How to Make Pillow Pets

Stuffed animals that can also be pillows can be made at home.

Pillow Pets are becoming must-have accessories for kids of all ages. The stuffed animal hybrid can fold up to be a cuddly pet or spread out flat to function as a pillow. They come in several different forms, including penguin, lady bug, horse, duck and unicorns. For kids looking for something a bit different, versions of Pillow Pets can be made at home with some sewing knowledge.

Things You'll Need

• Fleece, chenille or fur-lined fabric
• Contrasting fleece, chenille or fur-lined fabric
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Velcro
• Polyester filling or other stuffing
• Needle and thread or fabric glue
• Brown paper grocery bag
• Different-colored felt scraps

Instructions

Body Construction

1. Cut two 20-inch by 20-inch pieces of fleece or microfiber fabric. Take one of the pieces and cut the corners out in half-circle shapes that are 2 inches wide. Using the same fabric, cut two 4-inch by 10-inch pieces for the Pillow Pet's strap.

2. Cut four 2-1/2-inch-wide half-circle shapes out of the contrasting fleece or microfiber.

3. Lay out the large fleece piece from Step 1 with the missing corners and pin the half-circle pieces that you cut in Step 2 wrong side together to the larger piece of fleece fabric where the half circles were cut off. Sew the arches onto the fleece using a sewing machine.

4. Sew the rougher side of the Velcro parallel to the front side of one of the strap pieces using your sewing machine. Take the other strap piece and pin it front side together to the strap with the Velcro. Sew along one of the long sides and the short side closest to the Velcro.

5. Fold together an extra piece of the main material, if you are making an animal with a tail, and draw a shape that resembles your animal's tail. For example, a horse tail would be a long rectangle and a pig's tail could be a smaller half-circle. Fold the tail with the right side of the fabric together and sew the ends, leaving one short side open. Turn the tail right side out and stuff it using the polyester filling.

6. Pin the tail to one end of the larger body piece of fabric. Pin the strap piece to the side to the left of the tail. The side opposite the tail should be left open for the head.

7. Lay down the main fabric piece that has the strap and tail pinned to it top side up and tuck in the tail and the strap. Put the other large fabric square on top of this section, with the top facing inward. Pin around the edges, attaching the two pieces together.

8. Sew around the body of the Pillow Pet, leaving a 3-inch opening on the side where the head will go.

9. Turn the Pillow Pet right side out and stuff the body with polyester filling through the opening for the head. Stuff the body to your own personal preference.

10. Pull the strap across the body of the pillow to figure out the location of the soft portion of the Velcro. Using either fabric glue or a needle and thread, affix the soft piece of Velcro to the Pillow Pet's body.

Face Construction

1. Draw the shape of your Pillow Pet's face on a brown paper grocery bag. If you would prefer, you can also download an animal's picture from the Internet. Draw ears separately and cut out each piece. The largest area of your animal's face should be 10 inches wide.

2. Place the face pattern on a piece of the fabric you used for the Pillow Pet's body and pin it in place. Cut around the pattern to create the front of the animal's head. Repeat both steps again to create the back of the head.

3. Pick out the fabric you want to use for the animal's ears and pin the pattern to it. Cut around the pattern to create one half of an ear. Repeat three times. You will need four ear pieces to create two ears.

4. Pin two ear pieces together with the front side of the fabric facing inside. Repeat with the other two ear pieces. Sew around the ears, leaving a small opening at the bottom. Pull the fabric right side out through the opening.

5. Place the front face piece on top of the bottom face piece, with the good side of both fabrics facing inside. Position the ears between the two pieces of fabric with the bottoms on the top of the front head piece. Pin the two pieces together, making sure the ears are secured inside as well.

6. Sew around the head, leaving a 2-inch opening at the bottom. Pull the fabric right side out.

7. Stuff the Pillow Pet's head with polyester filling. You can choose how much stuffing to use based on your own preferences.

8. Cut out a nose, mouth and eyes from pieces of felt. Attach the features to the animal's face with a needle and thread. You can add stuffing under the nose or eyes, if you wish, by sewing the top of the felt piece, placing stuffing underneath it, then sewing the rest of the felt to the face.

9. Pin the Pillow Pet's head to the animal's body. Using a needle and thread, attach the two pieces together. To make the bond as strong as possible, sew over the same area more than once.

Tips & Warnings

• Personalize your animal with different fabrics, colors and finishes. For example, if you want your animal's ears to stand up, consider putting wire or heavy cardboard inside them.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish