Sewing With Children: A Denim Fish :)

Step 1

During remote schooling, we had a crafts assignment: sew a pouch and decorate it with beads. My boys thought the assignment was too girly, so we had to find a worthy alternative. We sewed a fish! 😃

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Step 3

I got the tutorial idea from pillarboxblue.com and brought the main process photos here—it could not be simpler, you can use any denim scraps, the result is great, and the children are thrilled 🤩

For a contrasting companion to the denim patches, I recommend using any other fabric, felt, or knit fabric—just make sure the background colors match.

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Step 5

Make a fish pattern from paper: simply draw a fish of a suitable size on cardboard or poster board and divide it into the key parts (head, fins, tail, and body).

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Step 7

Cut out a simple stencil in advance to make it easy to create fish scales. Place the stencil on the body and use a sponge to apply fabric paint or a bleach solution—it lightens the desired areas very well.

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Step 9

If you use bleach, do not forget to wash the piece after it has dried.

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Step 11

Sew the pieces together to make two main blanks for creating a complete fish.

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Step 13

With right sides together, sew the blanks by hand or machine-stitch them. If you plan to use rivets instead of eyes, it is best to attach them before sewing.

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Step 15

This gives you a fish that is still empty—leave an 8–10 cm opening in the belly seam to stuff the toy with polyester batting, bamboo fiber, or any other filling.

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Step 17

After stuffing, sew the fish closed completely.

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Step 19

A little carelessness, ruggedness, and creativity are only welcome—you will end up with a unique, bright, funny toy that will amuse more than just little ones 😀

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