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Happy Hour Projects logo

10/25/2012

Owl Stuffie

My niece turned one over the weekend, and I whipped up a cute little stuffie for her.  And whoooo doesn’t love OWLS, right? :D

As long as you have basic sewing skills, you’ll find this to be a really quick little project.  (I made two – one for Raya as well – and had both done in an hour.)

What you’ll need:

Pattern template (click to download mine, if you want!)
Fabric scraps – if you absolutely must buy something new, a fat quarter will be plenty
Your sewing stuff (obviously, LOL – you know, scissors, thread, etc.)
Stuffing – I really like to use PolyFil
Felt for the applique the face (though you could use fabric if prefer)

I don’t have a pattern for the face, but it’s pretty easy to make some circles and a triangle.  Just trace anything round you’ve got, if that helps.

I always trace my patterns onto something heavier-duty than regular paper – usually cardstock or posterboard or like an empty cereal box.  I use my disappearing marker to trace in onto the backside of the fabric, but pencil would work fine too.  Cut 2 body pieces (a front and back) and 4 wing pieces.

Also… you’ll notice Raya got to my pattern first, and colored on it for me.  (She also thought it was a cat at this point, and kept meowing).  These are the things I love to remember. :)

Once you’ve cut your pieces, applique your face on.  I just used a zig zag stitch on all the edges.  Meowing changed to hooting from my little “helper” at this point.

Next – make the wings.  Place two of your wing-pieces with the right sides facing each other, and run a line of stitching along the curved edges.  Be sure to leave the flat bottom part unstitched.  Trim up the fabric close to the line of stitching if you have any areas the didn’t come out perfectly.  Ahem. ;)

Now, turn it right side out.  I like to topstitch it next, but that is totally optional.  If you want to, all you do is run an additional line of stitching on the right side of the wing.  It keeps it flatter and gives it a more finished look.

I wanted my wings to be a little bit ruffled, so I pinned a pair of pleats in each wing.  I stitched along the bottom to hold the pleats in place.

Now, place your wings wherever you thing they will look best in relation to your owl face.  Point the wings inward… peek-a-boo style.  LOL.

Now, pin the backside on, with the right sides facing.  Take a moment to make sure the inside edge of your wing extends beyond the edge of the body, so that it gets sewn in securely.

You can use as many or as few pins as you want, but let me recommend a tip:  we need to leave a hole so that we can turn and stuff this guy.  The bottom is the best place to do this – so pin about 2-3″ apart in one place at the bottom.  When you begin stitching at one pin, you will end at the other, leaving a hole.

To be extra safe, I sometimes run a second line of stitching to reinforce my seams.  Now trim as much excess fabric off as you can without cutting into your stitching.  (This will help your seams look smooth when you turn it.)

Now find the hole, reach in, and pull your owl right-side-out.

Make sure that the ears, especially, turn all the way.  You can poke a chopstick or a butterknife in to be sure.

Now stuff him!  Get the ears first.  Stuff fairly firmly – or else he can start to look kind of lumpy.

Now, you just have to close the hole by hand.  Hand-stitching is definitely not my strong suit, so pardon this photo:

And now you have a cute and simple little friend for your kiddo!

Happy birthday, Emily!! :)
I link up to these great parties!

Filed Under: Sewing Projects, Tutorials

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tootsie Roll says

    10/14/2022 at 5:09 pm

    I love it! so cute. I made it and it turned out really well! Thanks for the tutorial.

    Reply
  2. Becky says

    11/22/2019 at 12:10 am

    OK, I’m a very beginner sewer. How do you sew in circles around the eyes? My stitches were terrible and not in a good circle. Help!

    Reply
  3. Cygny says

    03/27/2018 at 7:24 am

    Cute! I’m not going to make this for a kid, but I have an adult friend who loves owls, I think she might like this! And I should probably make two or my youngest will steal the owl for sure :P

    Also, I’m so glad I’m not the only one who’s bad at hand stitching! This gives me comfort :D

    Reply
    • Riley Baker says

      02/24/2019 at 3:17 pm

      LOL :0

      Reply
  4. advice says

    03/14/2017 at 8:38 am

    Please note: This is a classic match t-shirt(loose fitting).

