#1. Bellossom
Technically this was the last free pattern of 2021, but I don't think I mentioned it on this blog so here it is! You can find this free pattern for embroidery machines right here.
#2. Cult of the Lamb
Next is the pattern to make your own lamb plush from the popular game Cult of the Lamb! You don't need an embroidery machine for this one, but it does come with files for the face and bell!
Find it here.
#3. Inkling/Squid Tentacles
Being a big fan of Splatoon, I was excited for the 3rd game! So I thought I'd show y'all how to make the inkling's tentacles so you can make your own plushies!
The pattern and video tutorial is right here.
#4. NiGHTS Chao
I loved playing the Sonic Adventure games and NiGHTS into Dreams, so making this plush was definitely on my to-do list! And now you can make one too! Custom printed fabric isn't necessary, but is also available on Spoonflower!
Get the pattern here!
That's it for the patterns, have you made any of these? Let me know! I love to see all your creations! Other free patterns are also available on my Ko-Fi, as well as a donation goal for the next one.
You can find them all by clicking here: https://ko-fi.com/dollphinwing
Many artists use an embroidery machine to add the all important facial features to their softies. But what if you don't have an embroidery machine?
Here are some alternative ways to craft a beautiful face onto your plushie!
]]>Here are some alternative ways to craft a beautiful face onto your plushie!
Safety Eyes:
Plush by Dollphinwing
One of the more common methods of creating a face is adding safety eyes. These are plastic or glass beads with a flat side that goes against the fabric. Safety eyes can come in solid colors or different designs. You might use a green cat eye for your kitty plush for example.
They usually have a post on the back which goes through a hole in the fabric, and are secured with a washer. Because of this they are quite difficult to remove once in place, so carefully determine the spot they should go.
You often see black plastic safety eyes used, but there are many different colors and even hand painted eyes available.
Applique:
Plushies by Dollphinwing and QTpony
Applique is a very common way of adding details to a plush or doll. It can be done by cutting fabrics into different shapes and sewing them down using a zigzag/satin stitch in order to create a design. This can also be done by hand or by machine, and since you can create a large variety of designs it's a popular way of making eyes and other markings!
Button Eyes:
Plush by Dollphinwing, HoopsandSofties, and Lynn Odea
Another method of attaching eyes is using buttons. Since buttons come in all kinds of sizes, colors and shapes, they can make an excellent and cute addition to a plush! Of course you may not like this idea if your name is Coraline...
Hand Embroidery and Free Motion Embroidery:
Hand embroidery, by Winks + Wildflower, Grace Beauban, and Buttonjarmonsters
Free motion embroidery, by Dollphinwing and Donna M Evans
Just because you may not own an embroidery machine doesn't mean you can't do embroidery at all! You can always put your fabric in a hoop and then embroider details by hand.
You can also attach an embroidery foot onto a regular sewing machine and embroider a design manually by moving the fabric around to fill in color or outline shapes.
Painting and Drawing:
Plush by Dollphinwing
Fancy yourself a painter? Good for soft dolls made with a smooth material, details can be painted right onto the surface! Fabric markers or permanent pens can also be used to draw lines onto the material to create an expressive face.
Sculpting:
Plushies by A Touch of Pixie Magic, Piquipauparro, and Dollphinwing
Grab some clay and create an animal nose, three dimensional eyes, or even horns and claws! Sculpting details and even entire body parts is a method used for many art dolls and you can do the same! Just be sure to attach a loop or other fixture to help you sew the parts on or otherwise leave the back flat and use super glue!
Iron Transfer Paper or Heat Transfer Vinyl:
Plushies by TeacupLion and Dathron and Threads
This is an easy way to attach eyes to your softie. There's a product called iron-transfer paper, which is a paper that you can print an image onto. Once printed, cut the image out and iron it directly to your fabric. You can also use Heat Transfer Paper or Vinyl either in solid colors or printed. This is a great way to add detailed and colorful eyes or other detailing to your plushies!
Here's a video demonstrating the iron-transfer technique
Printing:
Plush by Dollphinwing
Getting your doll's face or tricky details printed directly to your fabric is also an option. Either by using your printer at home to get designs onto the fabric, or using a custom printing service such as Spoonflower. Your only limit is your imagination!
