How to Make a Stuffed Monkey

Making a Sock Monkey

• 1

  Get a pair of clean socks, around mid-calf length, either brand-new or without any holes in them, and turn each sock inside-out.

• 2

  Put one sock on a flat surface, heel up, and spread it smooth. Pin the top opening of the sock together and draw a line from the top edge of the sock down the middle of the leg portion, stopping an inch short of the heel.

• 3

  Leaving about 1/4 inch of space where you drew the line, sew the end of the sock shut in a rounded arch to make a foot, then continue down one side of the line and stop. Repeat on the other side of the end of the sock. You have just created two legs with rounded feet.

• 4

  Remove the pins and cut carefully between your two seams to separate the legs. You'll end up with a small hole between the monkey's legs, where the crotch would be. Turn the sock right-side out again, through the small hole, using a pencil to gently turn the legs if needed.

• 5

  Stuff the sock with small pieces of stuffing, pushing them into the monkey's legs and then into the sock's toe end, which is the monkey's head. Finish by stuffing the heel, which is the monkey's bottom. Make sure your monkey is completely stuffed and firm, then carefully sew up the hole between the monkey's legs by hand.

• 6

  Sew two arms up the leg part of the second sock, the same way you did the monkey's legs. If the top edge of the sock has a contrasting color, the hands will be that color. Start at the hand and round it off, then continue down the middle; repeat for the second arm, leaving about 1/4 inch between the two seams.

• 7

  Cut out the arms, turn them right-side out and stuff them. Sew them onto the sock monkey's body just below the head.

• 8

  Cut the muzzle from the heel of the second sock. If your heel is a contrasting color, that will be the monkey's mouth; leave some of the base color around the heel as well. Sew the muzzle onto the front of the first sock (the opposite side of the heel, which is the monkey's bottom) by hand, about 3 to 4 inches from the top of the monkey's head. Sew the bottom first, tucking the edge under and using a whip stitch. Then stuff the snout, tuck the top edge under and stitch it across the top.

• 9

  Using black embroidery floss, embroider a mouth across the front of the muzzle, nostrils, eyes and eyebrows, or whichever details you want to include. Or, sew on large buttons for eyes and smaller buttons for nostrils.

• 10

  Sew a tail about an inch wide along the top of the second sock's foot, giving it a tapered tip. Then cut the tail out, turn it right-side out and stuff it. Sew the open end to the monkey's behind, just above the original sock's heel.

• 11

  Cut two semicircles from the sole of the second sock's foot for ears. Sew seams along the edge, leaving a small hole, and then turn them right-side out and stuff. Attach them to the sides of the monkey's head.

• 12

  Add any decoration you want, such as pom-pom buttons down his front, bells on his hands, a hat and clothes.