DIY Stuffed Animals: Free Stuffed Dog Sewing Pattern

First, download the free sewing pattern and print it out. Make sure the size is set to 100%.

Cut out the paper pieces using your paper scissors.

Choose your fabrics. You’ll need 4 different coordinating fabrics (or just 2 if you want a simpler look).

Trace your pattern onto the fabric.

Using your fabric sharp scissors, cut the pieces according to the pattern:

The body (front and back) – I used different fabrics for each.

Arms, legs, and ears (front and back) –I used different fabrics for each.

A heart for the tummy piece (or other embellishments if you like!) cut with pinking shears.

White felt eye patch

Don’t forget to cut 2 small felt circles for the eyes, a rounded triangle for the nose, and the tail from the black felt.

I love making a test run of how all the pieces go together in case I miss any piece.

To make things easier, I worked first on the face and tummy.

For the face, place every element first in the right place to make sure they look good.

Add the facial details. Stitch first the black circle to the white eye patch.

Then sew the felt eyes and nose onto the front of the body piece using black thread. I used a hand-stitch for the black eye and nose and the sewing machine for the eye patch, but you can use your machine for everything or sew everything by hand.

For the mouth, I used an embroidery stitch.

Thread your needle and knot the end.

Bring the needle up from the back of the fabric to the front at your starting point.

Insert the needle back into the same hole and bring it out a short distance along the mouth line, leaving a small loop on the surface.

Pass the needle through the loop before pulling it tight to form your first chain link.

Repeat this process along the mouth line, creating a series of connected loops.

Finish by securing the last stitch with a small knot on the back of the fabric.

Then add the cute heart to the tummy stitching with your sewing machine or by hand.

Do the same for the tail on the back of the body fabric. I used zig-zag with white thread for this but you can do straight stitch with your sewing machine or by hand.

Take the fabric pieces for the arms and legs, place them right sides together, and sew them around the edges leaving 1/3 seam allowance and the top open.

Turn them right side out using your fingers, a pencil, or a turning tool.

Then stuff lightly with polyfill each piece. I always find ways to reuse things around the house so I used the stuffing from an old through pillow instead of buying polyfill. But this is totally up to you.

The arms and legs should be stuffed more than the ear pieces because we want these to be floppy and fall in front of the dog’s face.

Now it’s time to assemble the body. With the right sides of the fabric facing each other, place the arms, legs, and ears between the front and back body pieces. The raw edges of each ear, leg and arms should align with the raw edge of the body.

I recommend for easiness, pin each part individually to the front fabric slightly far from the sewing line.

Then pin the back and front in place, making sure they don’t get caught when sewing around the body.

Sew around the body, leaving a small gap at the bottom side for turning and stuffing.

Once the body is sewn, remove all the internal pins to avoid pinching yourself. Cut all the remaining threads.

Turn the body right side out through the small opening you left.

Stuff the dog with polyfill until it’s nice and squishy, but not too firm.

After stuffing, sew the gap at the bottom of the body closed using an invisible stitch or hand stitch. I used the invisible (ladder) stitch:

Thread your needle and knot the end. Start by folding the edges of the fabric inward (about ¼ inch) where the opening is. Pin it closed.

Insert the needle into the fold of one side and pull it through, hiding the knot inside the seam.

Insert the needle directly across into the opposite fold, making a small horizontal stitch.

Repeat, alternating sides and pulling the thread gently after each stitch to create a “ladder” effect.

Once done, pull the thread tight to close the gap and hide the stitches.

Knot the thread and tuck it inside the seam to finish.

Give your stuffed dog a little personality! You can use a fabric marker to add more details or sew on extra embellishments like bows, buttons, or a collar.

Your Cute stuffed toy dog is finished.