What is it about woodland critters that is so irresistible? I don’t know, but I’m here for it! This easy DIY felt squirrel plushie can be completed in an afternoon, so it’s a great last minute gift idea! Woodland animals are perfect for a neutral nursery design, and this DIY stuffed squirrel would be right at home tucked on a shelf or in someone’s tiny arms!
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Once my kiddos caught on that I can make stuff from scratch, they wanted me to be making stuff for them all the time! The most recent request was a tiny sleeping bag for E’s tiny stuffies. lol
But I actually really love that they can have an idea and for the most part I’m capable of executing it. They are also too young to demand perfection, so that’s a win for me.
I always wanted to be a crafty mom and my boys seem to appreciate the homemade projects! For now anyway, the appreciation may dissipate once they’re teenagers.
While a felt squirrel plushie was not so specifically requested, new toys are always welcomed with glee in this house!
Here’s how to make one:
DIY Felt Squirrel Plushie
Gather Materials
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cutie pie DIY plushie:
-Two 9″x12″ felt sheets or one 12″x18″ for the body in a squirrel-y colour. I went this felt in a Pumpkin shade.
-One 9″x12″ felt sheets in a light neutral shade for the face. I used this felt in Seaside.
-Matching embroidery floss.
-Black or dark grey small scraps for the eye or alternatively,
-Black or dark grey embroidery floss for the eye.
-Embroidery needle, straight pins & fabric scissors.
-Poly-fill or wool stuffing
(Check out this page for a list of all my favourite tools for working with felt.)
Print Your Pattern
Grab your free plushie pattern here and print it. Make sure you print it at 100% because this pattern is designed to fit a 9″x12″ sheet of felt. Cut out the pattern pieces.
This squirrel is actually an enlarged version from my woodland critters pattern pack, check it out in the shop! There’s a fox, hedgehog and owl along with the squirrel.
Cut Out the Squirrel
Simply pin the paper pattern pieces to your felt and cut around them.
If you are using felt for the eye (instead of embroidery), tape the pattern piece to the felt and cut through the tape and felt simultaneously. You will need to cut out 2 of each pattern piece.
Assemble the Face
Position the face pieces on the body pieces and stitch them in place using a blanket stitch and a single strand of embroidery floss.
Important: Make sure you stitch one side facing left and one side facing right!
I used a split stitch and 2 strands of floss to create a half-circle for the eye. You could also use a backstitch.
If you want to use felt for the eye, I recommend hot-glueing it in place rather than sewing it.
Small, round pieces of felt never look quite right when stitched. I’m not sure why, I’ve tried it a variety of ways. But no matter how small I make my stitches, the eyeballs always look weird! Spare yourself the frustration and just glue them on.
Assemble and Stuff the Body
Pin the front and back of the squirrel together. I used 2 strands of floss to stitch the squirrel together using a blanket stitch. Start about halfway down the inner side of the tail.
You can use poly-fill stuffing (found at your local craft store) or you could stuff the squirrel with all the bits of felt scraps you’ve probably been saving up!
(If you need more ideas for how to use up felt scraps, check out this post.)
Once you’ve stitched around the ear and head and have arrived under the chin, you can begin to stuff as you go.
I stuffed the head, continued stitching to the bottom of the belly and stuffed again. Then I stitched all along the bottom edge, stuffed again, stitched halfway up the tail and stuffed again. I stitched around the rest of the tail leaving a 1.5″ gap to squeeze in a little more stuffing and closed up.
Tip: Use a mechanical pencil or a pair of tweezers to gently push the stuffing into the corners.
Look at those pinch-able cheeks! (on the boy, not the squirrel, lol)
This felt squirrel plushie is well-loved in our home. If you make one too, I’d love to see a picture!
Happy crafting!
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