Home >> Toys >> Childrens Toys

How to Make a Toy for a Toddler

This squeezable, safe and educational toy for a toddler can be sewn fairly quickly using squares of different fabrics. The stuffed toy consists of three different-sized stuffed cubes, with each side of each cube made from a fabric with a different texture or pattern of your choice. The toy is enjoyable for toddlers because it is tactile; the cube is soft and therefore safe for small children; and the different sides can teach toddlers about textures, colors and numbers.

Things You'll Need

6 fabric squares with 8-inch sides, 6 fabric squares with 6-inch sides and 6 fabric squares with 4-inch sides. All the fabrics should differ by texture (velvet, denim, corduroy or felt), color and pattern (chose toddler-oriented patterns such as bold letters, numbers or animals.).
Polyester stuffing
Sewing machine
Thread
Scissors
Sewing needle
Iron
Pins

Instructions

Making the Toy Cubes
- 1
  Place the two larger squares of fabric right-side together and pin along one side.
- 2
  Sew a seam along the pinned edge, leaving a one-half-inch seam allowance. Use short stitches so that the stuffing cannot leak out of the seams when the toy is finished. Press the seam open.
- 3
  Pin a second square of fabric along another edge of one of the first two squares with the right sides together, and sew the seam.
- 4
  Repeat this with the remaining squares of fabric to form an inside-out cube with all the seams showing. When you reach the 12th and final seam, leave a 2- to 3-inch gap open at the end. Press all the seams open.
- 5
  Turn the cube right side out through the gap you left, poking all the corners into place with the eraser-end of a pencil. Fill the cube with stuffing through the gap until it is firm.
- 6
  Fold the raw edges of the gap in the final seam inside the cube and pin it closed. Either hand slip-stitch the gap closed, keeping your stitches short and tight, or machine sew as close to the folded edge as possible, keeping the stuffing out of the way of the needle and feed-dogs.
- 7
  Repeat the same process with the other sized fabric squares to make two smaller cubes. Trim all loose threads.

Childrens Toys