Colorful, silly, and full of personality, plush monster softies are a fun and easy sewing project for beginners. In this step-by-step tutorial, learn how to make your own stuffed monster using simple shapes, soft fleece, and a little imagination.

These DIY plushies are perfect for using fabric scraps, and there are no rules; every monster can be different! Whether you’re sewing with kids, making a handmade gift, or trying your first softie sewing pattern, this cheerful project will help you create a cuddly stuffed monster in no time.

Because there is no “Perfect 10” when it comes to monster dolls, these are great beginner (ahem, gateway to sewing habit) projects. Bright fleece colors bring these monsters to life. Mix contrasting fabrics for eyes, horns, and silly teeth.

Kids and grownups can make them for kids or grownups! For small children, substitute drawn or embroidered faces for button eyes. Learn how to make plush toys!

This same process can be used with animal patterns to make plush toys.

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When making a stuffed toy, there are no rules – just have fun! Use fleece fabric that is super easy to sew and comes in great colors.

Plushies are sometimes referred to as softies or stuffed animals. They are a soft toy that is perfect to love. Here are our detailed instructions on how to make a monster plushie with our free pattern.

One (1) Plushie

How to Make a Monster Plushie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Learn how to make your own plushie with these step by step instructions.

Materials

1/2 yard fleece for the monster
Scraps of colored fleece or acrylic felt for monster features
Thread
Polyfill

Tools

Sewing machine
Scissors
Hand sewing needle and thread
Corner turner, recommended
Removable fabric marker; I used a Frixion pen

Instructions

Draw your monster shape

To start, draw an idea on paper or directly on fabric. Here are some initial ideas for monsters.
And, here we just started with a Frixion pen and drew a shape for a monster right on the fabric. You can use your removable fabric marker of choice. NOTE: Always check your fabric markers to make sure they remove from your fabric!

Cut the monster body pieces

Cut out your monster body. Double the fabric when you cut it out so you have two - one for the front and one for the back. Make sure to leave 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch for seam allowance. You don't need to be exact - these are monsters! They are not perfect. This is why this is a perfect project with children.

Add the monster features

Now is where the fun begins! Let's start bringing our monster to life with features! Hmm - a three-eyed monster? Sure!
Use other fleece scraps or acrylic felt for the features so that the plushie is washable. Here is this blue monster all planned out.
Go to your sewing machine and put on your free motion foot. I used a grey thread to topstitch the features to the front of the monster body. The great thing about working with fleece is the thread gets buried in the nap of the fabric - so you really don't see it. Another reason why this is a great beginner project! Show the children how to stitch around the outside and let them sew for themselves!
All of the features are now sewn down.

Assemble your monster

Now it is time to sew the front (with the features) to the back of the monster. Lay the second piece of fleece on top of the finished front. If there is a right and wrong side of the fabric, place right sides together.
You'll want to leave an opening so the plushie can be turned and stuffed. I like to make sure the opening is a fairly straight place on the plushie - it makes it easier to sew closed later.
Here I am starting to sew the front and back of the plushies together. See how I'm starting at the lower section of the side of the monster. I backstitched at the beginning to secure my stitches.
Stitch between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch around. If it is a beginner, it is generally easier to sew closer to the 1/2-inch seam allowance. Remember - these are monsters and should not be perfect! 🙂
Stitch until you get about 3-inches from where you started. Backstitch and cut your threads. This opening is how we'll turn the monster right side out.
Start turning the right side out through the opening.
Here is blue monster partially turned right side out. Sometimes it is hard to get their little feet or arms or horns turned all of the way. Use a corner turner, bodkin, knitting needle, crochet hook or other pointed item to gently poke out the body parts. Be gentle so you don't poke a hole!
Here the feet and horns are all poked out and ready for stuffing!

Stuff your monster

Begin to stuff the small extremities first. Use your corner turner to help get the polyfill into the small places.
Continue filling the plushie with stuffing until full. You don't want it super stuffed, or not very much stuffing - make it so that the plushie is huggable!

Finish your monster

Now it is time to sew the opening closed. See our tutorial on how to whipstitch for more details. Pin the seam allowance to the inside. Take your needle and thread. Knot your thread and begin sewing from the inside, so that your knot is hidden.
Take a small stitch from one side of the fabric, and then from the other side. Again, the fleece is very forgiving, so a perfect project for beginner sewists!
Continue sewing until the opening is closed.
And, the monster plushie is done!

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Beginner Sewing Tips for Plushies

Clip curves before turning
Use longer stitch length on fleece (very important if you need to do any unsewing!)
Don’t overstuff arms and legs.These are intended to be soft and cuddly.
Use a walking foot if your fleece stretches

Real life test: Dog approved

We had a spare afternoon and had fun making several monster plushies – and then my younger sewing partner had fun doing a monster plushie photoshoot – including Lucy (the dog).

And, we got to find out that plushies wash up nicely – while dog sitting Zorro who snatched one up and took immediately to the back yard and rolled it in the dirt – before we could take its picture! To the washer and dryer and like new! Note: Might need to keep the plushies away from the dog(s)!

Janet Darcher makes a plushie to go with baby quilts — Janet Darcher makes Monsters to go with baby quilts she makes!

Here is a very small plushie and the drawing that inspired the creation:

Gallery of an afternoon of sewing plushies:

Lucy and some of the monsters in their special photoshoot!

Can I wash my plushies?

Yes! If you use fleece fabric or other washable fabric for your plushies, they toss in the washer and dryer and come out looking like new! Ask me how I know. One of the dogs took a newly made plushie right out into the muddy yard! A toss into the washer and dryer and it was like new!

What kind of fabric should I use to make plushies?

What makes them a plushie is they are made with soft fabrics, like fleece. You can also make them with minkie fabric, but that is not a beginner fabric – it sheds the fur everywhere!

I wouldn’t use fur fabric. Most fur fabrics are not washable.

Is it hard to make a stuffed monster plushie?

Plushies are a perfect beginner sewing project for all ages! Using fleece makes it super easy, as the fleece has a little give but not too stretchy. You can easily ease seams.

There are no small pieces unless you want them, making this a super easy project for beginner sewists.

Want big stuffies? Just go big! Draw a big pattern to sew. Just make sure you have plenty of poly fill!

Are plushies suitable for young children?

If you are making a plushie for a young child, don’t use buttons for eyes. Sew the fabric or embroider on the features for your plushie. Buttons can be a choking hazard for young children.

You can use safety eyes, but it is easy and fun to embroider by hand or machine.

Plush monsters lucy and purple monster 2

Troubleshooting plushies

Lumpy stuffing: Pull small amounts of the polyfill at a time and insert into your plushie. Little bits at a time make it easier.
Seams puckering: Seams may pucker if you are stretching the fleece as you sew. It may be easier if you have a walking foot for your sewing machine to use it.
Turning small arms: Use a bodkin, chop stitch, or knitting needle to turn out narrow arms on a plushie. Be gentle and go slow so you don’t poke a hole in the arm.
Closing the opening neatly: Use the whip stitch to close the opening. It’s pretty easy, and your stitches ‘hide’ in the loft of the fleece.

RELATED: How to whip stitch

How long does it take to make a stuffed plushie?

It depends on how complex you make your plushie. When I’ve made them with children, we can be from start to finish in about an hour, so this is a perfect project to be productive, make something cute and have pretty instant rewards for your efforts!

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