the squares.

4. Pin the felt tooth patch to the front side of one square. Using your embroidery thread and needle, hand stitch the patch onto the fabric. Leave a small opening on top of the patch for the pocket. There is no need to finish the top of the pocket because felt will not fray. You can hoop the square in an embroidery hoop for this step; it stabilizes the fabric and minimizes flaws in the stitching.

5. Lay the two squares on top of one another, 'right sides' together, so that the backs of both pieces are showing and the front sides of the pieces are facing each other. Pin the fabric and stitch around the sides of the square with a sewing machine. Leave a small opening so you can turn the pillow right side out. Turn it right side out.

6. Through the hole you left with your machine, stuff the pillow with polyfill fiber or cotton stuffing. Use as much stuffing as you like, until the pillow is full and bounces back when squeezed. Hand stitch the hole that you left with your machine. You can use the embroidery thread and needle.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use a knitting needle or dull pencil to help with stuffing the corners of your pillow.

References

• Martha Stewart: Tooth Fairy Pillow
• Crafty Carnival: Sew your own Tooth Fairy Pillow

Resources

• Martha Stewart: Tooth Fairy Pillow