Guest blogger - Felt wall toys

Today's tutorial was written by guest blogger Jen :)

 

Felt Wall Toys – Tutorial

 

You will need:

Brightly coloured felt pieces

 For the Mushroom: Red, Gold and White

 For the Fish: Orange and Royal Blue

 For the Dinosaur: Grass green

Embellishments: sequins, ribbons, ricrac braid etc

Parchment/baking paper to make a template

Stuffing

Optional: light cardboard for stiffness

Optional: rattle inserts, squeaks, crinkle paper

Optional: fabric paints, adhesives

Strong thread

Needles, pins

Sew-on Velcro (fluffy side only)

3M picture hanging strips to attach to wall

1: Create your template.

If using a pre-existing design, lay it on a light coloured background, place a piece of baking paper over the top and trace around it.  Remember to trace around all of the design elements you want to use!

Alternatively, free-hand draw your design on to paper.

2: Pin and cut out your design

This is a 3d design, so make sure you cut a front and a back.  

For the Mushroom, cut 1 body in red, 1 hat in red, 1 face in gold, 1 spot and 2 ovals in white:

(tip: use the curve of the body cut-out to get the right curve for the bottom of the hat).  

Make sure you cut the face about a cm bigger on the top edge, so the hat overlaps it.

For the dinosaur:

Cut 2 in Green.

For the fish:

Cut 2 blue, one orange (3 pieces total).  

Cut fins and tail off one of the blue pieces – these will be used later.

 

3: Applique

Mushroom: Pin the spots and ovals on to the hat and blanket stitch around them.  I used a piece of crinkle paper behind the big spot.

Pin the face to the hat (hat overlapping), and blanket stitch the join.

Fish:

Pin the blue fin and tail you cut off earlier to the orange body, and blanket stitch them down.  Embroider details.



4: Embellish!

Add sequins and trim to front layer as desired.  Note: if using paints or adhesives pay attention to drying times.

For the fish, I used large holographic sequin “scales”, and a green sequin eye.  

I used a star trim, large sequins and large blue pailettes on the dinosaur.  

I used a black marker to draw the Mushroom eyes.

5: Assemble

If using stiffening, cut a piece of light cardboard slightly smaller than the felt shapes.

Sandwich the board between the front and back pieces (right sides out).

Blanket stitch most of the way around, leaving a large enough gap to stuff the toy.  With shapes like the dinosaur and fish, stuff as you sew to fill the neck, feet and tail.

 

If I only had a brain…

Stuff toy.  If using rattles or squeaks, put them in now.  I used a flat rattle insert in the dinosaur.

When happy with the plumpness of the toys, blanket stitch the opening closed.

Give to small child to examine. J



6: Stick to the wall

Measure a 3M Picture Hanging strip and cut a strip of fluffy Velcro to size.  Blanket stitch to back of toy.  The Velcro is stiff to sew through, so use a sharp curved mattress needle – it’s much easier than a straight one.

Peel off the back of the 3M strip and attach it to the wall.

Stick toys to the 3M strip.

Play!