Happy Little Valentine Fish

Hello Sugar Bee Friends! It’s Nancy from www.dosmallthingswithlove back again this month to share a little felt fun, this time with a Valentine flavor: Happy Little Valentine Fish. I always enjoy working with felt, but I have had some extra fun working up plushies (or little stuffed felt creatures) lately. My kids are all about snuggling and loving on their little stuffed creatures, so why not surprise them for Valentines Day with some home-made lovable stuffed plushies?!?

I decided to make this valentine fish plushie specifically with my kids in mind. You see, my husband and I were both competitive swimmer–back in the day–and that love of the water, whether it’s the bathtub, a pool, the sink or the ocean, has been passed down to all of our kids. We are a family of fish.

Want to make your own Valentine Fish Plushie? Here’s what you’ll need:

Template (found HERE)
Felt: I used wool felt in teal and 2 shades of pink.
Clear tape
Scissors
Embroidery Thread
Polyfil

For the most part these little valentine fish plushies are pretty easy to make. I had stitched mine–and that is how I made the pattern, so they do take about 30 minutes to make, but I feel like the best gifts take a little time (and a lot of love).

Here are the steps for making your own plushie:

Use the clear tape to cut out your pattern. Simple print the template on regular computer paper. They, cut out the pattern shape and tape it directly to the felt you are using. Then cut the felt. This will give you a much better cut than using straight pins.
Stitch on the 2 side fin hearts with a running stitch. Stitch them onto each body piece.
Stitch on the lips and back fins with a split stitch. I stitched mine so the pointed end of the lips was hidden, but the pointed end of the fins were exposed. At this time, also stitch on your eyes.

4. At this point your fish is assembled, you just need to get the two halves together and stuff it. To do that, match up the 2 sides and blanket stitch around the entire outside.

5. Since I added a hanger ribbon to mine, I folded a ribbon in half and pinned it in place along the top of the fish. I stitched the hanger in place with the blanket stitch as I made my way around the fish.

6. Keep blanket stitching, but before you close up the entire first, stuff it full of polyfil, making sure to get stuffing into the tail and lips. Then, complete your blanket stitch.

And, there you have it!