These petite stuffed animals -- a Fair Isle lamb, a cable-knit chicken, and an argyle pig -- are so cuddly and simple to make, you'll want a menagerie. The toys, which range in height from 5 to 8 inches, are each assembled from a few basic felt pieces and plumped up with batting. Appendages, such as floppy ears or wings, are easily added during sewing. Wrap up the woolly creatures to give to your favorite tots, or use them as stocking stuffers.
Before you begin, learn how to felt wool.
Stuffed Chicken How-To
1. Enlarge templates to desired size on a photocopier (for a 5-inch-tall chicken, enlarge 400 percent), and cut out. Using templates as a guide, cut out a side piece from felt; flip template, and cut out another side piece that's the mirror image of the first. Cut out underbelly piece. With right sides facing and 1/8-inch seam allowance, stitch one side to underbelly along lower side portion, from neck to tail, curving underbelly piece to fit.
2. Stitch other side piece to other edge of underbelly, sandwiching underbelly between 2 side pieces. Cut out wattle and comb from felt.
3. Pin wattle and comb, facing inward, between layers of head and neck. Stitch around top of chicken, leaving a hole for stuffing.
4. Turn chicken right side out. Cut out 4 wings. With right sides facing, stitch 2 wings together, leaving a small opening at the base. Turn right side out; hand-stitch opening closed, then hand-stitch to body. Repeat for other wing. Sew a handful of dried beans into a small sack created using a scrap from the sweater. Place inside chicken at bottom, to weight and balance it. Pull cotton or polyester fill into small pieces to prevent lumps, and stuff chicken. Slip-stitch back closed. Steam-iron the finished animal to refine its shape and loosen the stuffing.
Stuffed Lamb How-To
1. Enlarge templates to desired size on a photocopier; for a 6 1/2-inch-tall lamb, enlarge 150 percent. Cut out the templates. Using template as a guide, out the underbelly piece from felted wool. To make legs stand up, fold back each at solid lines, and stitch at dotted lines.
2. Cut out the side piece; flip template, and cut out another side piece that's the mirror image of the first. With right sides facing and 1/8-inch seam allowance, stitch one side to underbelly along lower portion, from neck to tail, curving underbelly piece to fit. Stitch other side piece to other edge of underbelly, sandwiching underbelly between the 2 side pieces. Cut out 2 tail pieces: Stitch, right sides facing, leaving a hole at the base. Turn inside out. and stuff with cotton or polyester fill.
3. Sew dart at mouth. Pin tail, facing inward, between the 2 side pieces. Sew side pieces along top portion of lamb, leaving a gap at the back and at the top of the head. Cut out 4 ear pieces and the top of head piece. Sew together two sets of ear pieces, right sides facing, leaving a hole at the base of each; turn right side out.
4. Cover head: Pin one ear and the top of head piece pointed end facing forward between the layers of the head. Starting in front, sew around the top of the head, stopping when you get to the back. Pin on the other ear, and continue sewing around the head. Turn lamb right side out. Rip fill into small pieces to prevent lumps from forming, and stuff. Slip-stitch the back closed. Steam-iron the finished animal to refine its shape and loosen the stuffing.
Oh my gosh they are so cute i'll surely try the entire "menagerie." I can totally see these as boy’s baby shower gift especially the lamb. They're just so cute. Can't wait to get started!
These are amazing! I am in love!
these are precious...but the 'how to felt' info doesn't match up with the craft...the critters are obviously made from felted wool fabric or sweaters...not the techniques in 'how to felt'....it would be difficult to hand felt a fair isles or argyle design....but they are common designs in wool sweaters
If you have kids..search Pet TickleMe Plant to grow a real house plant that Moves like an animal when you Tickle it!
adorable.. again, these with felt would be fab!!
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amypo62, highlight the picture that you want, right click then copy and paste them into "paint" or "wordpad". Then click on "print". When the box opens click on "properties". From there, it will depend on your operating system but it's pretty easy to figure out. Just play with the settings until the "print preview" looks like the size that you want. Hope this helps. :)
I am unable to enlarge the templates. Can anyone help me?
I used old t-shirts with fun patterns and they turned out really nice! I think for the unexperienced sewers, like myself, we need simple instructions, and these were a little confusing...cute idea tho.
I used old t-shirts with fun patterns and they turned out really nice! I think for the unexperienced sewers, like myself, we need simple instructions, and these were a little confusing...cute idea tho.
I made these animals as holiday ornaments and they turned out nicely. The project was simplified because I didn't enlarge patterns at all, used felt fabric and stitched on the right side of fabric. They were easily made into ornaments by adding in a loop of ribbon at the top of each animal.
OMG!!!!!!! These are soooooooooooooooooooo cute! I am so making one for my little sis. LOL!!!!!
The magazine version of this project has instructions on felting wool: wash and dry wool on hot, in lingerie bags to prevent damage to washer and dryer. You may have to do this a few times. It's felted if you cut with scissors and it doesn't fray. Use a sweater shaver and sew with zigzag stitch. I've done only the felting so far and that worked well.
If you're making these with woolen knits, it might be interesting to felt the sweater before cutting out the pieces. This way you could most likely wash the finished animals without risk of strange shrinking.
These are so cute! I had a few plaid skirts that no-longer fit. Let me rephrase will never fit again and the fabric was perfect for this project. I am so excited. My first grandchild will be spoiled awful. What is really great all the project I am mostly using fabrics from garments I actually wore. So there will be a part of me with it always.
These would be fun to make with regular cotton and stuff with some lavender to relax baby. You could also use terrycloth and stuff the inside with sponge so that they could be a fun bath toy that is totally washable. Great idea!
These would make great holiday "ornaments" that can be then given away at parties or children (adults?) can pick one at a time. One child starts by choosing a number for example, between 1
i cannot pull up the directions for the stuffed animals...help!
Try knitting or crocheting ( in the round) a simple body, legs, arms and a head. Stuff them and sew together. These are super cute and really popular right now. They have a rustic, heirloomy feel about them.
Sophie, i believe the wool sweaters are the felt they speak of. You 'felt' wool sweaters like magwitch above said
this idea is so cute,, im gonna make a few chicks.
I think this is the cutest recycle project! A great gift idea too and I had no trouble with any of the 3.
Thanks Martha!
I think you could also use wool felt fabric.
ibcrafter
Also, putting this in the knitting category is a bit wrong. Sure, the toys are made of knits, but instructions are for sewing, not knitting. There's not even really instructions for felting the knits used for these.
you use 100% wool sweaters that you wash to felt them after they dry you
use the sweaters like felt fabric.you should also use a heavy duty sewing machine needle.
Has anyone made this? I cannot figure out when the old sweater material comes into play. They only speak of felt in the instructions.