How to make a simple floppy stuffed bunny toy for Easter

I've been asked to partner with Brother Sewing to take part in the Brother Crafts Challenge. I will be completing a series of sewing challenges at home and documenting them on my blog. For my first post I'm sharing an Easter sewing craft - how to make your very own floppy, stuffed Easter bunny! Now I'm quite new to using a sewing machine, and so when I say it's simple it really is! So if you fancy making your very own cuddly Easter bunny, you can find full instructions below.

You need:

Scraps of fabric in different colours and patterns
Matching cotton
Pink felt for the ears
Embroidery threads (pink for around the ears and black for the mouth)
Stuffing
Buttons for the face and any other embellishments you'd like to use
Ribbon
White yarn for the pom pom tail

Instructions:

Begin by gathering your different fabrics and making a rough sketch of how you want your finished bunny to look to help with planning which fabrics to use and for what parts.

Then come up with a simple pattern for your bunny. You will need a head, two ears, a body, two arms and two legs, I chose to use two different fabrics for the tummy. If you are making your own pattern, remember to make the pieces larger than you want them to be to allow for the seams, and to make a tab for the head piece to fit into the body of the bunny.

If you would like to use my pattern you can find it here:

Stuffed Bunny Pattern

Making the Ears:

1 - Cut out four ear pieces using your template

2 - Cut out two felt inner pieces and stitch them into position in the centre of the ears. I chose to hand sew with thick embroidery thread, as I like the look of the stitches. Remember to allow plenty of space around the felt for the seam allowance.

3 - Place each pair of ears with right sides facing in and sew around the edges, leaving a gap for turning.

4 - Turn the ears the right way around and press flat.

Making the Head: 

Cut out two head templates. Sew the buttons into position for the eyes and nose one one side and embroider the mouth and whiskers (mark lightly with a pencil first to guide you). Remember that you have included a seam allowance so don't sew them too close to the edges, I placed my nose button in the centre of my circular head and worked from there.

Then it's time to attach the ears to the head.

1 - Place the back head piece with the right side on top and lay the ears as shown.

2 - Fold the ears over and pin into place (to keep them out the way when you are sewing around it).

3 - Lay the front head piece over the top with the right side facing down.

4 - Sew all the way around the outside of the head, leaving a gap at the neck. Then turn the head the right way around. Reach in through the hole and carefully remove the pins first, then find the ears and pull them out first so that the rest will easily follow.

Stuff the head firmly, using a knitting needle or similar to push the stuffing all the way to the edges. Sew up the bottom about 2cm from the base of the neck to keep all the stuffing in place.

Body

The front body piece of my bunny is made from two pieces of fabric.

1 - Cut out your fabric pieces

2 - For the front that is made from two different fabrics, place them together with right sides facing, sew them together along the top and then press flat.

3 - Add any embellishments that you'd like to use. My daughter chose a heart shaped button. You could also add extra embroidery, perhaps the name of the child that the bunny is intended for, or a Happy Easter message.

Arms and legs

Cut out two arm pieces and two leg pieces. Place each pair together with right sides facing and sew around, leaving the bottom open for turning. Press flat. I chose not to stuff them, but you could add a small amount of stuffing if you wanted to.

Sewing it all together

Now you have all the pieces it's time to sew them together, it's important to do this step carefully so that everything ends up in the right place!

1 - Lay the back body piece down with the right side facing upwards. Position the arms and legs as shown in the picture, or at whatever angle you want them to come out.

2 - Lay the front body piece on top with the right side facing down and pin in to place. Secure the arms and legs in place with the pins as you do so.

3 - Sew all the way around the edge of the body, leaving a gap at the top neck for turning. Turn the body the right way around, grabbing the arms and legs to pull through first to make it easier.

4 - Stuff the body quite firmly.

Then you can attach the head to the body. I pinned the neck piece of the head inside the hole at the top of the body then stitched it round by hand.

Finishing touches

Make a small pom pom for the bunny's tail using white or coloured yarn. When you tie the pom pom together, leave a long length that you can use to sew it to the bunny's behind.

Add a ribbon or scarf around the bunny's neck.

My bunny might be a bit wonky but Mia is thrilled with him, and that's the main thing!

Please note that this bunny is not intended as a toy for young children as it has small parts that could be a choking hazard. Make sure that all parts are sewn together firmly before giving it to a child.

This post was written in collaboration with Brother Sewing.