Hooo Wants to Make A Stuffy Owl?

How cute are these little guys! If you are looking for ideas to make a handmade gift for someone, these mini stuffed owls could be your answer. Or you could make them as party favours, like I did.

Or make them just because we love owls!

And the best part is-- they are easy-peasy!

You need very little skills to make these little critters.

{Tutorial}

Seriously. If I can make them, then you can too!

If you use an iron-on-adhesive (I used Vilene Bondaweb), your work will be much easier. But you can, of course, do without it. I'll show you both ways to do it.

This is what the Bondaweb looks like:

On one side, it's paper. On the other, it has glue.

1. First download the pattern from here and print it out.

2. Now the fun begins. It's time to get your fabric stash out!

Mix and match fabrics and decide on owl body and wing colours.

3. Cut the owl body shape from the pattern. Fold the piece of fabric that you have chosen for the owl's body in half, place the pattern on one side and trace around the shape with a pencil.

Cut the shape off very carefully, making sure you don't move the fabric. (If you are having trouble with that, it's always a good idea to pin the front & back together first with a few pins.) Now you have the front and back of the owl's body.

4. Now it's time to have some fun with the iron-on-adhesive. You'll need black and white fabric scraps or felts for the eyes. First trace the pattern of the pupils and eyes on the paper side. Then place the paper on the wrong side of the fabric, glue-side facing the fabric. Iron it on-- the glue will melt and the paper will stick to the fabric. Use the pencil trace-line to cut out the shapes. Peel the paper off the back of the pupils. Now the glue on the back of the fabric is exposed. Place the pupil on the eye-- glue side down on the right side of the white circle. Make sure you placed it exactly where you want it. Then Iron it on again. Now you have your eyes!

(If you don't have iron-on-adhesive, simply cut of the shapes of the pupil and eye from the Owl Pattern. Place them on black and white fabrics or felts, respectively, and trace around. Cut the shapes. Sew the pupils to the eyes. And there you have your eyes.)

Do the same thing, with the beaks, on yellow fabric or felt.

5. For the wings, cut the shapes from the pattern. But this time turn it over, and trace the wrong side of the wings on your paper. Mark them so you remember which one is right, and which is left. Now follow the same process and stick the glue side to the wrong side of your fabric. Cut the trace line, and you have your wings.

(If you are not using iron-on adhesive, then place the right side of the wing patterns on the right side of your fabric. Trace around and cut.)

6. Now peel the paper off the back of the eyes, beak and wings. Place them on the owl bodies exactly where you want them, and simply iron on. Ta-da! You have your owl bodies!

(Alternatively, simply sew them on by hand or by machine.)

7. Now this step is optional. I put some tiny ribbon tags on the side of the owls. If you want to then this is how you will place the folded ribbon, on the right side of the owl.

8. Now cover the face side with the back, right side facing each other (inside out). Then pin along the sew line, i.e. about 1/2 cm in. (make sure to pin the ribbon tag) Leave the bottom open. Now sew the owl front and back together by machine, or using back stitch, by hand, leaving the bottom open.