You can sew such an elephant yourself for your child. As a gift to a loved one or to place it in your home as a vintage, exclusive and very cozy decorative element. To make it you will need very few scrap materials and about two to three hours of free time. You don’t need to have any special knowledge, it’s enough to at least know how to sew a little and effectively use your own imagination. After all, the more you show it, the more interesting the result will be.
So, prepare the tools for the job:
1. Scissors
2. Needle
3. Threads
4. Handle
5. Paper or plastic film to draw the pattern
Find unnecessary scraps of fabric, buttons, lace, various ribbons, braid, beads, beads may come in handy. Not necessarily all of this, just what you have at home.Old clothes are perfect; you don’t mind wasting them for such a creative endeavor. It’s easy to find buttons and all of the above. Choose any fabric color to suit your taste or your interior. A multi-colored elephant with a small flower, checkered pattern or stripes will look most impressive. In general, the choice is yours.
You will also need a piece of white or any other plain fabric for the elephant’s tusks and absolutely any other fabric, preferably contrasting, for the inside of the ears and decorating the toy. For stuffing, use padding polyester if the toy is intended for a baby, or cotton wool or rag scraps, then the elephant will not be so soft, heavier and more stable, which is preferable for use for decorative purposes. If you want to add extra rigidity, use a wire frame for the entire figure or just the legs.
The manufacturing process begins with a pattern. You can use a ready-made one or come up with your own. It is important that the product is not too small. In fact, the smaller the craft, the longer it will take you to tinker with it because of the small details and the scrupulousness of working with them.
Draw the pattern on paper or plastic film and cut it out with scissors.
Transfer each detail to the fabric, and if there is a right and left side, do not forget to turn the pattern over so as not to get mismatched elements.
1. Body (on the pattern it is divided into two parts, you need to combine it) – 2 parts
2. Head with trunk (can be cut separately or together with the body, cutting holes for the ears at the junction) – 2 parts
3. Inner part of the hind leg - 2 parts
4. Inner part of the front leg - 2 parts
5.Belly - 1 piece
6. Foot – 4 parts
7. Tail – 1 piece
8. Ear – 4 parts
When all the elements are drawn on the fabric, you can cut them out. It is advisable to step back a little from the edge of the pattern in order to leave seam allowance.
You sew together the parts - two halves of the body with a head, to which the inner parts of the legs are initially attached, the feet are sewn to the legs, then the belly, one side of which is not sewn up so that there is a hole for stuffing.
Don’t forget about the ears, tail and tusks - they are already placed in finished form with the front side inward in the right places and secured while sewing the entire product.
The elephant's rag skin turns inside out. Now all that remains is to fill it tightly through the hole in the belly and sew it up.
The most interesting part of the work begins - decorating. The buttons make excellent eyes for the elephant. And we could stop there - the child will be happy with this result.
But we go further - we sew an openwork patch on the elephant’s back from the same fabric that is on his ears, decorate it with buttons, decorate the baby elephant’s legs and sides with braid, and add lace. In general, we create beauty from what we have, and whoever knows how. The main thing is a sense of proportion and an aesthetic sense in order to get an elephant like this or an even better one, made with your own hands.
