A Taggy Basketball for my Thing #4...

For Christmas I made a set of baby toys for Thing #4 and my nephew! I love how they turned out and Thing #4 is having a blast with them. I'm finally getting around to sharing them with you! I hope they are something you can use!!! They encourage the developing mind and all three serve a different purpose. This one of course touch and feel and also something to chew on!  

 

I made mine out of polar fleece. They are super soft to the touch! But you could make yours out of anything of course.

 

First you need to print the pattern piece.

   

 

Then cut out six ball pieces from soft polar fleece.

 

 

 

Then take different sizes and textures of ribbons and cut them to different lengths. Loop them and pin them to the edges of the right sides of the polar fleece pieces. I put three on each side, in no pattern at all.

 

Go ahead and sew the ribbon pieces on.

 

I started to get lazy and just ended up sewing all the way around the outside edge. It was much faster!

 

Repeat, repeat, repeat until all six are done.

Then take two of these pieces right sides together and sew down one of the sides from point to point.

 



 

Fold the side back that hasn't been sewn on the top piece. Then take a third piece match up the edges and sew it down the side as well.

 

This will attach three together. This is what the inside looks like now.

 

Keep folding the not sewn edge of the top piece back and adding a new piece.

 

If I've lost you completely... This is what it looks like when you've folded the top pieces that haven't been sewn back.

 

Where my finger is is where you will line up the new piece and sew it on. On the last piece you will sew it to both of the sides that are open. Where my finger and my thumb are. Leave a one inch opening in the center of one of the sides.

 

Just enough to slide your finger into like this.

 

Turn your ball inside out through this hole.

 

Fill it with Polyfil until it's nice and full. And hand stitch it closed.

 

You can be finished now! Or for added texture grab the seams and pinch them in between your fingers and sew down the edge pressing them upward.

 

This gives an added dimension to the ball and something for baby to grab at with his little fingers!

I then took black embroidery thread and stitched the lines of a basketball onto the ball for another added detail. And that's it.

 

You're done! You've got yourself a fun and squishy baby toy, that baby will be sure to love!!!

 

Stay tuned for a rattling football and a noise making baseball in the next few days!