Crinkly, Taggie Baby Toy Tutorial--Great for Baby Showers!

I made a cute little crinkly toy for Miss Leah.

Here's how to make one for your special little person!

I started with a piece of orange minky and had my friend Jan embroider Leah's name on it. (I can do the embroidery, but Jan is so good at it!)

Cut the minky into a square that's about 7x7", centering the name, if you're using embroidery. Cut a square the same size out of a coordinating fabric for the back.

I'm using three different ribbons: One is grosgrain, one is satin, and one is jumbo ric-rac. Cut 4 pieces of each that are 4" long. Or, you can use 12 different ribbons....or 2 each of 6 different ribbons..... The choice is up to you! I'd advise you to use what you have though, and think about textures. I like to make these toys with tags that have different "feels" to them.

Starting on any one side, begin stitching about 1/4" from the edge. About 1/3 of the way down, pick up your first ribbon and fold it in half. Put the cut edges even with the cut fabric edge and stitch over it. Stitch a little further and pick up your next ribbon, folding it and tacking it in place the same way. Do the same with your third ribbon and stitch to the end of the fabric.

I don't really try to space the ribbons out perfectly, but they always seem to come out fairly even. If they don't, it's still ok! Babies don't mind at all!

Also, be sure to start stitching at the end of the fabric and go all the way to the other end, don't just stitch where the ribbons are. The extra stitching keeps the minky from stretching out too much. Believe me, you'll appreciate this when we go to the next step!

This is what it should look like after all of your ribbons are sewn down.

Somehow I didn't get a photo of this next step.

Put the backing on top of the top, right sides together. With your ribboned minky on top, sew all the way around the toy, just INSIDE the stitching line for the ribbon, leaving an opening of about 2" on one side.

Turn it all right side out!

What do these have to do with a Crinkly, Taggie, Baby Toy Tutorial you might ask?

Well, from these little bins that were purchased at Harbor Freight, I got

this pile of very crinkly plastic!

(I've also heard of using the plastic wipe packages that most moms seem to have on hand. I also have found crinkly plastic on protein bars, chip packages, packages of pencils, and many other places. Once you start looking for it, you'll find it everywhere! I keep a bag with washed crinkly plastic in my sewing room now!)

Stuff that stuff inside! No, really....wad it up and stuff it in! You'll probably have to squeeze it and shift it around to get it evenly distributed.

Turn under 1/4" at the opening and pin it closed.

Topstitch about 1/8" from the edge, all the way around, catching the opening and closing it up.

Now you're done!

I added a yellow "C" ring to one loop so it can be attached to things like strollers and car seats.

(This is the back.)

Some things to keep in mind: 

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  Depending on what plastic you used, I'd wash it in the machine, then dry on low, or even hang it to dry. 
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  Make several of these to keep on hand for baby showers, or for birthday or Christmas gifts.  
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  If you don't have access to machine embroidery, or just want to make one that's not for any particular baby, then just skip it!  
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  Make one side pieced, like a quilt, out of 4 squares that are about 4x4". Your finished square will be 7.5x7.5", but you can always trim it to "square it up" if you'd like. Make your squares larger or smaller, depending on the fabric, ribbon, and crinkly plastic you have on hand. 
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  For extra texture, make one side of the toy out of a washcloth, flannel, satin, or fleece. 
• 
  
  Use recyclable fabric! Denim from old jeans, sweaters with stains (don't use the stained part!), and sheets with interesting patterns all make great fabric for this project, just to name a few.
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  You don't have to be square! Make a circle. Make a triangle. Make a quadrilateral. Well, I'd have to skip that one, or go back to geometry class.

Just have fun with it! It's certain that the babies will!

 

Miss Leah with her momma, MaryJane

I'm linking here:

Persoanlized Wedding Gift: Monogrammed Candle Holders!

My friend, Deb, got married a few weeks ago. I wanted to make a gift for her and Josh that was personal and classy--something they could use for years to come.

Enter my cousin Julie, who is a consultant for PartyLite. They have some cool, albeit somewhat expensive, candles and accessories. Last year they had a special on their Express It candle holders and I bought several, knowing they'd make great gifts.

The premise behind Express It candle holders is the way they can be personalized. There are two columns of glass and you can put all kinds of things in the spaces between the cylinders.

My idea was to personalize it so that you could use it without anything between the columns if you'd like.


The first thing I did was to frost the inside column so that you could use it without any kind of insert. I used two coats of Valspar Frosting Spray Paint that I found at Hobby Lobby, letting it dry for about 15 minutes between coats. It sprayed on very evenly, which surprised me. I expected the spray to look uneven as if you'd used regular spray paint.

Then I got out my Silhouette SD. The Silhouette is an electronic cutter that you connect to your computer and can be used for various mediums including vinyl (like I used for this project), cardstock, and paper. It's similar to a Cricut if you're familiar with that line of cutters.

I wanted to monogram the candle holder with a "W" for Woodson--their last name. The letter needed to be at least 4 inches high. I selected black vinyl and the font was "Twilight" (from the movie series).

After cutting my "W", I applied it to the OUTSIDE glass cylinder. This will allow them to change out the items between the glasses, or leave it plain, and still have it look elegant.

If you don't have a vinyl cutter, you can find vinyl monograms at places like JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, or even on eBay or Etsy. Don't limit yourself to monograms, however. Stickers in shapes like stars or hearts would be lovely. Think outside the box!

I think the project came out very well! I can see these being used as table centerpieces, on buffet tables, or in a living room setting. Of course, they also make great personalized gifts!

I have a few of them left. Wonder if I should make one for us?