Sewing stuffed toys is a fun hobby that enables you to really let your imagination take flight! On this page you'll find many tutorials, free sewing patterns and awesome inspiration to get you started

Looking for a handmade gift idea? Here are over 27 of the Cutest Free Sewing Patterns for DIY Handmade Plush, Stuffed Animal and Stuffies!

Looking for a handmade gift idea? Here are over 27 of the Cutest Free Sewing Patterns for DIY Handmade Plush, Stuffed Animal and Stuffies!

We've narrowed down the choice for you! Check out the best 30 free stuffed animal patterns you can sew even if you are a beginner. Grab one of the free plushie patterns now

This adorable kitten softie is part of the Kitty Family Vintage Toy Animal Sewing Pattern that's been very popular in my Etsy shop for some time now. The kitten is super easy to sew with minimal pieces and can be made out of scrap fabric. This little cutie was part of an iron transfer pattern and you'll need to enlarge the pattern pieces to the size desired. The pattern includes a 1/4" seam allowance. The original pattern main body measures about 8" from top of ears to bottom of paws but these pattern pieces can be reproduced any size you'd like. Simply cut out the pattern pieces and follow the directions indicated. For the face, use your favorite transfer pen or transfer method, then embroider. This is what mama kitty looks like and the family together is really sweet. This vintage pattern is I think from the 1950s and I've heard several nostalgic stories from the fond memories this little family congers up. If you'd like to purchase the full size pattern and the pattern for the mama kitty, visit my Etsy shop here. As you can see from the illustration, mama and kittens in different patterns or colors would be fun and so cute!

I love knowing a dolly is in the hands of a child in need, my Dolly Donations Blog means so much to me! I've had the pleasure of working with lots of lovely ladies all around the world donating Dolls made with my original Free Charity Dolly Donations Doll Sewing Pattern. This year I was asked to design a smaller version of my original Dolly for donating to Operation Christmas Child. .... SO please meet my Free Mini Dolly Donations doll patterns!!! No re-sizing needed simply click and Download the New Mini Pattern HERE! We're making 200 for OCC & Need Your Help! Please let all your Sewing Friends Know! Pop over to my Dolly Donations Blog for more info!!! My lovely friend Karin From Australia is working with OCC this year too and had great fun sewing up the NEW Mini Charity Doll Sewing Pattern for her boxes, and now you can too!! "I am currently doing some volunteering at OCC - they insist that every box has "something to love" and it is the single thing that kids will refer to as their favourite bit of the box. I don't think I have to tell you about the power of dolly love!!!" Karin If you would like to help please grab My Mini Dolly Donations Free Doll Sewing Pattern and sew up a few! Please note: This is a Free Charity Pattern (Copyright Sarah Hanson 2013) Please don't sell your dolls made from this pattern ... Please give them to a child in need! My Dolls And Daydreams Small dolls & Softies fit perfectly into boxes too :) Some of Karin's tiny tots for her OCC boxes this year. Karin's favorites are Tiny Tot Dolls and my Big Boy Dino pattern reduced by 50% CUTE! The lovely Karin who stitched up the dolly above has been donating to OCC too, and sent me these wonderful photos. Karin reduced the Big Boy Dino down by 50% .. aww looks like Mummy & Baby! She reduced my Big Boy Dino pattern by 50% , and simply sewed it up using the pattern as is with no seam allowance added. Christmas is just around the corner! Let's make a little one smile! ♥

DIY Fabric Frog Toy Free Sewing Patterns

Spotted dog, dalmatian. 5.5 centimeter tall. The pattern doesn't include seam allowance. If you feel difficulty because of its smallness...

Use up all those scrap fabrics with this easy and adorable Scrap Fabric Bunny Softie Pattern!

A quick run through of embroidering the face on a cloth doll… I embroider my dolls’ faces after I’ve stuffed the bodies and sewn down the yarn hair. I prefer placing the features after everything else is in place. I use pins to mark spots for eyes and nose, using a tape measure to center …

I made these new softies the other day for a client. Of course I made some extras for my shop! New designs are the owl and birdie.

Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ One good way to create a round head for a softie is to sew pattern pieces that come together like the seams on a baseball. The pieces are simple and create a... Read More »

I am attempting to document the making of a Waldorf doll. These dolls are not difficult to make, but rather different than classic cloth rag dolls. I was a bit intimidated the first time I made one, mainly because it was so different that what I was used to and comfortable with. But the dolls are fun to make, and have such a lovely shaped head and cuddly body. It was well worth stepping out of my comfort zone to give it a try.

