Sew Your Own DIY Kids’ Unicorn Softie [FREE PATTERN]
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Are you looking for unicorn craft ideas that are easy to make? This step-by-step tutorial shows you how to make a felt unicorn softie. This cute unicorn craft for kids is my contribution to Sew a Softie 2021. It’s the next of my kids’ crafts ideas that I love to do with my kids and their friends. You can use this free unicorn softie pattern to sew with your kid and teach them hand sewing basics. You could also scale it down and make a unicorn keychain if you prefer. While making the unicorn softie, you will learn how to cut felt pieces, appliqué, and hand sew. My daughter has made a softie unicorn herself and totally loves it!
Happy crafting with kids!
I’m excited to be part of Sew a Softie hop this year. The Sew a Softie initiative started back in 2015. It’s organized by Trixi, who wanted to encourage children worldwide to sew and learn how to sew. Sew a Softie tutorial hop lasts the whole of July, whereby creative bloggers share simple to sew softie tutorials. These fun tutorials help kids to learn how to sew. But, of course, anybody, not only kids, is welcome to sew these adorable easy to make softies.
This unicorn toy was inspired by a unicorn drawing of my niece for my daughter. This rainbow unicorn is so lovely.
Unicorn Softie inspiration
General Instructions for Felt Unicorn DIY
This cute unicorn softie is easy to make and an excellent first sewing craft for your kids. It’s stitched entirely by hand, using a running stitch and backstitch. My daughter and her friends preferred to use a marker instead of sewing the backstitch. You can also use glue to attach the unicorn’s eye and inner ear.
Looking for a concise guide on embroidery stitches? Visit the article 9 hand embroidery stitches for felt to learn more about embroidery stitches.
Step-by-step instructions follow to make the felt unicorn. The finished soft toy is approximately 8.5” (22 cm) tall. The unicorn softie is made from felt. You can make a horse softie if you remove the horn. That’s what my daughter decided to do.
This free pattern includes the unicorn softie free template, a material and supply list, complete instructions, and photos.
Two-strand embroidery floss is used to embroider the felt unicorn. Knot thread ends on the wrong side of felt.
Tips for Sewing with Felt
TIP for holding pieces in place for sewing: Felt pieces can be pinned to the body shape to hold them in place until they are stitched.
Another option is to place a tiny dab of instant dry fabric glue on the reverse side of felt shapes and position them on the body. Elmer’s Craft Bond glue is a good glue for felt.
TIP for sewing with felt: Searching for more information about sewing with felt? Visit my post on how to sew felt: tips for sewing with felt.
TIP for cutting felt shapes: If you like to learn some tips on how to cut out felt pieces, you can read my post about 6 techniques for cutting felt shapes.
TIP for tracing on felt: You are welcome to read how to trace on felt post to learn more about transferring the pattern on felt for embroidery.
Materials & Supplies for Felt Unicorn Softie
Unicorn Softie free template - to download the file, subscribe to the FunClothCrafts newsletter. In the newsletter, you find a password to the subscriber's Free Downloads Vault
felt color sheets (you’ll need two to three felt sheets) based on your choice (unicorn body, mane and inner ear), white and black felt scraps for the eye, yellow or another color for the horn (find great felt at Benzie Design or find more buying options in the Types of Felt section of How to Sew Felt blog post)
embroidery floss: matching colors to the darker tone of felt, black, white
fiber fill to fill the softie
small or embroidery scissors (KAI 5 1/2 inch Embroidery Scissors are the ones I use)
pencil or an air erasable pen to copy the template to felt
fabric permanent marker (optional - for mouth and eyelashes)
pins (optional - these are my favorites)
a glue that works on felt (optional - Elmer’s CraftBOND glue works well)
How to Make a Unicorn Softie
Use the free template to cut out all unicorn felt shapes from felt. You can use a pencil to trace the pattern or an air erasable pen.
Hold the black pupil close to the edge of the white eye and sew with a running stitch. I have used two-strand embroidery floss. To do the running stitch, you have to pass the needle in and out of the fabric at a regular distance. When completed, the running stitch will look like a dashed line.
Depending on your kid’s age and patience level, you can also glue the eye. Sewing a button as an eye could look great as well!
Pin the white eye to the unicorn’s body and sew with a running stitch.
Take the inner ear shape and attach it to the unicorn’s body with a running stitch.
With a pencil, draw the mouth. Embroider with a backstitch. The backstitch is made backward from the direction that the embroidered line is going. You can also draw the mouth with a permanent marker if you prefer.
With a pencil, draw the eyelashes. Embroider with the backstitch. You can also draw the eyelashes with a permanent marker or leave your unicorn softie without eyelashes.
Assemble the felt unicorn holding the parts with pins. Start sewing with the running stitch close to the edges, leaving an opening below.
Fill the unicorn with fiber fill. You can help yourself with a pencil. Fill as much fiber fill as you like. I preferred less filling as compared to my daughter.
Your DIY: Felt Unicorn Sofie made with Fun Cloth Crafts free pattern is ready to play with.
1. Unicorn softie cut out felt shapes
2. Sew the black pupil with a running stitch.
3. Attach the eye to unicorn's body with a pin.
4. Sew the eye to unicorn's body with a running stitch.
5. Attach the ear with a running stitch.
6. With a pencil draw the mouth.
7. Embroider the mouth with a backstitch. You can use a permanent marker instead of sewing if you prefer.
8. Embroidery the eyelashes with a backstitch. You can also leave your unicorn without eyelashes.
9. Assemble the felt unicorn holding the parts with pins.
10. Sew with the running stitch leaving an opening below.
11. Fill the unicorn with fiber fill.
12. Close the opening with the running stitch.
Unicorn and Horse Softies made by kids
Unicorn and Horse Softies with their happy owners
Unicorn and Horse Softies made with Fun Cloth Crafts free pattern
To Wrap Up
Thank you for crafting with me! Thank you to Trixi to let me join the Sew a Softie tutorial hop 2021! I would love to see your unicorn softie craft project. So if you like to share it, please send me your pictures. You can also share your creations on Instagram using #sewasoftie.
I welcome any feedback as it is important to make my products better. Don’t hesitate to contact me with your suggestions at anna@funclothcrafts.com.
Be sure to visit more on this website for free embroidery and sewing tips and tricks to help you out as you stitch my patterns. For free felt patterns visit my Freebies page.
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Let’s craft together!
XO, Anna
