We have been invited to a birthday party later this month and I wanted to sew something for the birthday boy that he could play with.
Bean bags are the perfect classic toy for kids of almost all ages. They are simple and open ended toys that can be used in so many different ways. They can not only be used for stacking, tossing and catching, this colourful collection can also be used for educational play such as colour recognition, matching, and counting.
Before I had even finished sewing these Parker was trying to run away with them, so I decided to make him his own set while I was at it.
I used heat transfer vinyl (HTV) to make the letters and numbers on my bean bags. You can cut these from HTV and iron on or make fabric appliques.
You could also try using fabrics with different textures, such as minky, satin, cord etc to turn the bean bags into sensory toys.
You will need:
-Fabric
-Filling (Rice, Plastic Pellets, Corn etc)
How to make them:
I used 6″ squares for the large bean bags and 4″ squares for the smaller ones. (You can use smaller or larger squares to suit you)
Cut 2 matching squares for each of bean bags you’d like to make. (I chose a plain colour for one side and character print for the other.)
-If you are applying HTV or applique do that before sewing squares together.
-Place 2 squares right sides together and sew around the edges leaving a gap big enough to turn and fill.
-Snip the corners and turn out, use a chopstick to push out corners
-Top stitch the 3 sides of the bean bag that don’t have the gap on them.
-Fill the bag with filling of your choice and top stitch that side to close the bean bag.
Each bean bag seam is double stitched to provide extra security against breakage. You should check your bean bags regularly for wear and loose stitching. If you have used an organic filling such as rice, be sure to store your bean bags where they won’t get wet.
You can find some great games to play with your bean bags and a free printable booklet which is great to add when giving these as a present by clicking the link.
Another great idea for a handmade present is the Ultimate Bucket Hat. You can find a complete tutorial on how to sew it here.
Happy Sewing
x Gail