Here's a little summery of my Doll & Softie Toy making Tips, Tricks, Techniques & Troubleshooting that I've complied and I thought I'd share with you all. I'll be adding to the list as I think of more to include! Enjoy! All tool links are to items I use. Sewing Machine Get to know your own machine, play around with it and have fun. Change your needles regularly and always have the same thread on your spool as on your bobbin to make sure it runs smoothly. And take it in for a regular check up (don’t let hubby have a look no matter how many oil changes he’s done on the car, trust me, this baby will baffle him!) Basic Sewing Supplies Seam Ripper. We all use one, admit it! Don’t be shy, it makes your life so much easier! Pins. Make sure your pins are not rusty, dull or bent. They should be fine for fine fabrics. For most projects the cute pearl tip pins are just peachy. Marking Tool. I don’t like the disappearing ink pens as sometimes they can reappear, and that’s not good if you have used it to sketch out your face template! I recommend tailor's chalk/pencils. Cloth measuring tape is very handy! Good quality all purpose thread and sewing machine needles. Do you sew on a European Machine or work in cm not inches ? Want to know my trick for keeping a constant 1/4 seam allowance? I use my machines 'Quilter' foot it creates the perfect 1/4 seam when you line the edge of your foot up against your fabric. Cutting Tools I love my Rotary Cutter. It’s amazing for curved edged like heads and really fast. Pinking Shears and decorative edge (scalloped) pinking shears are fun to change up your pattern pieces and add a bit of interest to felt. Rotary Cutting Mat, allows you to work with your rotary cutter and not worry about damaging your table top. Good sharp pair of Fabric Scissors Shears that you ONLY use for fabric. Remember if you use it for paper (or any of your cutting tools for that matter), it will blunt them over time. Technique. Don’t forget to clip your curves when making dolls and toys, this enables you to ‘pop’ the curves out. ... And cut your squared corners off :) Just don't cut through your stitches! Turning Limbs. Tools & Technique. You can use your fingers, or on stiff fabrics and thin limbs use some tweezers to help pull them the right way. Once you have the majority of the limb turned, you can use a paintbrush/chopstick to poke the last bit out properly and ‘pop’ the curve. Stuffing Arm & Leg Don’t over stuff your arms and legs as this makes it difficult when sewing around your dolly sandwich. If you have never sewn a doll before start with a very light stuffing and as you get a bit more experience with your machine you’ll be able to add more and more stuffing. Always leave at least a ½ - ¾ inch gap at the top of your arms and legs. The firmer you stuff your limbs the bigger the gap. Why, because otherwise your doll is very hard to sew up. Don't worry .. you won't get an 'empty' gap at the top of your limbs using this method .. simply rearrange your stuffing after you turn you dolly and ta da ... pretty limbs! Hooray! Tip - If you’re worried about movement of your limbs (& hair bunches or ears) you can baste/tack them down to the front body panel (or head in the case of ears) before making your doll/softie sandwich. Don't forget to stick your limbs 1/4 inch over the edge of your body fabric before you sew up your softie/dolly sandwich. This means less bulk from your limbs inside your dolls body. Heads I always like a lot of stuffing in my heads and necks as if not dolly will not be able to hold her head up and will have lots of yucky wrinkles (pockets of space in the stuffing when it is too loose) around the side of her face. Be careful though ... if you over stuff a head it can start looking lopsided as it will warp your thread directions in the cotton. Tools. An old paintbrush or chopstick works wonderfully to get into all the corners. Technique. Always pull apart your stuffing before you use it. Then add small bits at a time and compact them down/place them using your chopstick or paintbrush. What stuffing to use? Poly-Fil (synthetic) is relatively cheap and easy to come by. It will give your doll a cute plump fluffy look, you’ll have to work a bit to get the wrinkles out of the head and neck area but it holds up well. Careful to fill all the 'holes', they can reappear down the road. A large bag (32 ounces)of stuffing will make 4 - 5 dolls/softies with their bodies firmly stuffed. Bamboo (natural) is lovely but pricey, and stuffs well. Hardly any wrinkles in dolly but can be lumpy so watch out, however it holds its shape amazingly. Wool (natural) holds its shape very well, pricey, but no lumps and bumps and adds a bit of weight to the doll which is nice.... and a little goes a long way! I don’t recommend pellets or beads (or beans or grain) all of these products can be dangerous to small children and makes your doll lumpy bumpy. How to close your doll after Stuffing. Check out my Ladder Stitch Tutorial. Sewing doll and toy necks. This is probably the trickiest part when sewing up your dolly. The key is to always line up your back body and front body neck seams and pin it in place well. Click for a larger photo Technique. Take your time sewing around the curve. Stop, put up your machine foot (needle still in fabric) and change the direction of the fabric by pivoting around the needle. Start again. You can do this as many times as you like. No one is watching you. I do this!! Rearrange the feet/legs if you need to through the fabric sandwich. Remember if you’ve over stuffed them it will make it tough to go around this tight corner…. Again take your time. Don’t forget to clip the neck curve afterwards, otherwise the neck will pucker. Cotton Fabric. Always use a high thread count 100% cotton fabric. Skin colors - think - white, off whites, unbleached cotton, creams, beige, light pink, DIY your own with a 'tea stain' .... and/or brown, light brown, honey, camel ...... Poly cotton blends You have to be very careful with poly cotton blends. They can not only warp when you iron them creating puckering in the fabric but they will lie oddly if draped as clothing and cause strange shapes or twisting of limbs when stuffed. What's a thread count? Thread count means the number of threads woven together in a square inch. The higher the thread count the better quality of cotton. An easy way to find out if your cotton has a high thread count is to pop your hand behind it. If you can see your hand through it, it means it has a low thread count so move on! What cotton do you use for dolls faces and limbs? I love Kona cotton especially for my dolls faces and limbs for its high thread count, nice colors and it helps that it sews like butter! You can find Kona cotton in most quilting and fabric stores. Cutting your pattern out in cotton. Unless otherwise directed in the pattern - always lie the pattern pieces along the grain (the weave in the fabric) and so that the maximum stretch runs down the length of the pattern piece, e.g. top of the head to neck, top of the leg to the foot etc Felt What Felt to Use? Craft Felt, 100% polyester, cheap and cheerful but will not hold up in the long run especially to lots of cuddles and kisses. It will start to pill and ball up and look very messy in no time. Felted Wool (100%) natural. It’s thick, too thick for me. Think of a wool hat or heavy wool coat. Pure Wool & Wool blend (wool and rayon) will NOT pill, shed, or stretch out of shape like acrylic or polyester craft felts. I highly recommend this for all your toys and dolls. It might be a little more pricey but your dolly will remain beautiful for years to come. Read my guest post with the wonderful Janet of Felt on The Fly. Making felt clothes/shoes. Just as felts can be made of different material felts can come in slightly different thicknesses also, ranging between 3-7mm and 1/8 to 3/8 inches. Due to this some of your felt clothes & shoes may be a little difficult to get on your dolly. So do a test set first. If it’s a bit too snug add 1/8-1/4 inch to your seam allowance, or give it a little stretch (works with craft felts). How to Cut Out Your Felt Pattern. Take a look at my fabulous freezer paper tutorial on How to Cut out your Felt Pattern Pieces Fast! don't have freezer papaer, don't worry why not try Cutting Out Felt Shapes Using Tape. Fleece Fabric. Anti-pill fleece. For fleece as with felt I recommend an anti-pill fleece as your softie/doll will be getting a lot of love. It might be a little more pricey but your dolly will remain beautiful for years to come. There are lots of different thicknesses you can find out there, some that even look like faux fur. I use a normal thickness anti-pill fleece for all my creations. The main difference between no-pill fleece and pill fleece is the quality. Pill fleece is typically of a lesser quality, which means it’s also less expensive and will bobble up. No-pill fleece costs more but it’s a better quality fabric. You should be able to find it at any good fabric store Cutting your pattern out in fleece. Unless otherwise directed in the pattern – always place the pattern pieces with the pill running down the length of the body and limbs (in the same direction). Key to sewing fleece ..... Lots and lots of pins .... and then a few more hahaha Take your time sewing it especially around curves. Fleece has a tendency to stretch so don’t pull your material as it will cause wonky lines …. Nobody wants a dolly with one arm longer than the other :) Faces Use your pattern face templates to embroider your face, paint your face or even cut out felt or cotton applique shapes and sew your faces on! In fact, who says you need to use the faces provide make up your own! Technique. Use a tailor’s chalk pencil to trace your face pattern through the fabric. If it’s a light colored fabric you’ll be able to see the pattern easily. If not, or you are using a dark fabric use a light box. Don’t have a light box, simply hold your pattern and fabric up to a window on a sunny day :) Take a look at my How to Paint a Dolls Face - Free Tutorial and my Embroidery Techniques for Doll and Softie Faces Also have a look at my Tute on How to Customize Your Dolls and Softies And last but not least ........ Always Prewash your cotton fabric and iron it afterwards. Your iron is your friend! Trust me, it makes pinning seams, doll clothes hems, etc so much faster! Take a look at my Prewash Modern & Vintage Fabrics Tutorial.