Here's a video demonstrating the at-home printing method
Thread Sculpting:
You may have noticed how the mouth on some of these plushies have a 3D look. This is achieved by a method called thread sculpting. You anchor your thread on one side of your already stuffed plush, and pull the needle through to the other side. Gently tug on the thread to pull the fabric closer together, making sure not to pull so much you create wrinkles.
This technique can not only create a mouth, but also change the general shape of your plush head. Try making the eyes closer together or making a snout stick out more!
Here's a video tutorial on thread sculpting
Other Methods:
Plushies by Speak Geek and Enter, and CreativeBadg3r
The methods mentioned so far aren't the only ways to create a face on your plush or soft doll. There's also needle felting (Doll on the left) and using heat and bond on felt pieces to create an eye without needing to stitch (plush on right)
Mix and Match:
Of course, all of these methods can be mixed together for even more possibilities! Paint on top of applique, mix buttons and hand embroidery together, even safety eyes on applique with hand embroidered details!
Plush by Dollphinwing, D.iscordia, Raynn's Crafting
What did you think of this list? Any techniques you use that I didn't mention here? Let me know down in the comments!
Looking for more tutorials? Check out my list of best videos for plushmaking techniques!
https://dollphinwing.com/blogs/news/plush-making-video-tutorials
*Links to Amazon are affiliate links, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you
]]>
Various Stitches:
Ladder Stitch:
Whip Stitch:
Satin/Zigzag Stitch:
Blanket Stitch:
Adding eyes/faces without an embroidery machine:
Applique:
https://youtu.be/3QyjSwN32sY?t=232
Printing Fabric:
Free Motion Embroidery:
Thread Sculpting Details:
Other Helpful Tutorials:
Patterning Doll Hair:
Easing to Fit:
Pinning Slippery Fabrics:
Turning Pieces Right Side Out:
Using Magnets Inside a Plush:
Of course more will be added to this list as I come across helpful videos and advice! Did this list help you out?
Be sure to check out the best tools to use when making a plushie right here!
https://dollphinwing.com/blogs/news/top-tools-for-making-your-own-plushie
]]>You’ve most likely heard of Etsy. And if you’ve seriously considered selling there, you might have heard a lot about the platform, both good and bad.
Or, maybe you have a shop on Etsy right now, but it just isn’t the right fit for your business. I could be here all day listing the pros and cons of Etsy itself, but instead I’ll just talk about these 10 alternatives to Etsy and let you decide where to set up shop!
*Prefer spreadsheets? Check out this sheet with even more alternatives to Etsy to quickly compare.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: 15%
Monthly fee: Waived
CC processing fee: Unclear whether there’s an extra processing fee, or it’s included in the transaction fee
Perhaps Etsy’s biggest competition in this category, we have Amazon Handmade. It is a marketplace, so you don’t have to worry about generating your own traffic like you would if you had a stand-alone website.
There is usually a monthly fee to sell on Amazon, but it is waived for handmade sellers!
In order to be on this platform, everything you sell must be made by hand.
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: None
Monthly fee: Free or $9.99 - 29.99
CC processing fee: Varies
BigCartel is a platform for you to host your storefront! That means you need to bring your own customers to get sales.
There is a perk, and that is you can have a store with 5 products for free! If your business focuses on only a few items, this is a great option to try since you don’t have any upfront costs. And if you have more than 5 things to list? There are affordable monthly plans available.
There is a payment processing fee for credit cards and PayPal.
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: none
Monthly fee: $0 - 82.50
CC processing fee: Varies
Perhaps better than Big Cartel’s offer, you can have a store with up to 10 products for free!
They also have monthly plans which are a bit cheaper if you pay annually. This is also a website builder, so bring your customers over to have a look!
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: 8.5% plus .30 cents / 3.5% +.30 cents
Monthly fee: $0 - $10
CC processing fee: Included with transaction fee
Gumroad as a platform has a focus on selling digital goods and services but you can also sell your physical products no problem!
You can sell items as a one time sale, a pre-order or even subscriptions.
It’s free to set-up a store, and they’ll take an 8.5%+.30 cent cut of your sales. If you opt for the option to pay $10 a month, that goes down to only 3.5%+.30 cents. The credit card processing fees are included in the transaction fee, and is immediately taken out of the sale. Plus they cover VAT taxes!
There is also a marketplace, Gumroad Discover, where your products can be found by people searching the site. If you make a sale from this marketplace, it’s an extra 10% fee but no worries, you can opt out of being included here.
