Crafty Mama: DO Try This At Home!

This month, we unveil our “Crafty Mama” column… Ta-dah!!!

Sac Craft Mafia member and brilliant mother of two, Missy Ballance, kindly agreed to give us our first tutorial.

Bunny Pillow Tutorial

By Missy Balance

I started making these little bunnies as pins last spring. I really loved making them and seeing them all together in a bowl—so cute! I was thumbing through a craft book when I saw a pillow with a pocket and a little lamb stuck in it, and I knew I had to make a pillow for my bunnies!

This is so easy to do and it would be just such a sweet spring or Easter gift for the little ones in your life! I hope you have fun!

Get Ready…

For directions on making the pillow, and step-by-step pics, just go to: missyballance.typepad.com/crafty_carnival/2007/01/bunny_pillow_tu.html

Now for the super-fun part… Let’s make BUNNIES! You can create your own pattern or download mine at Crafty Carnival. Just click on somebunny.pdf and print the pattern onto card stock or something stiff, so you can trace around it and cut it out easily!

Get Set…

Take the fabric you are using for your bunnies and place it right sides together. Trace the bunny onto your fabric with pencil. Sew directly on the traced line, and sew ALL THE WAY AROUND! Clip the bunny out allowing only a tiny seam allowance. This can be tricky... if you make the seam allowance too big, your bunny will be lumpy, too small, and you will pop seams open when you are stuffing. About ¼” works well.

Once the bunny is clipped out, carefully cut a slit in his back for turning and stuffing. Make sure you are only cutting through ONE layer. Turn and stuff your bunnies, then hand-sew the slit shut. Really, people will have to look closely to even notice these little bunny “scars.”

Go!

For your bunnies’ faces, just make two french knots for their eyes, and a simple Y pattern for their mouths and noses. If you don't know how to make french knots, you can use tiny buttons or beads, or make a few tiny stitches—that works just as well! I didn't know how to make french knots for the LONGEST time, so I was queen of making a few tiny stitches that looked like a french knot!

To finish them off, tie a cute ribbon around their necks and add a little blush to their cheeks. I use a q-tip and blush from my makeup kit for this... Easy, Easy, Easy!

SO… Did you do it? Did you make one?! I wanna see! Email me or post a pic!

*PLEASE NOTE: You may make these for yourself or your friends, but not for profit. If you would like to sell the things you make from this pattern, please buy the rights to do so (only $10!). You can paypal Missy at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it –then you'll be happy, she’ll be happy… even your bunnies will be happy!

Okay... so that was very fun! Here is a list of other (not for profit!) things you can do with those super-cute bunnies: 
1. Easter basket stuffers 
2. Baby mobile danglers
3. Key chain companion
4. Bunny pins for your jacket or purse 
5. Church dolls (make a handful and a little sack, for the kids to take to church) 
6. A little bunny doll for your teddy bear’s arms... She needs a friend!

Are you hooked? Or maybe you're looking for something more crochet-y and less sew-y? Sac Craft Mafia member Tamie Snow taught us "How To Make a Gabu Creature." Check out this free, super-cute tutorial under our Online Extras in this online issue of Sacramento Parent.