Felt is a wonderful material for crafting. It never ravels and can be hand sewn as well as machine sewn. In addition, seams don’t need to be turned to the inside or finished. It is soft and comes in a wide array of bright colors. The acrylic variety is very inexpensive, with 9” by 12” pieces costing around 25 cents each. All of these factors make felt a perfect material for crafting toys for little tots.
To make stroller toys, you will need a way to attach the toys to the stroller. This can be done easily with Velcro strips. Other supplies needed for the final product include fiberfill stuffing, squeakers, bells, and rattles, which can all be purchased from a craft supply house. Ribbon, rickrack, or braid trim can also be added for a nice touch.
Start with a 12-inch by 2-inch strip of felt to use as a foundation. For more stability, this can be doubled, strengthened with iron-on interfacing, or doubled with a layer of fiberfill inside. Make a Velcro strap for each end and sew these to the foundation so that they will fit the stroller, attaching around the bar. If you are making the toy for a stroller that doesn’t have a bar, such as an umbrella stroller, you can place a loop of fabric on the back of the toy. This loop slips over the safety straps so that the toy rests on the child’s lap.
Now create small toys to sew onto the foundation. Simple animal shapes can be made in pairs, sewn together leaving a small opening, and stuffed. Incorporate a small noisemaker into each one. To do this, slip the desired noisemaker into the toy while stuffing it, then sew the opening closed. A rattle can be made from several dried beans inside a pill bottle or film canister. Stiff plastic from junk mail can be wadded loosely and slipped inside to make a crinkle sound. Bells slipped inside will be somewhat deadened by the stuffing. Try gluing the bell inside a pill bottle first for a clearer sound. Squeakers to use in baby toys are available in craft stores.
Suggestions for animals are a duck, a bunny, a kitten, a horse, etc. Draw your own simple shape on paper until you’ve made a pleasing pattern, or copy from other homemade toys you’ve seen. Ears can be made of a single layer of felt inserted between the two layers of the main animal, and tails can, too. Horse manes and tails can be made of yarn. Bright smiling faces are eye catchers for babies, so each toy needs one. Faces can be embroidered on, drawn on with fabric paints, or cut from felt and sewn on securely.
Remember basic safety rules when making toys for babies. All small features should be attached very securely so they don’t become choking hazards. Resist using buttons for eyes and noses because they can be pulled off easily and are very tempting for little ones to put in their mouths. In addition, there should be no loose strings or ties longer than 7 inches.
Along with the individual toys, you can sew a small felt pocket to the foundation. Attach a small toy such as a teething ring to a length of ribbon, which is also sewn firmly to the foundation. The teething ring can be placed in the pocket or pulled out to chew on.
When the individual toys are made, sew them very firmly to the foundation strip. An alternative plan is to sew Velcro strips to both the foundation and the toys so that they can be removed or placed in a different arrangement.
To create a stroller toy that resembles a popular commercial toy, start with two felt circles about 6 inches in diameter. Cut these with pinking shears for extra interest. These will be sewn and stuffed to make a little pillow, but you will want to decorate the front of the pillow before sewing them together. On the front of the pillow, make a bright smiling face, with round felt sewn-on eyes, a round felt nose, and a wide grin made of a piece of ribbon or a strip of felt sewn securely on. When attaching the nose, only sew partially so that it makes a flap that can be raised by the baby. The commercial toy has a mirror under the nose. Perhaps you can sew a piece of sparkly rickrack or other visually stimulating item under the nose, for a peek-a-boo game. Check your fabric scraps. You may have a small picture of an animal that could be sewn here.
Around the sides of the circle, sew six or seven 7-inch lengths of ribbon so that they spread out like sunrays. Look for ribbon woven or printed in black and white patterns. Child development specialists recommend black and white patterns for visual stimulation. At the end of each of the ribbons attach a felt shape, which has been doubled, stuffed, and has a noisemaker inside, as described earlier. Make some of the shapes match to encourage the baby to notice matching shapes and colors. Sew a Velcro strap on the bottom portion of the pillow so it can be attached to the stroller. Sew the two circles together and stuff.
Getting a walk in a stroller is a wonderfully stimulating activity for a baby. Sometimes, however, a baby might get bored, tired, or irritable while riding in a stroller. On those occasions, a homemade felt stroller toy can help the little one stay interested in the ride.
