Last week I posted about Mason's new worry dolls and how much we love them. I included a tutorial on how I made the dolls, and now I'll show you how I made this super-simple pouch to keep them in.
Before I begin the tutorial, I should say that I am so glad we brought these little dolls into our nighttime routine. They have really helped him with letting go of some of his worries. Last night as we finished our story and he cuddled in close I asked him if he wanted to talk to his worry dolls before he fell asleep. His response was, "I don't think I need to tonight...I guess I don't have any worries! If one comes (a worry) I'll just wake up and tell a doll, and go back to sleep."
Sweet dreams, indeed.
Simple draw-string pouch for worry dolls tutorial:
Please note: this is a very simple sewing project, perfect for a beginner!
You will need:
fabric
something for a drawstring (I used a bulky yarn)
the usual sewing supplies
First, find a fun fabric. I had this sparkly star fabric leftover from another project and my eyes went to it immediately.
I laid the piece of fabric down on my table and found a circular object about the size I wanted for the bottom of my bag. This ended up being a little saucer plate. I traced around it and cut it out.
Next, cut out a rectangle from your fabric to match the size of your circle.
To figure out how big to make your rectangle you can either 1) Awkwardly measure around your circle with a tape measure, or 2) Use a little math...your choice. The formula to get the circle's circumference is diameter x pi (3.14). The diameter of my circle was just under 6 1/2 inches, so my circumference was 20 inches. Once you have your circumference, add a little for seam allowance (for example, with a 1/4 inch seam allowance you will need to add 1/2 inch). This number gives you the width of the rectangle you will cut out next. My rectangle was 20.5 inches wide by 7 inches tall. The height is just about your preference...7 inches will get you a pouch similar to this one, but you can make it taller or shorter if you'd like.
Next pin and stitch the short sides together (right sides together) to form a tube, leaving about 1 1/2 inches at the top open.
Iron the seam open, including the 1 1/2 inch open section at the top.
With the tube still wrong-side out, pin the circle to the bottom edge of the tube (not the edge with the opening), right sides together, and sew.
Turn the bag right side out. This is what it should look like:
Next you'll need to iron the hem to create a casing for a drawstring. The way you do this depends a little on the drawstring you use. Just make sure that the opening is large enough to contain your drawstring.
I turned the hem under about 1/4 an inch and ironed, and then turned it under to meet the beginning of the seam and ironed again.
This is what it should look like:
Now sew the seam for the casing.
This is what it should like:
Time to add your drawstring! I tied a knot in the bulky bamboo yarn I was using and attached a safety pin to run it through the casing.
Ta-da! There you have it, a super-simple, quick drawstring pouch to keep your worry dolls safe (or any other treasures that need a home).
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