How About a Tutorial? Make a Mini Crackle Taggie

Lucy is at the stage now where she LOVES grabbing everything in sight and bringing it to her mouth. She seems AMAZED every time she gets her hands to do what her brain wants, and getting something in her mouth is like the final reward for her hard work. Even better if the thing in her hands is full of texture and sound! So the other week, I decided it was time to make Lucy a mini crackle taggie.

Many of you have already seen taggie blankets. They're typically soft, sometimes fuzzy on one side, often using minky fabric on the main side... and have several small ribbon loops around the perimeter. Lots of kiddos adopt their taggies as their lovey blankets. My good friend Jess actually maintains a business making such things. (Bubba Doodle Baby Gear)(Jess, are you still making these things?? Ha!)

Lucy got one as a gift from a sweet friend, and it is one of her favorite comfort items... But the one I wanted to make would not be for soft, sweet cuddling... it would make some NOISE, baby. This would be a plaything!!

It stinks that photos can't convey NOISE to you--- so as you're looking at this cute little square of fabric and ribbon, pretend you can hear it crackle like cellophane:

 

And then settle in, because I'm going to give you a little quick tutorial on how to make a few of these yourselves. Because they are RIDICULOUSLY easy. And REALLY satisfying. And you'll end up wondering why you didn't cut out supplies for three or four of them instead of just one. In fact, why don't you just start out making three or four? You'll be glad you did--- they are THAT easy. And VOILA-- extras to give as gifties!

The Mini Crackle Taggie Tutorial

Materials Needed:

* a bit of fun cotton fabric

* a bit of soft fabric (flannel/minky/fleece/velour/ whatever) in coordinating color (or contrasting, if you want to be funky)

* matching thread

* a big piece of crackly plastic (I use the bags that come in cereal boxes, or in this tutorial, a bag from a pre-fab pasta dinner kit)

* scraps of ribbon, as many as you want  (no shorter than 2-3 inches each)

How To:

1.  Step one--- take your fun fabrics and cut a 7" square of each. (This project is GREAT for larger pieces of scrap fabric.)

2. Take your recycled plastic and make sure  any and all foodstuffs are rinsed off and the plastic is dry. Cut a 8 or 9" square out of it.

3. Take your ribbon scraps and cut them into 2-3" lengths.

4. Fold your ribbons in half, right sides out, and pin like this--- the fold facing into the center of your fabric. (Avoid putting ribbons near corners. You'll hate yourself when you're turning your taggie right side-out.)

5. to get the ribbons secured, I stitch them in place using a scant 1/4 - 1/8" seam allowance, just on the one piece of fabric. This is an extra step-- you could skip it and move to the next one--- but I find it easier to work with sewed-on ribbon rather than pinned-on ribbon.

6. Time to make your inside-out sandwich. PAY ATTENTION HERE!:

    a. On the bottom, place your ribboned fabric square, ribbons facing up.

    b. in the middle, place your fun cotton square, right side facing down.

    c. on the top, place your crackle plastic. Pin the whole sandwich together.

 

7. Machine-stitch all around your sandwich with a 1/4" or 1/2" seam allowance, leaving a 2" gap in the middle of one side for turning it right side out later.

8. Trim all around, cutting the excess plastic off. Clip your corners, making sure not to cut the seam.

9. Using a chopstick (well, that's what *I* use! Ha!) carefully turn your whole sandwich right side out, getting your chopstick into the corners to get a defined point.

10. Fold your "entry point" nicely into itself and press so that you can't tell where the gap is. (be careful with irons with these! You don't want to iron the whole thing and melt the plastic!!)

11. Top-stitch around the whole thing as close to the edge as you feel comfortable sewing, making sure to get that gap stitched closed.

And..... Ta-da!!

A cute little crackle taggie toy for the babies in your life that are CRAVING sound and texture all wrapped up in one sweet little toy. 

And now, if you made only one, aren't you wishing you'd made three instead?? Admit it. That was EASY. 

(Reminder: NO irons, and when you wash it, make sure to AIR DRY it, instead of throwing it into a hot dryer. I cannot vouch for the durability of that plastic in hot environments!)

*

All right---happy Tuesday to y'all! I have an almost-4-year old who needs me to get off the computer and give him some face time. I am all too happy to oblige. :)