Sew stuffed fish and other sea creatures for an interesting nursery theme.
One way to make a child's nursery exciting and different is to decorate it with sea creatures. Some of the best decorations for a child's room are also toys, so making sea creature stuffed toys for decoration and play is an inexpensive way to make the theme come to life. After cutting the basic shapes for the sea creatures, sew them, stuff them and add the finishing touches to make them personal and interesting for your child.
Instructions
Beluga Whale
1. Cut out the pieces of your pattern. You should have two shapes for the sides of the body, two shapes for the tail and four side fins.
2. Pin the two main body pieces with right sides together and sew around the the pieces with a 1/4-inch seam. Leave an opening big enough for your hand at the tail end of the body. Turn it inside out and stuff it so that it's firm.
3. Pin the two pieces for the tail together and sew around with a 1/4-inch seam, leaving the narrow end open to attach to the body. Turn it inside out and stuff it lightly, leaving the narrow end empty. Put the open end of the body inside the open end of the tail and stitch around the opening so that it's fastened securely.
4. Pin each set of flippers together and sew around them with a 1/4-inch seam and turn inside out. Leave these without stuffing and turn the open edges in so that the raw edges are hidden. Sew this closed with a 1/4-inch seam. Tack them onto the sides of the body of the beluga.
5. Use a contrasting thread to sew the desired shapes for the eyes of the beluga.
Fish
6. Cut two of your fish-shaped pattern pieces. Pin them with right sides together and sew around the outside with a 1/4-inch seam. Leave an opening big enough for your hand to stuff it. Turn it inside out. Stuff the fish shape so that it's firm and sew the opening closed.
7. Cut four half-circle shape pieces for fins and pin them with right sides together as sets of two. Sew around the shapes with a 1/4-inch seam, but leave enough of an opening to turn it inside out. Turn it inside out. Fold the raw edges inward and sew the opening closed. Tack these on to the sides of the fish.
8. Sew the desired eye shapes with contrasting thread.
Crab
9. Cut two equal-sized ovals for the body of the crab. Pin them with right sides together.
10. Cut six sets of long triangles for crab legs. Pin each set with right sides together and sew along two sides of the triangles. Turn them inside out and sew the opening closed. Pin this into the seam of the crab body so that all the legs are inside the body shape because you will eventually be turning the crab body inside out and the legs will face outward then. Repeat this for the two front claws, but cut the two sets as claw shapes.
11. Sew around the crab body with a 1/4-inch seam, making sure that you incorporate the legs and front claws into the seam. Leave an opening big enough to turn the crab inside out at the back of the body. Turn the crab inside out and stuff it so that it's firm. Sew the open edge closed.
12. Use contrasting thread to sew the desired eye shapes onto the crab.
Tags: 4-inch seam, with 4-inch, with 4-inch seam, right sides, right sides together, sides together
