These little bean bag chickens are the perfect addition for Easter. They are ideal for decorating your home – it’s impossible to have too many Easter decorations about, especially cute chickens!
These are also great for gifting, along with some chocolate goodies or on their own - either way, they are guaranteed to make people smile!
What you will need:
Needle and thread
Sewing machine (optional)
Scissors
Pins
Small buttons
Rice
Toy stuffing
Orange and red felt
Wool (if doing dangly legs, two pieces 18cm long)
The Craft Cotton Company’s Ombré Trends by Heather Jacks in lime, blue and pink (all together, you will need around 15” x 6” per chicken)
First, make the template:
Make a triangle template for the chickens. I opted to use a triangle 6x6 inches but it can be any size you choose.
It’s easiest to make when all the triangles sides are the same length.
Next, cut out the fabric:
Using the template, pic 4 pieces of fabric and cut out 4 triangles of fabric for each chicken. I chose to use different patterns in the same colours for each chicken, but you could do any colour combinations you like.
Cut out the felt details. In the red felt, you will need to cut out a comb for the head and a wattle (dangly bit under beak!). In the orange felt, cut out the beak. You can also cut out some feet in orange if you are adding these.
Now, start putting the chicken together:
Lay the first triangle flat with the right side up and place on the beak and wattle - make sure to place them facing inwards with their base edge just hanging over the fabric triangle.
Place another triangle right sides together on top and sew down the seam.
Put the comb on the side opposite to the beak, again with it facing inwards, and take another triangle and place on top right sides together and sew down the seam.
Now, sew the first triangle you attached to the last one to form the triangle, place right sides together and sew down the seam. Do not turn out but leave right sides facing together.
Add the base by placing each side of the base triangle right sides together with the three sides of the chicken; make sure you leave a gap to turn the right way around.
If you are adding in feet or dangly leg detail, you need to add them in while attaching the base. Place them so they are facing inwards with their top edge just hanging over the edge of the fabric before sewing along the seam.
Turn chicken out the right way.
Now fill and stuff:
Place in the toy stuffing, leaving a space at the base. Now place some rice into the base to give it a bit of weight.
You can also just fill the whole chicken with rice if you prefer, or leave the rice out completely and just use stuffing.
Slip stitch down the seam to close.
Finally, sew on the detail:
Sew on two buttons for the eyes.
For wing details, sew on a selection of different coloured and sized buttons onto the side of the chickens.
For the dangly legs thread on some different sized buttons (I used yellow) onto the wool with an orange button at the base for the foot.
© by Lesley Foster at Hook, Stitch, Sew for The Craft Cotton Company 2016