Child's Own understands that childhood is a onetime life stage when children play and explore the world with their unique child's view. As busy parents concerned primarily with making sure that our children are eating enough, keeping safe and meeting milestones, we sometimes miss their precious moments of self discovery. Creating a soft toy from your own child's drawing is a great way to celebrate an important creative stage in their life while providing an opportunity for bonding with your child by showing him how much you appreciate what he does.
Stuffed toys have been made as presents for young children for centuries, using whatever scraps of homespun fabric and yarn were on hand. Little rag dolls and soft toys with simple shapes are very easy and fun to make. To guide you on this activity, here are the materials and steps on how to transform your child's drawing to a custom plush doll:
Materials:
Child's drawing Tracing paper Fabrics (any fabric scraps will do.) Stuffing, such as polyester fiberfill or beads available at fabric and craft stores Buttons, sequins, rhinestones or beads for accessories and detailing Thread and needle Ribbons, tassels or any fabric trimmings Scissors Glue Kid's photo (optional)
1. Have your child make a drawing or select one from your collection. Some children go through drawing phases, where they will constantly draw the same character, such as a mermaid or a dinosaur. These drawings are great for remembering these times. For special occasions such as your child's birthday, you can choose their favorite animal or character.
2. Select and lay out the material for the soft toy. You can use or re-use any material, such as leftover scraps, an old blanket, table cloth, linen, an old favorite piece of clothing, etc. The softer the fabric, the softer the plush toy will feel. Kids are enticed with bright hues so use "pick-me-up" colors such as yellow, red, pink, green, blue, and so on. If you use felt, there is no need to hem edges. The important thing is to keep shapes simple and to find the right materials to help lend character to your creation. 3. Trace your child's drawing onto the tracing paper, or redraw your child's drawing to a larger scale if desired. Put aside your child's drawing, and use the tracing paper drawing as your pattern.
4. Transfer the pattern to the fabric, cut out and sew the pieces together, right sides together. Leave a gap in the seam to flip it inside out and then stuff with fiberfill. The more you stuff the better. After stuffing, sew the gap closed.
5. The stuffed toy is now ready for you to sew on the eyes, mouth, nose and any other details that were drawn by your child. You may use buttons, colorful sequins, rhinestones, beads, etc. You can also embroider the details using thin wool or embroidery floss.
6. If you would like to further personalize the doll, you can add a little photo on the doll. You can paste the photo on a separate fabric and frame it using ribbons or fabric scraps before sewing it on the doll. If you are good at embroidering, you can embroider your child's name on the doll. Another good idea is to embroider a message on the doll. Sew "I love (your kid's name)" on the doll's body and see your kid's face instantly light up!
There you have it, your child's very own custom plush doll! Enjoy the satisfaction of creating a toy that your child will truly appreciate for its sentimental significance. And of course, you might want to make one for yourself!
Some of us may think that stuffed animals are a thing of the past, as they no longer seem to be the "it" toy. You may often decide to not give a stuffed animal for a gift, and instead get something more practical, because after all, what point does a plush toy have? What reason is there to get a stuffed animal?
The answer to that is: plenty. Stuffed animals can be very meaningful, and symbolize important events or people. This is truly a timeless gift, and we all need to be reminded of that! Let's look at why plush toys are important in the lives of three particular age groups: kids, teenagers, and adults.
Kid's Symbols
There is no such thing as too many stuffed animals for children. Kids love collecting plush toys of all kinds, and they could always use more. What could possibly symbolize the innocence of childhood better than a soft and lovable stuffed animal? In our own childhood, we probably spent many a night cuddling up to our favorite plush bunny or bear. Children enjoy the comfort of a stuffed animal, and that comfort is a great nightmare repellant! In fact, those who say that stuffed animals aren't in "it" toy anymore, haven't been paying attention to what's happening in the world of little girls. Stuffed animals are darn right "fashionable" for girls to have. Many girls will get a natural appearing plush cat or plush dog, just so they can carry it around in their little purses as they emulate fashionable women carrying around their small pets. Stuffed animals have certainly not gone out of style!
Teenager's Symbols
Teenagers may not play with toys any more, but stuffed animals aren't just a toy. They are a confidant and a comfort. In fact, many teenage girls have more stuffed animals now than they did when they were young. This is because stuffed animals often symbolize love or a crush. They are keepsakes. For example, a teenage girl will really cherish that little plush dolphin that her boyfriend gave her because he knows that dolphins are her favorite animals. Or maybe her father gives her a stuffed bear as she's on the way out the door for college, so she will never be alone.
But it's not just girls who can cherish stuffed animals. Teenage boys can also enjoy them a lot too. Boys often keep them as a reminder of something they did that was brave or impressive. For example, maybe they love keeping around that stuffed tiger they received after winning a sports game. Or maybe they have a huge stuffed lion they won at a boardwalk after proving their prowess at a darts game or baseball stand. To them, stuffed animals are a symbol of accomplishment and pride.
Adult's Symbols
Lastly, stuffed animals can also be enjoyed by adults, though for different reasons than the kids and teenagers enjoy them. The majority of adults use stuffed animals as a decorative item. They will search for natural, classy appearing plush toy figurines or stuffed animals that can add little touches to their home or vacation home. For example, a dolphin plushie in their vacation home on the ocean, or a tiger to make their home more exotic and fit in with a jungle theme. Hallways and entrances can be embellished with stuffed lions, black bears, or even plush dogs as decoration to give a unique touch. Part of this too, is that stuffed animals for adults are more of a collectible than a toy. Many adults are true collectors, who have large collections to capture that nostalgic feeling from childhood. In fact, it's not uncommon to realize someone you knows has kept an old teddy bear for 20 years because of the meanings it carries.
So as you can see, stuffed animals will never go out of style for any age group. They continue to symbolize and carry meaning of all kinds. Never discount the importance of stuffed animals!
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Both Wendy Tsao & Maury Klein are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Wendy Tsao has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Family and E Books. is a proud mom who dreamt of putting a smile on her child face by transforming his drawing into a doll. Now she is helping other moms experience the same pricele. Wendy Tsao's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.
Maury Klein has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Religion and Malware. Find memory making stuffed tigers, and a great variety of amazing