Snuggling up with a real snowman would be colder than most kids could stand for too long. But this fleece snowman is so soft that kids will want to hug, cuddle, and snuggle with their new friend.
Unlike most stuffed toys, this one is filled with beans to weight it. The heaviness is comforting when it lays on a child’s lap, back, or chest. Plus, carrying weighted items is a good practice too.
Now, do you want to sew a snowman? Let’s get started!
You will need:
White fleece
Felt scraps in black or charcoal gray, orange, and another color
Embroidery floss
Dried beans
Scissors
Needle
Pins
Sewing machine
Cut out the felt pieces for the face and buttons. You need seven pieces of coal for the eyes and mouth, one carrot nose, and three buttons.
Assemble the snowman body pieces.
Cut out two pieces of fleece following around the edge of the template closely. You will use these for the beanbag insert.
Cut another two pieces of fleece following about 1/2″ outside the edge of the template. You will use these for the outside of the snowman.
Stitch the face to one of the larger, outside fleece pieces. Use two strands of matching embroidery floss and stitch around the pieces with tiny stitches.
Pin the front and back of the outside pieces, right sides together. Sew around the shape, leaving about 4 inches open at the bottom. Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end.
Snip the seam allowance at the indents. Be careful not to cut the sewing!
Turn the snowman right side out and open the seams by running your finger along them on the inside of thew sewn snowman.
Follow the same steps above to sew the insert. Add dried beans. For mine, I added about one pound of beans.
Sew the opening closed with your sewing machine. The sewing doesn’t need to be perfect, as it ends up inside the outer shell, but it should be secure.
Slide the bean-filled insert into the snowman. Check that it lays flat inside.
Stitch the opening closed by hand. This will give the snowman a nicer finish.
Place the felt buttons on the front of the snowman and stitch them in place with Xs. Stitch through all of the layers. This holds the insert in place so it doesn’t slide around inside.
Your snowman is now ready for a snuggle!
Unlike a regular stuffed toy, this snowman has some weight to it. You can shape and squeeze it, but it has a very different feeling than if it were fluffy.
Because this has dried beans inside, it should only be spot cleaned. For a washable option, fill the snowman with plastic pellets.
With either of these, keep an eye on the toy so that it doesn’t end up spilling any of the filling, which could pose a choking risk.
Happy crafting!
guest
Loving this! Will definitely add this to the list to try – but might try the stuffing with cotton balls or bean bag beads.