Looking for something fun to make at home? Each week we are collecting and curating resources around a topic and this week is sewing by hand. We are focusing on making with what you have around the house. Here’s some inspiration to get you started!
Do you have mismatched socks lying around? Don’t throw them out! Sew them into a stuffed creature of your very own. Stuffed animals can provide a source of comfort in times of stress, reducing loneliness and anxiety. In fact, cuddling anything soft and comforting releases hormones that calm and soothe us—no wonder over 40% of adults sleep with a stuffed animal! Read more about the benefits of cuddling stuffed animals here and here.
Follow along with us as we hand sew a stuffed creature and talk about designing and sewing three dimensional objects:
To make your own stuffed creature, you will need:
- Planning supplies: paper, pencil, markers, crayons
- Base material: fabric, particularly old socks or other worn out clothing
- Tools: scissors, needle and thread (you can also use hot glue)
- Stuffing: fiber fill, paper, fabric
- Decorations: buttons, beads, googly eyes, fabric, yarn, ribbon, markers, paint, pom poms
Looking for additional inspiration? Check out these ideas:
- Creating simple patterns for plushies!
- Get Sock Puppet inspiration from handmade charlotte or check out the Bubbler’s Sock Monster resources in their Maker Kit database
- Interested in sewing your own clothes? Check out Mood’s online school of sewing.
- Want to sew something else? The Fabric Patch has designs and resources to sew your own coronavirus face mask.
We want to see your projects! After the livestream, we encourage you to post your mask on Twitter or Instagram. Tag us @MakerEdOrg with #MakerEdAtHome and #SockCreatures or #StuffedAnimals
Learning in the Making: LIVE! is an online video series designed to support educators and families with accessible hands-on learning experiences. This work is part of our focus on supporting remote learning in various environments. (To learn more, read this blog post about our work during shelter-in-place measures in 2020.)
Each week, we are hosting a live making activity on our YouTube channel and sharing related resources on our blog.
We are so excited to support hands-on learning as educators, caregivers, and young learners shift to distance learning, and we need your support! Donate today so we can keep going.
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