    Reply
  5. Diana valle says

    02/11/2016 at 10:51 pm

    Owl is real cute.want to make it for my dog Scarlottelotte.I’ll make it in different bright colors.Also, I like owls and put them on the roofs of the birdhouses I decorate along with all kinds of birds.would like to meet individuals who also make birdhouses+decorate them.Also,know how to sew clothes,make patchwork quilts,embroidery,simple dog clothes,etc.anyone interested in same art projects please contact me.

    Reply
  6. Jessi says

    10/31/2012 at 10:32 pm

    So cute! I love the little appliqued eyes and beak :-) Thanks for sharing at The Fun In Functional!

    Reply
  7. Bonny Yokeley says

    10/31/2012 at 5:09 pm

    This is so cute. My sister was a Chi Omega in college and her spouse graduated from Rice University, both have Owls as their mascots, so I am definately making one for them!

    Reply
  8. Jill says

    10/31/2012 at 2:46 pm

    That is too cute! I love it!! Thanks so much for sharing at Thursday's Temptation. I am going to be featuring your stuffie on my blog later today!
    Happy Halloween!
    Jill

    Reply
  9. Polkadot-pretties says

    10/27/2012 at 7:56 pm

    Great project !

    I would love you to come and share it at my Craft, Create & Inspire Linky party

    http://polkadotpretties.com/2012/10/craft-create-inspire-linky-party-2/

    Hope to see you there:)

    Claire@ Polkadot pretties

    Reply
  10. Vanessa says

    10/26/2012 at 2:06 pm

    Soooo cute! Thanks for the template! I'd love for you to link this up at Do Something Crafty Friday: http://seevanessacraft.com/2012/10/do-something-crafty-63/

    Reply
  11. Jean Davis says

    10/26/2012 at 1:47 am

    Very cute!!

    Reply
  12. Amy CookingAdventures says

    10/25/2012 at 6:51 pm

    Awww…it's so cute!

    Reply
  13. Crystelle Boutique says

    10/25/2012 at 6:28 pm

    Your stuffy is so cute…..! I especially love the meowing background I kept hearing as I read your post….. heeheehee!
    thanks for the helpful tutorial as well…
    It is sure to make a lot of children very happy!

    :)
    hugs ~ Crystelle
    http://www.crystelleboutique.com

    Reply
  14. Kadie says

    10/25/2012 at 5:12 pm

    Soooooo cute!! I totally need to make some! They would be perfect for Christmas. I have got to stop adding things to my to do list! Thanks for the Awesome pattern.

    Reply
  15. Kristy says

    10/25/2012 at 1:35 pm

    ADORABLE!!! :)

    Reply
  16. Terry says

    10/25/2012 at 1:34 pm

    I am definitely going to make this and she is going to be my nano buddy. Which of course means that I have less than a week to finish her. I'm announcing it here for some accountability. :) Super cute, and great directions. Wonder if anyone will meow and then hoot for mine?

    Reply
  17. Danni Baird says

    10/25/2012 at 12:08 pm

    That is just darling Adrianne! Stop making me want to sew!!!

    Reply
  18. Pamela says

    10/25/2012 at 11:25 am

    This is adorable! Making some of these this weekend! thanks for the idea!

    Reply
  19. Sarah Carletti says

    10/25/2012 at 10:11 am

    I love this!!!!! I wish I could sew! So darn cute. +1'd it! Sarah

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 45 Amazing Owl Crafts, Recipes, Tutorials and MORE! - A Spectacled Owl says:
    01/03/2014 at 9:20 pm

    […] Owl Stuffie Tutorial // Happy Hour Projects […]

    Reply
  2. Simple Minky Baby Blanket says:
    09/23/2013 at 2:34 pm

    […] s.parentNode.insertBefore(li, s); })(); A couple weeks ago, I posted a cute little Owl Stuffie I made for my niece’s first birthday.  Even after making a second one for Raya, I still had […]

    Reply

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Hello, and welcome! I'm Adrianne, an artist, author, designer, and blogger in mid Michigan. I work from home, chase my two kids, and this once-city-girl is learning how to care for chickens and adjusting to life out in the country. I have a compulsion for daily creativity... sometimes it's jewelry-making, paper crafting, metal stamping, mixing and baking, or giving new life to recycled items. But with 2 young kids, time is short! My goal here at Happy Hour Projects is to share projects and tips that you can do in an hour or less. The ideas you find here are designed to add a little creativity in your day, no matter how much (or how little) time you have!

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