Soft Toy Creation for Beginners

Soft Toy Creation for Beginners

“Thank you for being part of this course and I hope you enjoyed the process. Now it is time for you to make your final project. Please share both the end result and the process that took you there. That way I can assess what decisions you took along the way, and it could also serve you as a case study. I am confident you are already an expert by now. However, and just for good measure, here are the essential steps you need to take in order to complete your final project: Engage with your playful side and start coming up with ideas. Use the playful exercises I’ve shared and don’t rush the process, let drawing be a fun activity. Use a felt tip pen or a marker and draw with long lines, try keeping the pen on the paper for as long as you can. Don’t worry about mistakes, they often lead to creative results. Also, don’t fret about your sketches not being perfect, you can always tweak your design later in the process. Trust me, you will get better with time and practice.

Select one of the sketches and start cutting it out of paper. Choose a few colors that mix well. You can use the color theory guides I’ve provided or just go with the combination you like best. Make your character out of paper by breaking it down into smaller parts. Cut different parts out of different colored papers. Once you’ve got all the parts cut, play with the character and see different positions and expressions. You can also add new shapes or change them. This is a very important step because it permits you to see the many different options without much effort. Then, when you’ve actually made it out of fabric and worked on sewing it. You will know you have the best version of your character. Use the paper character as a pattern. Fold the fabric into two so that when you cut you have both a back and a front of the piece. Place each paper part onto the fabric and draw the outline using either chalk or a pencil. Cut each piece from the fabric leaving a 5 mm trim edge. Start sewing, first with the smaller pieces, then the larger ones. You can use your sewing machine or you can sew them by hand. Use pins to secure the two parts of the fabric so that they don’t slide when you’re sewing them. Don’t forget to cut a hole on the back or leave one on the side. Turn each piece inside out. Then iron it to give it a smoother shape. If you want to draw something like, for example, a face, you can do it now or before sewing it. Use fabric markers and follow the instructions written on them. For the ones I was using, I had to iron the drawing for 5 min after drawing so that it does not come with washing. Put everything together. Find creative ways to do this. For example, here I’ve used buttons to mark the spot where I’ve seen the hands and give them the possibility to move. Add more details if you think it is necessary. I’ve added a pocket out of felt. You can use all sorts of materials from tulle to fringes. Sharing your creations with others can be very rewarding. To share it online you should take a few photos of it. Create a simple setup with a colorful background and a few lights. Use colored paper, just larger sheets this time. For the lights, you can use the ones you already have at home. Play with the color temperature, use different bulbs and try with more lights or just one. Take a few photos of your character. You can use any camera you have, it can be your smartphone, a digital compact camera, a DSLR, or even a film camera. Don’t forget to share your character with us, with me and with the other students, at the forum as I did step by step. And if you have any questions, just ask. I’m sure someone will know the answer! Also, help your colleagues and be curious about their creations! ”

Partial transcription of the video

“Final Project Dear students, thank you for coming on this journey with me. I hope you have enjoyed your ride. Now is your turn to make your project and share it. Please, if you get stuck anywhere in the process, feel free to improvise. Remember to share your process and show me each step. First, I want you to take a picture of your drawings and tell me what inspired you. Then, it would be really cool to see your patterns. After this share a bit of your sewing process, and it would be really cool to see how you did your label. After you've created your setup, take a step back and photograph ...”

This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.

Course summary for: Soft Toy Creation for Beginners

• Level: Beginner
• 97% positive reviews (243)
• 4021 students
• 5 units
• 13 lessons (1h 55m)
• 11 downloads

• Category

  Craft

• Areas

  Arts & Crafts, Character Design, Toy Design