this is by no means a “NEW” craft, but sometimes the oldies are the goodies, right??
we made this little sewing craft into a valentines day activity, but the great thing about this is its adjustable for any occasion. OR if you’re simply looking for a life skill that you can start young, this is it!
for our pillows, we use felt and yarn, but don’t limit yourself! this sewing practice can be done easily with fabric. even if all you can find is an old tshirt! I am the QUEEN on not having the supplies on hand, so I make do with what I have and am not above cutting up an old tshirt of andy’s! luckily for this one, I discovered the idea while on my way to target, so felt it was! You can also do this with a single sheet of construction paper. it will be a flat design, but the practice stitching is still the same 🙂
supplies:
felt sheets {any color, you need enough to make at least one heart front and back. the bigger the heart, the easier the stitch}
yarn {string or twine is fine}
tape
scissors
stuffing or cotton
*optional* decorations + glue {markers, buttons, sequins, puff paint}
directions:
step 1 – cut your first sheet of felt into a heart {or whatever shape you intend for your pillow}
step 2 – trace the first shape onto the second sheet of felt to make an exact match and cut it out as well
step 3 – keeping the halves tight together and even, use scissors or an exacto knife to cut small slits all along the edge of the heart, leaving room on the outside so it doesn’t tear through. slits should be small for the yarn to not slide around too much around, but big enough that your child can slip the yarn through easily.
step 4 – take the end of your yard and tape the end so it can easily “stitch” through the holes.
step 5 – use any simple stitch you’d like! I taught my 5 year old a simple basting stick then an over stitch! start and end at the same hole
step 6 – before closing the stitches, take your stuffing and fill your pillow to the desired plush-ness 🙂
step 7 – tie off the last stitch in a tight knot
*optional* step 8 – using glue and decorations or markers, feel free to decorate your pillow!
Hope you enjoy and have fun! 🙂