Ok Ladies, I finally put together a tutorial! I have had so many of you ask me to do one, but between our family pictures and vacation last week I just didn't have time to post. Well here it is the Rag Doll Tutorial. Here is my pattern, it is very simple. From Fall Family Pics How I came up with it was, I folded a 12x12 scrap book paper in half making it 6x12. Then I traced out my doll shape. A oval head with fat hands and feet. :) From Fall Family Pics I love doing patterns like this because then I know both sides are exactly the same! After unfolding my doll came out to be 11in.x 7in. Which is a great size for little ones to handle :) From Fall Family Pics Next I folded my skin colored fabric in half and traced my doll pattern. From Fall Family Pics I like to save time by cutting both sides out together. I left about a 1/2 inch seam allowance, I did a zig zag stitch right over my traced line. I left a 2 1/2 in. to 3 in gap at the top of the head to turn it inside out, like a pillow. From Fall Family Pics Once it is inside out you can start stuffing! I like to stuff the feet and arms first then continue from there. From Fall Family Pics Once you are happy with how full and plush the doll is you just sew the top shut. From Fall Family Pics Trim the excess and your little guy or girl is ready for hair!!! From Fall Family Pics Here is my favorite part, customizing it to look just like your little cutie! I used felt for the hair since it doesn't fray! I also stitched hair strands in a dark color to add a little more interest. Sew the hair like a hat with a seam running down the sides of the head. turn inside out and hot glue it to the top of the head. I also like to put a few stitches it, just so I know it isn't going anywhere. To make this hair style I started with cutting out the shape of the hair sewing around the top and side edges. Next I turned it inside out and cut out the face opening and bangs. I wish I would of took pictures of this process, but I was doing a different hair style for each doll, so I didn't make any patterns. From Fall Family Pics Here is the other sister's doll, I LOVE making the clothing! It is so fun to create these little outfits with matching accessories :) From Fall Family Pics It is all about details and the amount of time you are willing to spend on these dolls. I even added a little A to the backside of Abigail's doll. Just little things like that make them even more special! From Fall Family Pics Here is a whole group of dolls I made for a friend! :D From Fall Family Pics I hope you enjoy using this pattern and remember to HAVE FUN WITH IT!!! Thanks for stopping by, Jeni