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: None
Monthly fee: $4.95-19.95
CC processing fee: Varies
Another website builder, but it is affordable and has a focus on handmade and artisan sellers along with a 30-day trial.
The higher you pay per month the more features you can get for your storefront! The Standard plan also lets you sell digital products and connect your custom domain.
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: 2%
Monthly fee: Plans available
CC processing fee: Varies
What better option for those on a budget than a free storefront? As the name implies, Free Webstore is well… free! You can have up to 30 products on your own website completely free aside from the small transaction and payment processing fees. There are also some nifty features such as restock alert and age verification for those who sell more adult content.
Free Webstore makes money on the paid apps you can integrate to your site.
If you have more than 30 products there are paid plans, but you’ll have to reach out to customer service and ask about it.
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: None
Monthly fee: $9-79
CC processing fee: Depends on plan and payment method
Shopify is a platform where you build your own e-commerce store. There is no marketplace, so drive your own traffic! Shopify is one of the most easy to use platforms you can set up on! There’s support from Shopify if you use one of their free templates, and lots of huge brands have their stores here.
Most artists will likely be fine with the basic $29 plan, and most apps you’ll need you can get for free. If you need to sell digital downloads there’s an app for that as well.
If you already have a website or facebook page or something else set-up, you can get Shopify lite shopping cart for $9.
The payment fee is 2.9%+.30 cents if you use Shopify payments on the basic plan, and 2.6%+.30 cents on the $79 plan. Shopify payments isn’t available in every country, and if 3rd party processors are used the rate will vary.
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: Depends on plan
Monthly fee: $18-46
CC processing fee: Varies
Squarespace is another website builder with varying plans. If you need a storefront, you can get the Business plan which is $26 plus a 3% transaction fee. Upgrading to the Commerce plan at $30 a month brings that transaction fee to 0% and there is an annual price discount.
Like Shopify, you can use templates to setup your store and have multiple pages. You get unlimited products and can sell digital downloads!
You can also get point of sale hardware to sell your items at conventions and sync up inventory with your store.
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: 15% through marketplace
Monthly fee: None
CC processing fee: Varies
With Storenvy, you can have your own custom store front and be found in their marketplace. If you drive your own traffic to your store, there are no fees at all except for payment processing fees.
However, if you get a sale through Storenvy’s marketplace, you are charged a 15% commission. This fee is charged even if the customer finds you in the marketplace and then goes over to your custom store to purchase.
Keep in mind Storenvy also charges a handling fee between $0.99 - $4.99 to all customers checking out either through the marketplace or your custom store.
Like some other site builders, Storenvy also uses apps or “plug-ins” to enhance your shop.
Listing fee: None
Transaction fee: None
Monthly fee: Depends
CC processing fee: Varies
If you’re a DIY kind of person, you can set up a Wordpress site with the Woocommerce plug-in to sell your items. Then you can add different apps depending on your needs.
This will take time to build, and will have to be maintained but the cost can be as low as around $5 per month to keep your site running!
You’ll need your own domain name too which is around $10 per year. Overall one of the cheaper and highly customizable options if you’re tech savvy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, what do you think of this list? I hope it was helpful to you even if you just picked up a couple of names to research further!
Are you interested in sewing and selling your creations? Check out my top tools for making your own plushie!
https://dollphinwing.com/blogs/news/top-tools-for-making-your-own-plushie
]]>No worries! Here are the top tools to use whether you're a veteran sewist, or just getting started.
Fabric:
Obviously you'll need fabric. But what kind should you get? That is often the question when people are just starting out. The fabrics used for garments often aren't the best choice for making a cuddly friend.
Generally the type of fabric required depends on the plush you want to make. For example, a traditional teddy will look best in a short pile faux fur or mohair. But these can be quite expensive.
The most popular fabric choice right now is something called Minky. Generally used for baby blankets, it's seen a rise in people using it for all kinds of plush and even dolls! It has a short pile fur so it's snuggly, but also has some stretch making it great for rounded edges.
The second choice and the one I recommend when just starting out is Fleece. There's Anti-pill and Blizzard Fleece options, usually you'll want anti-pill since the plush will likely be cuddled and handled a lot. Fleece has a similar stretch to Minky so if you want to transition to the pricier fabric it'll be much easier to do.
Then there's dolls which you can use Craft Velour or Doesuede for making the body. These fabrics are smoother so it's easy to paint details like a face or tattoos.
