For the month of January, we're going to do a few crafts to help you round out the things in your doll's "living room" -- and what better way to kick it off than with a comfy and easy felt beanbag? It's a great project to practice the backstitch -- a simple, sturdy embroidery stitch that's sometimes also used in high-end sewing.
Start by cutting four ellipses (an oval with pointed ends) out of felt. Mine are about 6 1/2" wide and 12" long. You'll also need a needle and some thick, decorative thread (I'm using heavy perle cotton, which you can find in hanks in the embroidery aisle of almost any craft store.) A beanbag this size will take 3 - 4 lbs of beans to fill.
Lay two of your pieces on top of each other, knot a length of thread, and start stitching them together. Start at one point, and work your way around to the other point. Try to keep your stitches even, and about 1/4"-1/8" from the edge. Oh yes, and small enough that your beans won't escape!
Bring your needle to the right side of the work, then take a stitch backwards and bring the needle up again a little ways from where the thread came out, and pull through. This is a pretty basic, easy-to-do stitch, but if you need a little extra help figuring it out, I demo it in the video below. :D
This is what your stitching should look like, when you're done; nice little lines on the front, with bits of overlapping thread on the back.
Keep adding sections!
To close the beanbag, sew the last two sections together -- but leave a couple inches open at the end. Fill the bag with beans, then finish sewing to close the beanbag permanently.
Tie off your thread, and there you have it -- your very own doll-sized beanbag!
Have fun, and be sure to let us know in the comments if you make this!
For PixieFaire,
Melinda
8 Comments
dorrie
March 06, 2015
I made several of these from football themed fabric and they were a great hit at Superbowl time!
Suzan
March 06, 2015
What a lovely and simple idea. Gotta show my girls this!
Madline
March 06, 2015
I love this my little girl a day off so I will have to make it with her
Geanice
February 21, 2015
I made this for my daughter’s “boy” doll using a soccer patterned fabric alternating with black. She and Sid both loved it. It will go in his bedroom with other soccer décor. Thanks for sharing.
January
January 03, 2015
It’s great to find soomene so on the ball
Lydia Allen
November 18, 2014
Thanks for sharing the bean bag directions
marsha
July 29, 2014
We made ours out of fabric and filled them with rice. Great!
dorrie
March 06, 2015
I made several of these from football themed fabric and they were a great hit at Superbowl time!