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Homemade Baby Toys:
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The materials needed to make these baby toys can be found in most any craft store. Look for sheets of felt in different colors. They are usually in sheets measuring 8 1/2" by 11". They are really inexpensive at about 30 cents or so per sheet. Felt is really easy to work with too. Look for some loose bells or rattles to place in the middle of the homemade baby rattles.
Materials needed to make a baby rattle:
- Different colored felt
- rattle or bells
- thread and needle
- (optional) embroidery floss
First thing to do is to print out one of our homemade baby toys baby rattle patterns.
You can even just get creative and draw out a few shapes on paper and make your own pattern. I like the idea of a fish baby rattle, or a little teddy bear.
For this tutorial I chose to make the sun pattern, but they are all made pretty much the same way.
Cut out the shapes using our printable patterns. I used three different colored felts to make my sun baby rattle toy. I made the shapes for the sun's "beams" out of two darker golden colors, and a light yellow for the sun's "face".
Start by sewing on the bells or rattle. For a really safe homemade baby toy I sew them on so that in the event that your baby somehow got this toy open, the bells would not be swallowed. You can also just plain drop them into the middle of the baby toy when it is almost sewn shut.
Place both "sun beam" pieces together so that the bells are in the middle. I like to place them slightly askew so that the beams do not match up, but are opposite each other.
Here is an optional step; adding a face to the homemade baby toys. I created the face on my sun by first using a black marker to draw a light little face onto the felt. I then went back with some embroidery floss and sewed on a little face by tracing the lines I drew. Another even easier option would be to use some fabric paint and simply paint a little face onto the felt.
Place the circular pieces (face) on both the front and back of the sun. You may want to pin them in place. Now simply start sewing on the outside edge of the circular "face" shape. I made my stitches about 1/8" in from the edge. Sew all the way around leaving about an inch open.
Use some cotton of poly filling to stuff the insides of the toy. I inserted filling to both sides of the toy. Stitch the opening shut and you've got yourself nice, simple homemade toys to use as a rattle, or even a hanging baby crib toy or baby car seat toy.
More tips for these homemade baby toys...
* Turn these toys into a hanging toy by sewing on a little strip of felt and placing a bit of velcro on the ends. You can secure it in place hanging from the side of a crib or car seat. You can even turn the strap into a wrist strap and place it around baby's wrist.
* You can make any shape of rattle that you might like. I have provided the baby toy patterns above but don't be shy to try and experiment with drawing your own shapes. Birds, bears, fish, are just a few that come to mind.
* A great idea I like is to insert crinkle plastic instead of bells and rattles. You can even do both! Place crinkle plastic in the flowers petals, or double up on the sun beams and sew it in between. Place a rattle or bell into the middle of the toy. You'll have an colorful and interesting felt baby toy.
* You can make these into great hanging infant toys by making them in black and white felt and maybe even adding a few red accents here and there.
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