You can find Minky/Fleece at these websites or JoAnn stores (the best brand is Shannon!):
https://www.missouriquiltco.com/
https://plushaddict.co.uk/ - UK based!
https://www.minky-europe.com/ - Europe based!
And Velour/Doesuede here:
https://dollmakersjourney.com/fabrics.html
https://www.clothdollsupply.com/
Needle and Thread:
Next you'll need needles and thread! If hand sewing, then the needle you use doesn't matter much as long as you can thread it and it's comfortable for you to use. The needle on your machine however, will depend on material you're using. Minky and fleece are heavier fabrics, so you'll do best with a medium weight needle like a 90/14 size.
For thread there are a lot of brands but I use Coats & Clark for hand and machine sewing. There's also embroidery thread, the most recommended of which is Madeira and Sulky.
Sewing/Embroidery Machine:
If you're just starting out you might not have a sewing machine which is ok! Plenty of folks love hand sewing or simply can't afford a machine.
But if you are in the market for one, consider the Brother brand of sewing and embroidery machines. The machine I see recommended a lot for beginners which I would also recommend, is the Brother SE-400 which is a sewing and embroidery machine combination and one of the most affordable embroidery machines. It only has a 4x4 hoop so if you want something a little bigger, the Brother PE-770 has a 5x7 hoop which so far has fit all my needs and is still under $1,000 in the U.S.!
You can get an even more affordable machine from Brother, just browse online and be sure to read the reviews!
Check out the Brother machines here:
https://www.brother-usa.com/home/sewing-embroidery
For a list of other great beginner machines, check out this article from HappyDIYHome:
https://happydiyhome.
- Stabilizer:
If you're going to use an embroidery machine to make your plushies, you'll also need stabilizer. This is a special kind of paper-like material that keep the fabric from shifting while being embroidered. There's cut-away, tear-away, iron-on, and water soluble stabilizers. Which one you use is up to you and the kind of project you're doing! For plush-making specifically, I recommend cut-away or tear-away. When using minky you'll also place water soluble stabilizer on top of the fabric to keep the fibers down.
The Sulky brand also has great water soluble stabilizer you can find in your local craft store or right here.
My favorite stabilizer to get is this pre-cut tear away, so easy to grab a sheet and start embroidering!
Stuffing:
Of course you can't make much of a plushie without stuffing! There are a couple routes you can go with the stuffing for your plushie.
First is polyester fiber filling. You can find this stuff at most craft stores such as JoAnns and Micheals labeled Polyfill so it's easy to find.
You can also buy it online, convenient!
The other route is the more eco-friendly organic cotton fill which may be harder to find in a store and might have to be ordered online.
Finally and perhaps the most eco-friendly and affordable option is to use old fabric scraps! Yes, once you've made a number of plush the amount of minky and fleece tiny scraps and pieces adds up. You can use these to stuff your plush or use a combination of polyfill and scraps!
Sewing Pattern/s:
You'll also need a sewing pattern before you get started! If you've never made a plushie before I highly recommend using a plush pattern so you learn a lot of techniques and see how pieces fit together to form a plushie! Even experienced makers like using patterns for their convenience and ease of use, creating a pattern from scratch is whole other skill!
You can browse various and versatile plushie patterns right here:
https://dollphinwing.com/collections/sewing-patterns
Other Useful Tools:
You can make a plushie with only the tools outlined above, but these extras make the process easier!
Hemostats: Perfect for things like stuffing hard to reach corners and even turning right side out! The ends have grippy bits to help latch onto things.
Applique Scissors: Good for detail work using applique, you'll wonder how you got along without them!
Walking Foot: For sewing with heavy fabrics like minky. You can get along fine without it, but this makes it easier to sew and move the minky forward on your machine.
^ Psst, these are affiliate links, I earn from qualified purchases.
So was this list helpful? Any tools you would add to make plushmaking easier or more fun? Leave a comment to let me know!
Want to monetize your hobby? Check out the different ways to make some dough from your plush creations!
https://dollphinwing.com/blogs/news/how-to-make-money-as-a-plush-artist
Thanks for reading!
]]>Linked right here: https://ko-fi.com/s/c81b7b20cb
You can input "$0" or throw me a tip if you like! Be sure to add your own seam allowance!
Enjoy~
Here's text instructions:
Basically you need to color block the head, body, and gusset first, then sew the darts together on body and head pieces.