I knew I had wanted to do a dinosaur plush for months now, and I’ve been obsessed with designing things with simple shapes. So those two together brings us this tubby little dino plush! It’s got a …

Make it for Giving – Free Softie Pattern

In this post, I share the most common doll making mistakes I see and share some tips to help you avoid them.

DIY Flossie Flamingo Animal Toy Sew Pattern & Tutorial

Top 9 Toy Animal Sewing Patterns - great designs!

Lots of great ideas for handmade gifts for kids-- gifts for babies, for dress-up, for play time and more.

I recently discovered that I had a big stockpile of links to various softie patterns. Apparently they attract my attention…A LOT. I sometimes include stuffed critters in my newsletter , but this particular collection was getting a bit out of control. That means it’s time to share! Here are a bunc

Free Amigurumi Bear Toy Softies Crochet Patterns: Crochet Teddy Bear, Bear Amigurumi, Toy Bear Crochet for Kids, Valentine Gifts

I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in the blog tour for Amy Adam's new book Countryside Softies, which meant that I was also lucky enough to be sent a pdf copy of the book to review....

Since it’s still September it’s not quite Halloween season, but I couldn’t help myself! I felt the urge to make a little bat plush and wanted to share the pattern with you :D It’s a pretty basic sh…

Hi everyone! In preparation for the holidays I made these super simple little plushies that work perfectly as either ornaments or charms :D You can hang them from your keys or attach them to your b…

More than 30 free plushie patterns to sew and free plushie sewing tutorials for you to choose from - fun and easy to sew!

Learn what the best fabric for doll making is, which brands I like to use to make my doll sewing patterns and what to look out for when buying fabric.

A blog with free craft tutorials, free sewing patterns, sewing patterns for Lalaloopsy dolls and Barbie dolls.

Does your kid enjoy playing with plush toys, maybe collects them, or just likes to hug them? Well, this one is amazing and we are sure it become your child’s favorite plush doll the moment you finish him! This is the Cute Monkey Cloth Doll sewing pattern which is suitable for any fabric. The […]

Stuffing is a really important step in softie making. When it is done well, the finished toy is firm and smooth and completely filled out, from its tiniest extremity to its widest part. When it is done poorly, the finished toy is lumpy in some parts and deflated in others and it may not stand... Read More »