Thanks to our fellow craftster, Jane – Lost and Found Objects
http://lOSTaNDfOUNDoBJECTS2.ETSY.COM
http://en.dawanda.com/shop/lostandfoundobjects
for this tutorial. Not only do we recycle – we create softness for our loved ones. Get the kids involved. Find old clothes (soft of course), get some fabric markers, fabric glue – and get started. Wonderful summer project!
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How To Make Your Own “Green” Plushie Creatures
I started doing plushies for Christmas. I have a shop at www.LilMonsters.etsy.com. I use recycled materials. You can stuff with sweater pieces and then you are not using poly fiber fill. They do make organic cotton fill but it is expensive.
I just taught a week of monster making to kids 9 years old and up. So if they can do it anyone can!
1. Just imagine a monster or animal or person.
2. draw it in a sketch.
3. Make the sketch big as you want you plushie to be
4. simplify it. loose the details.
5. make all the skinny parts really thick because you will need plenty of room to stuff it.
6. cut out your outline like you would a pattern.
7. pin together 2 pieces of recycled (of course) cloth with a safety pin and cut out your pattern.
8. decide which side of your fabric you want to show and pin together in several places. i like safety pins because they don’t poke me.
9. if you are using a knitted fabric like a sweater, you can hand stitch sides together using a whip stitch and a strong carpet thread. pull stitches very tightly. Leave a space big enough for your hand to stuff through.
10. other fabric may need to be sewn on a machine to prevent fraying. I am currently working on a series from a 1950’s bark cloth and it wants to fray too much when i hand sew. Bummer. i like to take my Lil Green Monsters with me and sew them whenever i have to sit somewhere (church, meetings at work, conferences, the movies).
11. turn your creation inside out.
12. stuff your creature.
13. whip stitch your opening.
14. embellish details, like a face, etc. and Congratulations! you have made a green plushie!
