DIY Box Buddies

After hours of scrolling through pinterest, I fell in love with these little stuffed animals living in a sweet little sleeping bag inside an altoid can. Now, I know it will be awhile before my little one will be old enough/ big enough to play with such small little toys, but I thought they were just too sweet and that I should create some of my own. They ended up being pretty simple to make, especially during the first trimester of my pregnancy when all I wanted to do was sit on the couch. I just turned on The Mindi Project or Project Runway Allstars and stitched my little heart out creating these boogers and I thought I'd share how I made them!

You'll need:
One jewelry box
Fabric (I used three different prints)
Felt (in two different colors)
a needle & thread
cotton balls (or other stuffing)

I started by cutting out all of my shapes and laying them out in front of me so that I had everything ready. For the sleeping bag I cut out two of each of two different prints that measured the size of my jewelry box as well as two pieces cut to the width of the box but a shorter length for the pillow. For the animals I cut out two ovular shapes (the same size) and six semi circles for the arms, legs, and ears. You can switch up colors for the semi circles as you wish. I made my mouse's ears pink rather than white. You can also add/subtract whatever you'd like to make different animals! For the teddy bear I cut out the same shapes as the animal's but in a smaller size.

To sew the bed: Stitch the pieces together each piece, the mattress, blanket, and pillow, with the wrong sides facing in and stuff with cotton balls. My jewelry box came with a piece of stuffing the same size of the box, I held this inside of my mattress piece while I sewed to become the stuffing. I also stitched the blanket to the bottom of the mattress to hold it in place.

To sew the animal and the bear: On one of the ovular shapes, stitch on a face before assembling the animal. Then hold the two ovular shapes together with the wrong sides facing in. As you reach the spots that you want the arms, legs, and ears, hold the semi circle with the flat side facing in and stitch it in. Before you get all the way around stop and stuff with cotton balls (or other stuffing) and then finish off your seam and tie it closed! Repeat these steps for the teddy bear.

There are lots of different ways to change up this project. You could make almost any kind of animal by switching up the ears, or shapes of the body. You could also use an altoid can rather than a jewelry box if you so choose.

What animals would you make?