Rainy Day? Fun-To-Make Ideas
This is a partnered post.
Rainy days are a wonderful opportunity to delve deep into your creative ideas for things to make and do with the kids. Sometimes all you need is something to spark your child’s imagination, and you can enjoy a full day of craft activities! When you’re developing your list of fun projects to take on, think carefully about some of the things your child loves the most. Stuffed animals are always a firm favorite, so how far can you take a theme like that?
Make A Furry Friend
This is something that can be achieved in so many different ways. The first is the simple pom-pom made of wool. Cut out two car discs with holes in the middle. Wind your favorite colors of yarn or wool around. You might like the idea of layering two or three different colors. This will also make a much bigger and thicker pom-pom.
Start to cut the outer edge of the wool. You will have to secure the inner circle with a tightly wound piece of yarn to stop it from falling apart. Finally, stick on some googly eyes – a perfect little buddy!
Alternatively, find a couple of pieces of faux fur fabric. Stuffed animal supplies are often available in your craft store. Cut out a round shape for an easy soft toy. You might use a pattern and several pieces to create a favorite animal shape instead. Start to sew the two halves together with your sewing machine. You’ll find that basic sewing machines for beginners can handle this sort of project easily. Add some extra stuffing as you go, until you have sewn up your animal.
An alternative method suggests sewing it inside out, then folding it back in as you add the insides. This is similar to how they are made in store. Add some eyes and a felt mouth with a glue gun.
Making Fashion Items For Your Stuffed Animals
Another fun activity with your sewing machine is to create fashion items for your favorite stuffed toy or animal. You can do this for action figures too. Choose a sports kit theme, or have a go at creating a prep school uniform! There is no end to ideas for this. You can select an existing pattern, or let the kids’ imaginations run wild with design ideas and styles.
Once you’ve cut out the patterns and sewn hems, you can change the sewing machine settings to create emblems or badges too. Ask the children to draw out their ideas. As this might be quite finely detailed, you might have to get on the machine for this bit. Why not try some hand stitching too? Making clothes for your toys is a fun project for the afternoon.
Of course, you could take it a step further. Purchase some plain tees and design your own decorations. You can then use crafting materials, sew on sequins, or simply experiment with stitching to create some unique fashions. Jazz up an old handbag for your children to use. Why not decorate a toy? With so many rainy day fun-to-make ideas, which will you choose first?