We’re introducing handmade stuffed toys that anyone can enjoy making with easily found materials.
You can create adorable plushies using everyday items like socks, towels, and handkerchiefs.
Even if you’re not good at sewing, no problem.
There are plenty of no-sew methods using pipe cleaners and pom-poms, as well as ideas you can try without patterns.
Handmade plushies are perfect as one-of-a-kind originals or gifts for someone special.
Be sure to use this as a guide and try making a cute stuffed toy!
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Handmade plushies with everyday items! A collection of beginner-friendly ideas (1–10)
Stuffed toy made from socks
Here’s an idea for making stuffed toys using socks—no patterns needed.
Winter socks with a fluffy texture are great for creating a plush feel and are perfect for making cute characters.
Lately, there are lots of videos showing how to make Pokémon characters out of socks, so why not try copying a design you like? At 100-yen shops you can find many kinds of socks, so the variety of colors and textures will make you want to create your favorite characters or even your own original plush toys!
Stuffed toy made from a lap blanket
Why not try making stuffed animals out of lap blankets? The smaller, thinner lap blankets sold at 100-yen shops might feel a bit unreliable as blankets, but they’re perfect as material for plushies.
Plus, one blanket can make several! How about making a bear or a rabbit using a blanket in your favorite color or pattern? Use beads and other small parts for the eyes and nose.
The amount of stuffing you use will change the expression quite a bit, so adjust it to your liking.
oshi nui (a favorite character’s plushie/doll)
Always together, anywhere you go—how about handmaking a plush of your favorite character that you’ll want to carry with you all the time? The face is the heart of any “oshi” plush, so attach fusible interfacing to the back and use water-soluble embroidery stabilizer to create it.
You’ll want to pay attention to details like eyebrow shape and eye color.
Once the facial embroidery is done, sew on the hair using fleece or similar material.
Be sure to craft it so it looks neat not only from the front but also from the back.
If you make the plush around 10 to 15 centimeters tall, it will be easier to dress it in store-bought outfits made for oshi plushies.
pom-pom plush
We’ll show you how to make stuffed animals that feature yarn pom-poms as the main element.
A pom-pom maker makes it easy to create pom-poms, but even without one you can use a fork, or you can use cardboard or thick paper.
Make two pom-poms in your preferred size, connect them to form the head and body, trim them into shape, then attach the facial features using felt, felt balls, and so on to finish.
For the arms and legs, you can use needle-felted wool, or you can untwist yarn and form it into balls the same way you would with wool.
A bunny plush made from a glove
Here’s an idea for making a stuffed toy using gloves from a 100-yen shop.
Use two of the five fingers as ears, and cut off the others to make the arms and legs.
Stuff the ears, face, and body with filling and sew them closed; then use the cut-off parts to create the legs and hands, sew them onto the body, and add beads or similar for the face to finish.
If you make the ears long, it becomes a rabbit; if you keep them short, you can make a bear.
Why not try it with gloves in your favorite color and texture? You can make one toy from a single glove, so one pair will make two stuffed toys.
A simple stuffed toy made with 100-yen shop materials
Here’s an idea for making plush toys easily using boa fabric scraps or fleece from 100-yen shops.
Prepare your favorite pattern, place it on two pieces of fabric with right sides facing each other, pin it in place, and sew around the pattern directly.
Leave an opening of a few centimeters for turning and stuffing.
Trim the seam allowance to about 1 cm at the opening and about 5 mm elsewhere, turn it right side out, and stuff it with filling.
Sew the opening closed, attach the eyes and nose, and you’re done.
It’s so simple that you’ll want to make lots of different kinds!
A moving plush toy made of fabric and clay
Here’s an idea for making a plush toy using clay and wire as the base and faux fur fabric for the exterior.
It takes time, but you’ll end up with a highly satisfying, one-of-a-kind plush.
Embed doll eyes into lightweight paper clay, then insert parts like the nose and teeth made from resin clay.
After rooting the faux fur and trimming it with clippers or scissors, the face is complete.
For the body, use wire at the core, then wrap fabric and faux fur around it.
It might be fun to create the plush you could never find anywhere else.