Sparkle Crafts

Create Your Very Own Scrap Basket Softies

In the Martin & Sylvia: Saturdays! story, “The Meeting Spot”, Sylvia is a little nervous about her first playdate with a new friend.

Don’t we all know that feeling?! She worries about whether or not they’ll find anything that they have in common and what they’ll enjoy playing together. As it turns out, they both love playing stuffed animals! Maybe that’s something you enjoy, as well.

I remember one year, my son received a homemade softie from his best buddy. There was so much pride beaming out of the little boy as my son opened his present. My son was beaming as well, knowing that he was receiving such a special, one-of-a-kind gift.

With a few fabric scraps and a little time at the sewing machine, you can make a whole stuffed menagerie for yourself and as gifts for your friends!

You Will Need

Fabric Scraps

Stuffing

Scissors

Fabric Marker

Pins

Sewing Machine

What To Do

With your chosen fabric folded in half, right-sides together, use the fabric marker to draw some shapes. You’ll need a body, two legs, two arms and two ears.

Using a scissors, cut through both layers of fabric about a ½-inch outside the lines you drew. You’ll have 2 body pieces, 4 arm pieces, 4 leg pieces and 4 ear pieces.

Using your sewing machine and a ½-inch seam, sew around the legs, arms and ears leaving one end open (the end that will attach to the body of the stuffed animal).

Stuff the arms and legs with your stuffing of choice. Just be sure to leave about an inch empty where you’ll attach it to the body.

On the right-side (inside) of one of your body pieces, draw a face using the fabric marker. Better yet, have your little one give you a hand; this task is just right for them!

Now get ready to put it all together! Lay down the blank body piece, right side up. Arrange the arms, ears and legs in their proper positions – this may seem counter-intuitive, but all the limbs need to point to the inside of the softie.

Now, put the second body piece on top (with the face facing all the limbs) and pin! pin! pin!

With your sewing machine, stitch a ½-inch seam around the outside of the softie. Leave a 2-3 inch gap in the stitching so you can turn your softie right side out.

Trim the excess from the arms, legs and ears from the interior of your softie, turn it right side out and stuff.

Close up your softie with your machine (quick and fast!) or with a bit of hand-stitching (far more elegant!), whichever method you prefer.

Explore More & Make Connections

What kind of animal did you make? What could you change to make a different type of animal? Give it a try!