Boys Will Be Boys: Name Bean Bags Tutorial and a GIVEAWAY! [giveaway is now closed]

Combining play and letters is always a great way for kids to learn! These name bean bags are a fun and easy way to help kids recognize their letters. Make an entire set for the whole alphabet or just a child’s name. It makes a great niece or nephew gift too.

Supplies:

• Three coordinating fabrics
• Chalk or water soluble marker
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Coordinating thread
• Needle
• Scissors
• Fray Check
• Beans, rice, or poly-fil to stuff

1. Cut three squares of your fabric for each bean bag [only two squares are shown… obviously]. The size you cut will depend on how big you want the bean bags to be. Mine were cut about 5in x 5in.

2. On one of the three fabrics, draw out your letters, using either chalk or water soluble marker.

3. Carefully cut the letters out.

4. Put one of the coordinating fabrics behind the letter cut out and pin the fabrics together.

5. Straight stitch very carefully around the letter. Using a thread that doesn’t coordinate will make more of an impact and make the letter stand out a little more [in other words, it’s way more fun]. But if you are worried about your sewing mistakes showing, use a coordinating thread color that will blend in.

6. Put the three fabrics together, right sides together. Zig-zag stitch around all four sides, leaving an opening to turn the fabrics right side out.

7. Cut around all four sides with pinking shears to stop the fabric from fraying.

8. Turn right side out.

9. Stuff with beans, rice, or poly-fil [the poly-fil makes it more of a pillow than a bean bag… but pillows thrown across the room are much less dangerous in a house full of boys]. Hand-stitch closed.

10. If you’re using a fabric that will fray, apply Fray Check to the cut edges of the letters. [Fabrics like knit or fleece will not fray, however, and you wouldn’t need to use it]

*Edit: After many more years of sewing, I’m coming back to this tutorial to add that I should have used a zig-zag stitch when sewing these fabrics together. This would have prevented all the fraying and helped the reverse applique to stay together much better!

Now you have a fun way for your kiddos to learn their letters and recognize their name!

I’m super excited about today’s giveaway. Elizabeth from Sew Chatty is giving away this aDORable elephant softie! [this giveaway is now closed]

Seriously, SO cute. To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is leave a comment telling me who you would get this little lovey. That’s it!

If you want an additional entry, like Sew Chatty on Facebook and leave another comment to let me know. The giveaway will be open until Sunday.

Now don’t forget to head over to Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy to see the awesome tutorial Stacey has today. I know my boys will LOVE this one.

P.S. The Fabric Fairy giveaway closes tonight and the See Kate Sew pattern giveaway is open through tomorrow!