Sewing 101 - DIY toys from unexpected household items

As a fresh mother, all women dream about making themselves toys for their little treasures. Luckily, especially with a little guidance and a great sewing machine, this is an attainable goal. Sewing is oftentimes a child’s play, but many feel intimidated by sewing machines themselves. Luckily, if you get to master these devices, you can easily turn at some point in time your passion into a profession. Maybe open an Etsy store, who knows? If you already have a sewing machine, you are a lucky woman, if not, it might be the case to start searching for one. Nevertheless, you most certainly need some basic information on how you can easily repurpose your old pair of jeans into a great toy for your child.

1. Funny little monster toys

Monsters might not be a fun toy per se, but if you get creative you could create amazing toys from an old pair of jeans and some buttons. Start searching online for printable patterns for toys. Pinterest is a great resource for your sewing projects. Download the patterns and print them to the desired measurements. Adjust them in Paint, by simply modifying their resolution. Then, cut the patterns. Use an old pair of jeans for this little project. Make sure to wash them well before, preferably in hot water, mixed with some baking soda and vinegar. This is better than your regular washing soap because it does not contain any chemicals. You want to avoid chemicals because small children are very likely to start chewing on their toys. Place the stencil on your jean fabric and start cutting around it. Cut two similar pieces of fabric and then sew then together, leaving a small space for stuffing at the bottom. Once you sew the rest, you can use cotton balls to stuff your toys. If you design the toy for a child aged three, you could use buttons for eyes and nose. Otherwise, before sewing the two parts together, cut from a different material, shapes to use as mouth, eyes and nose. Sew them as well in place. After stuffing your toy, you can sew the bottom part as well, to prevent the cotton balls from falling. Leave the edges raw, as this is a beginner project. There you have it, a simple DIY toy you managed to create while your baby was sleeping.

2. Superhero felt masks

All children dream of being a superhero, but with some sewing skills and few supplies, you can help them turn into their favorite Marvel or DC superheroes. Once again, make sure to search the web for ideas and printable patterns and download them. Cut around the edge of the mask, and make sure to cut out the eyes and lateral holes as well. Trace and cut the mask from a material in the desired colors. Then sew the edges and tie an elastic band from the lateral holes. Once again, you can leave the edges raw, if you are a beginner. You child won’t even notice. Optionally, you can create a cape for them using the same easy technique. Only make sure to take their measurements; only for safety purposes.

3. Felt mobile toy

Infants especially are very receptive to mobile toys. However, if you are not willing to spend a fortune on a similar item, you can create one on your own and hang it over their cribs. This is a great way in which you can save some money. Once again, start by searching for printable patterns to use for your project. Search for star, moon and cloud patterns. Trace the patterns on felt fabric. Choose a fabric in light colors. Beige, mint and dark blue are perfect for a nursery. Then cut the fabric in the desired shapes, sew the edges and leave some space to stuff them later. Repeat the process until you reach a satisfying number of stars, and clouds. Then fill them with cotton balls and secure the balls inside, by sewing the edges completely. Then, by using a transparent string secure your moon felt toy on the ceiling. From the moon, start securing with the same type of transparent string clouds and stars in a combination that you prefer. This project might need little more steps than the previous ones do, but considering the fact that a similar toy could reach even $ 100, we say that it’s worth the effort. Again, if you are a beginner, leave the edges raw. Your infant child won’t observe this little aspect.

You don’t have to be a professional in this entire sewing hobby. There are small projects all parents can handle with a little willingness, a sewing machine and some basic supplies.