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How to Make a Soft Stuffed Bowling Game

Bowling traditionally consists of heavy resin balls and hard rock maple pins played in large noisy alleys---not in the comfort of your own home. By making a bowling game out of soft plush felt and Styrofoam, you can easily play in your home without worry of breaking anything. This soft, stuffed version of bowling is ideal for kids who might be too young to hold even the lightest of traditional bowling balls. All you need is a flat surface to play on.

Things You'll Need

10 Mason jar lids
10 sheets of 12 by 8-inch white felt
10 4-inch strips of 1-inch-thick red ribbon
1 5-inch Styrofoam ball
2 sheets of 12 by 8-inch gray felt
1 sheet of 12" x 8" black felt
Polyester fiberfill
Straight pins
Hot glue gun

Instructions

Making your Bowling Pins
- 1
  Lay your Mason jar lid on a flat surface, with underside of your lid facing up. Glue a line of hot glue around the edge of your lid.
- 2
  Wrap the edge of your white felt lengthwise around the lid to create a cylinder-like effect with the lid as your base. Cut off any excess material to connect your ends.
- 3
  Sew your felt ends together with a needle and thread, leaving the top un-sewn. Fill your cylinder tightly with fiberfill, leaving approximately 3 inches on top unstuffed. Sheet or cluster-type fiberfill will work well in this step.
- 4
  Tie off with strip of red ribbon. Continue to fill with fiberfill and sew closed. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 until you have made 10 individual bowling pins.
Making your Bowling Ball
- 5
  Wrap a Styrofoam ball with several sheets on fiberfill. The cluster type of fill will not work in this step, as it will cause your ball to look lumpy. It is best to use flat sheets of fiberfill. Attach your fiberfill sheets with hot glue and straight pins.
- 6
  Wrap your black felt around your Styrofoam ball and attach with en even coating of hot glue. Let dry and cut off any excess.
- 7
  Cut three 1-inch circles out of your black felt. Position on your ball to look like finger holes on a regular bowling ball. Hot glue into place.

Kids Games