So, I decided to try making some Peter Rabbit plush toys recently. It wasn’t for any big reason, just thought it’d be a nice little project, maybe make a gift for my niece. You know, something handmade.
Getting the Stuff Together
First thing, I needed materials. Went down to the local craft shop. Spent a while looking at felt. Found a decent brown for Peter himself. Then some blue felt for his little jacket – that’s pretty important, right? Grabbed some white for his tail and whiskers, maybe. And of course, stuffing. Lots of stuffing. Oh, and thread – black, white, brown, blue. Needles too. Got a pack of different sizes.
- Brown felt
- Blue felt
- White felt
- Stuffing
- Needles
- Thread (various colors)
Figuring Out the Shape
Next step was the pattern. I looked online a bit, but didn’t find one I loved. Some looked too complicated, others just didn’t look like Peter. So, I thought, how hard can it be? I got some paper and tried sketching my own. Watched some old cartoons, looked at book pictures. My first few tries were pretty bad, honestly. Crumpled up a few sheets. Eventually, I got a simple shape I thought could work. Head, body, arms, legs, ears. Kept it basic.
Cutting and Sewing – The Real Work
Okay, time to cut the felt. Laid out my paper patterns on the felt and carefully cut around them. The little pieces were fiddly, especially the ears and arms. Had to be slow and steady. Cutting took longer than I thought.
Then, the sewing. I decided to hand-sew everything. Felt more traditional, I guess. Started putting the body parts together. Sewed the two head pieces, then attached the ears. Then the body halves. Connected the arms and legs. It was slow work. Definitely poked my finger with the needle more than once. Ouch. But kept going.
Made his little blue jacket separately. Cut out the shape, stitched the sides. Didn’t bother with buttons, just stitched it so it looked like a jacket he could wear. Simple.
Bringing Peter to Life (Sort Of)
Once the main body was mostly sewn, leaving a small gap, I started stuffing him. Pushed the stuffing in bit by bit. Tried to make sure it wasn’t too lumpy or too hard. Got him nice and plump. Then carefully stitched the opening closed. Had to make the stitches neat there.
Attached the little blue jacket. Just a few stitches to keep it in place. Looked better with it on.
For the face, I used black thread. Stitched on two simple eyes and a little cross for his nose. Used some white thread for whiskers, just a few strands on each side. Sewed on the white felt circle for his tail. That was the final touch.
Finished Product and Thoughts
So, there he was. My handmade Peter Rabbit. He didn’t look perfect, maybe a bit wonky. One ear was slightly higher than the other. The stitching wasn’t machine-perfect. But he had character, I suppose. Looked homemade, which was the point.
I thought about making Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail too, like in the stories. They’re the good little bunnies, right? But honestly, after making just Peter, I was kinda tired. It took more effort than I expected. Making even one simple-looking toy takes time.
Gave it to my niece for her birthday. She grabbed it right away and gave it a hug. Didn’t seem to notice the wonky ear. That felt good. Made the finger pokes and tricky sewing feel worthwhile. It’s just a simple toy, but it was a fun little challenge to actually make it myself, starting from just bits of felt and thread.
