Personalized gifts make a lasting impression, and this vibrant stuffed felt name hanging is the perfect addition to a child's room, ideal for new babies, and kids of all ages! In this craft project, see how to cut out, sew, and stuff individual felt letters and then join them together to create a bright and cheerful personalized wall hanging that's perfect for the bedroom door, on the wall, or over the crib.
This beginner-friendly sewing project is perfect for families, making it easy and fun for kids and adults to create together. Let the child select the felt colors and trace the letters. They can help with the cutting and sewing as appropriate for their age and skills. Finally, everyone can have fun stuffing the letters and choosing a place to hang the completed name!
Tip: Unless you are a speedy sewer or are making a short name, it is best to plan on doing this craft a few letters at a time.
Ready to create a personalized masterpiece? Let’s get started!
Write the letters, about 4" (10 cm) high, onto the felt with the fabric marker or pencil. Make the letters very fat and rounded. You can also print large letters from your computer and use them as templates.
Open a document in a word processor and select a simple fat font like Cooper Black or Berlin Sans FB Demi. Size the font to about 400pt and then check size with the program's ruler. Two or three letters will fit on a sheet of paper printed in landscape orientation. Lay the felt on top of the printed sheet and hold it to a window to trace each letter's outline. Print the whole alphabet to have on hand the next time you make a felt name.
Each letter requires two identical cutouts. Hold or pin two layers of felt together with the traced letter on top. Cut any center holes, like those in a "B" or a "P," first.
Using a doubled strand of thread, overcast stitch the two layers together. Leave a 1" to 2" gap to add the stuffing. Hide the knotted tails inside the letter.
Tip: Before you start stitching a letter, think about the best place to leave the stuffing opening. For example, on a capital 'E', an opening in the middle of the long side works best for stuffing.
With tweezers or chopsticks, gently stuff small amounts of toy filling into the letters to make them puffy, then finish stitching the letter closed.
Tip: With letters with sharp turns, such as "S" or "M," it is easier to stuff a small amount as you stitch around.
When all the letters are finished, decide how the letters should be joined together. Working at the back of the letters, stitch the letters together only where they join.
Tip: The joined letter hanging can be easily attached to the wall with Blu-tak (kneadable adhesive putty). Or, sew wool yarn loops to the first and last letter and hang it that way.
That's it! Your felt name is
complete!
Tip: Print large letters from your word processor and trace the letters onto the felt. This photo shows 400 pt Berlin Sans FB Demi letters.