Once the body darts are sewn you can sew the two together, and keep the neck open on top.
The eyes can be appliqued onto the head pieces with a whip stitch. Then line up the gusset with the head starting from the tip of the grey part of the nose and go all the way round.
The tail, arms, legs, ears and ear flops can all be sewn right sides together and leave the top part open to turn and stuff. Applique a white circle to the arms before sewing together. The bottom of the leg can be sewn together or leave it open to sew a foot pad on the bottom to make a more 3D shape if you want.
After all the pieces are sewn and stuffed you can attach them all using a ladder stitch. For finishing touches, thread sculpt a mouth, fingers and toes. Cut a strip of fabric for the collar and fold it over, then attach to the neck.
This pattern is great for doing commissions, making fanart of your favorite characters, or creating your original designs! It is a more advanced pattern, so if you're up for a challenge you can also learn a lot of new things!
It comes with a video tutorial as well so you can reference and see exactly how the pieces go together every step of the way.
I hope you all love it! Be sure to let me know what types of hairstyles and clothing you'd want to see on this doll, I'll be working on peripheral patterns to go with this!
]]>
1. Run your own shop online
Perhaps the most common way to generate income through craft is by running your own online store. There are different platforms you can use to set up listings for free or for low cost such as Etsy, Storenvy or Bigcartel. You can also setup your own website with Wordpress or Squarespace.
Having your own shop gives you independence and you get to keep most of the profits from your work. If you are motivated and self-disciplined, consider selling your plushies online!
2. Sell at Conventions
Similar to running an online shop, setting up a booth at a convention such as comic cons or anime events gives you independence to set your own prices and engage personally with your customers. You will need to be accepted to the events artist alley first though, so be sure to stand out among the competition and be prepared for the upfront cost of traveling, hotel and meal costs plus the price of a table space.
Consider small and local shows you can easily commute to, or share with a friend to cut costs when just starting out. It isn't easy to build up, but selling at events can be a very rewarding experience!
3. Draft and Sell Patterns/Courses
Are you good at creating patterns from scratch? One way to make some passive income is by creating sewing patterns for sale. Once you've tested the pattern several times (you can also ask other sewists to help you test) you'll need to draft a copy of the pattern in an art program and write up some directions and turn it all into a PDF.
Even if you aren't great at drafting patterns, you can try your hand at creating a plush making or sewing course that is available digitally through e-book or video.
If you're good with a computer and don't want to ship items, this can be a way for you to make money!
4. Take Commissions
Like to make plush of unique characters? Do you have good communication skills and can make a plush in a reasonable amount of time? You can take plush commissions! Many people would love to get their original characters and designs made in plush form. Some even ask for game or comic characters who have no official merchandise or just to add to their collection.
Since the work is on commission and completely custom, you can charge a higher rate for your work. If you enjoy working one on one with clients and new challenges, this could be a good option for you!
5. Work as a Prototype Maker
If you don't want your own store or commissions page, you could work through a company as a prototype plush maker. This person creates patterns and plush of licensed or original characters to be put into production runs of several hundred.
You would have an employer and be under contract but sometimes the pressure can be high in this job. But seeing a plush you worked on sitting on store shelves feels amazing! If you like bringing designs to life for other artists or companies and want to see a large run of your pattern, this could be fun for you!
6. Have your Designs Mass Manufactured
Not good at sewing but have a lot of cute designs? Consider having some of those made into hundreds of plushies! Be aware there are a lot of steps and a lot of money involved in the process. You'll also need to make sure there is enough interest in your work to warrant the large scale production of your design. Many people who do this go with a crowdfunding site like Kickstarter to raise funds and also make sure there are enough people who want to buy. The last thing you want is a few hundred plushies you can't sell! However it is a wonderful feeling to get your creations as tangible plush, and to see other people love them just as much as you do!
If you're an artist with a large following and characters that would translate well to plush, consider this option!
That's all the ways you can get a decent income through plushie making for now. I hope this post helped you gain some insight and inspiration!
Want to get started with plush making? Check out my free pattern to make a Scorbunny, great for beginners!
https://dollphinwing.com/blogs/news/scorbunny-plush-sewing-pattern-free
Till next time!
]]>Download the pattern here: https://ko-fi.com/s/69e022500e
Video tutorial:
You may sell what you make, please credit and link back!
Interested in more patterns to make your favorite critters?
Head on over to the sewing pattern section right here!