How to Sew a Softie Lion Toy

So today is softie day! Ever thought about making a softie handmade gift for someone your soft about?  This project is a great starting point and perfect for kids over 8 years too!

So this cutie is relatively easy…materials you need are:

1. some old woollen clothing…I sourced mine from a local op shop
2. some old buttons…check out op shops for this too
3. fabric for the mane…wool felt is great as it has natural stiffness, leather is optional
4. pins, needles, sewing thread & scissors
5. toy fill for your lion…I use 100% corn fibre from here
6. a copy of the lion softie toy pattern template – try & print this on scrap paper…

First cut out your pattern, pin onto your fabric and cut.  ENSURE you cut TWO PAIRS of ears and TWO lion bodies.

Next is to prepare your roaring lion mane…I suggest either 2 or 3 layers for the mane…but you can go crazy!  I have chosen 2 main felt layers with scrap bits of leather as the third.  Cut PIECE ONE 35cm x 8cm, PIECE TWO 35cm x 6cm and the optional PIECE THREE 35cm x 4cm…or smaller bits if you desire…I am all about using found scraps…wool could be great here too.

Next step: MARK 1cm down from the long side of piece 1 and 2 (0.5cm on piece 3)…please use a marker that is REMOVABLE (like chalk) or else you will see the line on the reverse side.  Then cut strips 1cm apart (0.5cm for piece 3)…pin all pieces together onto one side of your lion piece (as above)…then its time to sew…

For this lion I hand stitched the mane on with running stitch…a great starter stitch for novice sewers…if you are producing a special handmade gift for a small child or baby to play with, I would really recommend you machine stitch mane on…we wouldn’t want any issues now would we?  Then simply place the button eyes where you want them and cut a nose.

Now its time to sew those button eyes on … in case you are unsure on how to sew a button…I did a video tutorial to step you through it…I hope you find it useful.  You also need to sew your lions whiskers on and again…another video tutorial for you.  Its so easy hey 🙂

So now your lion is starting to take shape!  Its time to either get on a sewing machine, or get comfy with some hand stitching.  Take ONE PAIR of EAR pieces, right sides together, sew around top curve only and turn out to the right side…do this for the other ear also.  Next pin the ears onto the head (right side of fabric) of your lion -I suggest using the body piece that doesn’t have the mane on it-…face ears downward and stitch into place.

Put both pieces of your lion together…right sides facing and pin together…you will note I use 2 pins in one spot to mark where I need to leave open…we can’t sew him completely closed yet after all.

Now that your lion is all together…time to turn him out and let him see the world…

What stuffing do you like to use?  Choose your favourite and fill your new creation…ensuring you place plenty of stuffing into the hands and feet.

Pictured above are just 3 stuffing options…
1.           this is the eco corn fibre stuffing I use for all my baby toys…no chemicals in this baby so very safe…also has a firmer/stiffer feel than other types & gives a good weight to your toys
2.           this stuffing is a curly poly stuffing which has a heavier feel…this will give your lion a very weighty, dense feel…
3.           this stuffing is the toy fill you can get at Spotlight etc…it is the lightest of all and the cheapest.  This will give your handmade gift a spongy lightweight feel.

All that is left is to carefully stitch up this lions side and your all done!  A new friend has now joined your family and is ready for play and fun!  What a beautiful handmade gift you can pass on with pride.  Please please please send me any pics of your creations to funbegins@macaroonkids.com as I would love to see what clever variations you will create.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE comments, so please feel free to let me know what you think of the above DIY…