Kid-Made Stuffed Toys

I helped Emily make this cute stuffed robot toy this afternoon, and if you have some fabric scraps, stuffing, and a some fabric markers, you can make your own stuffed toy using this technique too!

Emily was so proud to have made this toy, and plans are in the works for a home for our new robot friend, as well as other stuffed toys for gifts. You know how it is… one project, leading to another… and another!

First, we printed out an image we wanted to use. In this case, a robot image found at this free coloring page site. They have lots of other images available too! Emily traced the image onto fabric using fabric markers. We used masking tape to keep the pictures from shifting.
Color in your image with the fabric markers, and choose a contrasting fabric for the backing of your stuffed toy. I did a tiny bit of sewing. With right sides together, sew up the side, top, and down the other side, leaving an opening at the bottom.
Stuff your new toy, (Emily loved this part!) and stitch up the bottom.
… play!! Isn’t he cute??

Comments

  1. Dear Valerie,

    THE HUMANS ARE DEAD.

    Love,
    Mark

  2. Great project for hand eye coordination and developing creativity as well as great fun. Val you should have been a preschool teacher!

  3. Raising a Happy Child says

    Very impressed with what Emily can do – this project looks so much like fun.

  4. The Mom I Want To Be says

    Crazy! I just thought of making these yesterday!! We are doing owls 🙂

  5. maryanne @ mama smiles says

    Very cute idea! Maybe I can adapt this idea little for my younger kids…

  6. Wonder Mom says

    The humans are dead…The humans are dead…

    (Oh man, I will have this is my head the rest of the evening!)

    On a more serious note, I think this will be a good project for both my daughter and I to do- we are both learning to sew at the same time- perhaps I will make myself a robot…

  7. Super cute. I am so impressed by how neatly she colors.

  8. Oh, and Mark will probably be disappointed that I had to click on his link. I had no idea what he was talking about.

  9. Melissa: Mother to 3 Little Sprouts says

    Very cute! Great idea!

  10. Great project. E would LOVE a robot stuffy.
    And Mark, you are hilarious!

  11. Heather@ theherberfamily.blogspot.com says

    What a cute little craft for kids!

    Please feel free to link it up to Talented Tuesday at My Frugal Family!

    http://theherberfamily.blogspot.com/2010/01/talented-tuesday.html

  12. This is the version from the CD.

    It will be stuck in your head for more than one evening. 🙂

    Mark

  13. great idea! What kind of fabric did you use? I have seen "packages of toys" like this but never thought to do it myself with Lu hmmm great idea thanks for posting!

  14. Valerie @ Frugal Family Fun Blog says

    @ Mark — I know have an extreme urge to dress Clara and Emily up in robot outfits just like that video. This could be dangerous!

    @ The Mom I Want to Be — That's amazing! You know what they say about great minds… 😉

    @ maryanne — I think it could easily be customized. Maybe do the tracing ahead of time and let the kids have a go at coloring it in and stuffing it? I think it's great fun for them to see their creations come to life!

  15. Valerie @ Frugal Family Fun Blog says

    @ Sherry — We used cotton fabric. Just some scraps I had laying around. It was thin enough to see through, so Emily had no trouble tracing the design.

  16. Wow! so cute! i want to do this with an old pair of jeans (or make hand warmers!) of the pea's! super cute!

  17. and was impressed by how neatly she colors, too! and traces, amazing!

  18. I love this project. This would be so popular in my house.

  19. That looks cute, fun and easy!

  20. This is adorable and from the pictures it looks like you had a blast! Thanks for sharing.

  21. Time To Craft says

    I love this project. So often, when I am making a toy with my girls, I end of doing so much of the sewing, that it feels like my project rather than theirs.

    I'm going to give this a go.

  22. Amanda Pedro says

    thanks a bunch for this idea. It was the perfect craft for today..
    http://latenightstamper.blogspot.com/2010/01/rafaels-softee.html

  23. Creative project..!!
    I'll do the same thing to my nephew