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Making soft stuffed toys for your children is easier than you might think! Do not worry if your sewing skills are marginal. By starting with simple designs and well-chosen materials, you can create soft baby toys that will delight your little one and stimulate his or her sensory and motor development.
For infants in particular, as well as for very young children (under age 3, they may be still inclined to put toys in their mouths), the first consideration in making soft stuffed toys is safety. There should be no small parts, such as buttons or beads, that could present a choking hazard if they became detached. All materials should be clean and non-toxic. You'll want to construct your soft baby toys to be durable and washable .
For babies, you can make soft stuffed toys in any shape that can be easily grassed by little hands. Vivid colors and interesting, touchable textures are much more important than shapes at this stage.
So how do you get started? Here are a few ideas to get you going:
Shapes : Try a simple 5- pointed star or a crescent shape. With a little embroidery to suggest eyes and a mouth, you can create a starfish or the man in the moon.
Materials :
- 100% cotton calico is readily available in a wide selection of brightly colored prints especially for kids.
- To vary the texture, also look for printed cotton flannel, or blanket fleece.
- Terry cloth (use a wash cloth!), Chenille, and corduroy all have different, nubby textures.
- Try using different kinds of fabric on the two sides of your soft baby toys.
Basic procedure : To get started, all you'll need is two small pieces of fabric (about 6 inches square is a good size) and a handy of stuffing material.
- Layer the two pieces of fabric, right sides together, and draw your change shape on the wrong side of one piece.
- Sew the two layers together along the drawn line, leaving an opening of about 2 inches for turning and stuffing. Then stitch again over the first line, to insure a good, strong seam to keep the stuffing contained.
- Trim off any excess fabric, leaving a seam allowance of about 1/4 to 1/2 inch all around. To help the shape turn smoothly, clip the seam permission close to the stitching around all corners and curve.
- Now turn the shape to the right side, and fill with stuffing. Stuff the toy firmly enough that it will hold its shape, but not so hard that it becomes difficult for tiny fingers to assist.
- Finally, hand stitch the opening very securely, and pull the thread end to the inside.
Congratulations! You now have a beautiful soft stuffed toy for your baby to enjoy.
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