My Poppet : your weekly dose of crafty inspiration: Tutorial no.1

Finally, that tutorial I've been promising to post for ages... How to make a Felt Block Rattle.

Easy to make with materials you probably have lying about the house.

Materials:

6 felt squares 8cmx8cm (4inx4in) (I make my own felt from old woolen blankets or knit wear, but purchased felt is ok as well. It should be fairly thick to help block hold its shape)

Stuffing, poly fill or wool fleece

embroidery thread

for rattle - bell and a small container to put bell inside

sticky tape

step 1 - Making the rattle

It took me a while to find an adequate way to make a nice chiming sound inside the block. If you use the bell on its own, the stuffing will muffle the ring.

I found if you put the bell inside a little plastic container, it will jingle about freely and make a lovely sound.

I have included a couple of examples of appropriate containers, they need to be small enough to fit inside block comfortably:

-Little plastic Easter eggs (from spotlight around Easter time)

-Glove containers, from packs of hair dye

-Film canisters are also good

You may also be able to buy ready made rattle inserts from craft stores, but i am yet to find any!

put bell inside container and seal up securely with sticky tape

Step 2 - Sewing the sides together
Align the edges of 2 squares and using embroidery thread blanket stitch tightly together.
Here is a video showing how to blanket stitch

Remember when stitching the pieces together they need to fold up to the shape of a cube. It may be easier to lay the squares out first to get an idea of how the shape will come together

Stitch together the remaining sides, leaving one side open for stuffing

Step 3 - Stuffing
You will want to stuff the block about half way and then add the rattle.
Make sure the corners are stuffed firmly to help hold the shape of the block. The centre of the block needs to still be a bit squishy. Try not to over stuff as your block will end up looking like a ball. Also you want the rattle to be snuggled in the center of the filling so you can't feel it too much.