how to make a pebble pouch baby
These small, soft, felt pebble dolls come with their own carry pouches. Small fingers can open the pouch to create a crib for the baby…
…or pull the pouch strings a little tighter so she can sit up and peep out.
To make a pebble pouch baby you will need:
-some felt (felted woolly jumper or blanket felt is fine)
-a scrap of differently coloured felt
-a scrap of linen
-embroidery thread in different colours
-some string or fine ribbon
-some stuffing
-scissors
-a fine needle and a darning needle
-a pen
-a plate and a coin (to trace around)
To start with the pouch, trace with a pen around a plate or a bowl onto your felt (I am using felted blanket fabric).
Cut around just inside the circle, so there’s no pen on the piece you’ll be using.
Then using string or fine ribbon and your darning needle, sew around the circle about one centimetre from the edge using running stitch. Each stitch should be about a centimetre long. Leave several centimetres of the beginning of the ribbon or string dangling as this will be one of the drawstrings of the pouch.
As you get close to finishing the circle, make sure both dangling ends of the string are on the same side of the circle
Pull the strings to create your pouch. The outside of the pouch will be the side the strings are dangling from.
To determine the size of your doll, look at the size of the base of your pouch when you put it down on a hard surface. I used a template for my doll because she is part of a small set and I want them to match. If your pebble doll is a one-off, you could just cut an oval shape out of felt freehand, lay it on top of some more felt and cut out another to match it.
I traced my template, pinned two pieces of blanket felt together…
…and cut them out together so they would match exactly.
To make the face, cut out a circle of felt in another colour that is slightly bigger than you would like your doll’s face to be. Coins are a good way to gauge the size you would like and are also good for tracing perfect circles.
Then cut a hole in the middle of your circle to create a ring. The hole should be the size you would like your doll’s face to be.
Lay the ring of felt on top of your linen scrap and cut around it so that the linen circle is very slightly smaller than the outside of the felt ring. (Only very slightly though.)
Using tiny stitches, sew around the inside of the ring, stitching through the linen and the coloured felt onto the doll’s body…
…then sew around the outside of the ring too…
…and finally add a face, any way you like. I used black cotton and pink embroidery silk for this one.
Using blanket stitch, work around the doll sewing the two pieces of its body together.
Leave about an inch of the doll’s body open so you can stuff it (aiming for a squishy feel).
Then sew up the last little bit and you’ve finished the face and body of your doll!
You can embroider it a little if you like (I can never help myself, its such a nice peaceful thing to do…)
To add the finishing touches to your pouch, you could just knot the ends of the string or ribbon you used to make the drawstrings…
or you could cut out four little circles of felt, decorate them to match your doll…
…and blanket stitch them onto the knotted ends of the strings, making sure to pass the needle right through the string a couple of times to keep everything secure.
Done!
So now your pouch is ready…
…and your baby can be tucked snugly inside.
[I have linked this tutorial at The Magic Onions)
oh ANNA, this is so gorgeous it hurts.This just pushes all my inner child buttons. Thanks so much for sharing.
Lucy has a fab shirt with an amazing belt sewn to the waist. It has the very same style circle tabs dangling off long threads like your circle felt pieces.
I have kept it for over 5 years to copy the idea for a belt. Must show it some time. of course I’m yet to make it .
This is just STUNNING!
What a delightful idea to give some one
to help them make a “remarkable recovery’. Also an excellent small gift to send with someone embarking on a journey or similar serious experience and
I could tuck a little of my love and support
in with them. You are so generous to share the instructions.
God bless you.
this is just so cute and the pouch looks really easy to make
Thank you lovely, lovely people
How how cute! I know some little hands that will love the ones I will make using your tutorial. Thank you for sharing.
This is such a sweet and simple idea. Beautiful shot there at the end…like the warm afternoon sun is shining on a peaceful little sleeper. Thank you for sharing.
It just so happens I have all of the materials quite handy! thank you for such glorious inspiration… now to find the time… I have finished the cup cakes which only leaves and little winter fellow between me and a pouch
[...] The pouches are made from recycled blanket felt and if you would like to make one yourself you can find a tutorial I made here. [...]
I missed this little precious baby of yours. A friend of mine asked if I had any ideas for her Waldorf Christmas Fair she has to prepare for and the first blog I thought of was yours so I’m linking all these wonderful little projects of yours.. I shall be making this even for my boys. Anna I am 6 weeks pregnant,, it’s hard at 40,, not as easy as the other pregnancies but I’m excited.. and just think I can make all these precious little things again.. for the next. Sending you a big kiss sweet Anna.xxx
Oh Jeanene, this is such wonderful news! I am sending you a message right away – a big kiss for you too xxx