Elephant toy

Corinne Bradd’s thrifty elephant project is a great way use up remnants of fabric, and create a special friend for your little ones at the same time. Just remember if you are intending to make Nellie for tots, you’ll need to replace the buttons with embroidered eyes and sew the tail on securely to avoid it coming loose during playtime.

Essentials

Fabric: selection of coordinating printed cottons
Embroidery thread
Safety toy stuffing
Scrap paper
Small buttons

Make an elephant

From a selection of coordinating printed cottons, cut 81, 4.2cm squares. Lay out the shapes in an alternating pattern to create a panel eight squares in width and 10 squares long. This should leave you with one spare square, set this to one side.
Stitch the arranged squares together with a 5mm seam allowance and press on reverse with an iron. Using the template cut out two elephant patterns from scrap paper. Now pin them to the patchwork fabric so that the back legs rest along the long edge of the panel. This will give you sufficient excess fabric to pin four paper ear shapes along the other long edge.
Cut out all of the pieces and sew the body together with right sides facing, leaving a gap along the elephant’s back for turning. Clip the curves, turn through and stuff evenly. Fold in the raw edges and oversew the back seam. Pair up the ear pieces and stitch around the edges, leaving a 3cm gap. Turn out and flatten both ears, fold in the raw edges and oversew the pieces to the sides of the head.
Sew layered buttons to either side of the head, just above the trunk to represent eyes, or if making for tots, embroider the eyes instead. To make the tail, fold the leftover printed square of fabric in half and cut a fine fringe into the raw edge. Roll up to make a tassel and hand sew through the roll to secure. Stitch to the back of the elephant with a loop of embroidery thread and then twist the rest of the thread around the loop to make a cord.