Projects for Sewing Stuffed Animals

The teddy bear, a common stuffed animal, was named after US President Teddy Roosevelt.

Stuffed animals are an important part of childhood for many people. Almost every person in America has had one in her life, whether it was used as a comfort toy or kept as a collectible. Unbeknownst to most, making your own stuffed animal is almost just as wonderful as owning one. When it comes to sewing stuffed animal projects, the possibilities are endless -- limited only by your creativity, and of course, your supplies.

Stuffed Animal Pillows

Create a pillow case based on your favorite animal, and stuff with a pillow.

The easiest stuffed animal project to make is the stuffed animal pillow. Create a animal-shaped pillowcase: sew a large square or rectangle from the appropriate fabric (e.g. black-and-white striped fabric for a zebra), and add arms, legs, a tail, and a head. Add accessories like eyes, whiskers, and ridges of fur. Stuff with a square or rectangular pillow. Use as a special comfort object, as a pillow, or both. Many patterns for stuffed animal pillows are available online. See the CopyCatCrafts resource below for one such pattern to use.

Stuffed Animals based on Childrens' Drawings

Children's drawings are a great source of inspiration for stuffed animal projects.

Base a stuffed animal on a child's drawing. This is a fun project because children's drawings are usually colorful, exaggerated, and made from rudimentary shapes that are easy to express in 3-D. Print a large-format version of the drawing. Cut out the drawing, and pin it face-down to two pieces of fabric. Trace the image onto the fabric with a fabric pencil or a piece of chalk, leaving an 1/4-inch edge around the perimeter. Cut out the shapes; add plastic buttons for eyes, and hand-stitch any lines (e.g. whiskers, boundaries of clothing or limbs) on the interior of the shape. Stitch the two pieces of fabric together, right sides facing, by hand or with a machine. Leave an opening for the stuffing. Stuff with stuffing and sew the hole closed. Give as a gift to a friend or to the child who produced the drawing.

Sock Monkeys & Other Sock Animals

You do not have to use red-heeled socks for your sock monkey -- be creative.

Sock monkeys have remained a favorite of crafters since the Victorian Era. They are a form of folk art that has stood the test of time, and are good stuffed animal projects for crafters of all ages. Construction requires a pair of wool socks, two buttons for eyes, scissors, and a needle and thread; one sock functions as the head and body, and the other is used to make the arms, legs, and tail. Sock monkeys can usually be made in under 2 hours. You can also add accessories like a scarf, fez, or straw hat. Be creative -- you don't have to use red-heeled socks for your sock monkey. In fact, you don't even have to make a sock monkey. Try making a sock version of your favorite stuffed animal.

Glove Animals

Make a rabbit or a dog from a pair of wool gloves.

Make a cozy critter from a pair of gloves. Bunny and Dog are two popular patterns easily found online (see the resources for one such pattern). In a small number of simple maneuvers -- which involve cutting and reattaching fingers from the pair of gloves -- you can have a very cute stuffed animal that makes a perfect decoration or winter gift. Check out the book, "Sock and Glove," by Miyako Kanamori, for some ideas on what to make from your old gloves.

References

• SuperSockMonkey.com: How to Make a Sock Monkey
• Sock and Glove by Miyako Kanamori
• CopyCatCrafts: Free Pillow Pet Pattern Tutorial