An old sock that has lost its partner can have a new lease of life as a bunny with this fun and easy tutorial. Watch as the cutest bunny emerges from a mundane sock, all thanks to your creativity.
Steps
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Find a suitable unwanted sock. It should be of a size that's easy to work with, so a larger sock is likely to be easier.
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Stuff the sock with cotton balls. Alternatively, use any other stuffing material that will keep its shape.
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Sew the sock closed, but only do this near the heel, as shown. Leave the rest of the open part that goes around your ankle unstitched for now, for this part will form the bunny's ears at the end of the tutorial.
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Make the head. Sew around the bottom part of the sock. Don't stick the needle through the sock though, just sew around it, to create a gathered part (or "neck").
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Make the bunny's arms. Position the bunny so that you're holding it head up. Press the sides of the sock where the arms will be placed to make sure that there are no cotton balls in the way and simply push any cotton found to be in the way to the side. As well, make sure that there is still cotton on the other side of this area so that the arms aren't flat. Sew an upward, slightly curved line in the the space where you have cleared thecotton. Repeat on the other side to complete both "arms". Follow the image for guidance, and if you can't sew without marking the position, then mark the arms first.
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Make the legs. With the head still at the top looking at you, go to what was once the toe of the sock, the non-open end. Center your needle to sew through this part up to the height of about where the bunny's arms end; keep centered as you stitch. Fluff up the cotton balls as needed to help shape the legs. Once completed, this single line should create the bunny's legs.
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Add the bunny's whiskers. Cut small pieces of thin ribbon, twine or yarn long enough for whiskers. Go to the head of the bunny and locate where you'd like to position the nose. Use this line to stitch the whiskers into place - one whisker positioned across the base level of the nose, the other across the top level of the nose. It's recommended that you sew the whiskers on at intervals, for stability. You may even like to weave the thread under the sock threads, if the sock threads are amenable. Each of these stages can be seen in the image.
- At this step, once the whiskers are stitched on, stitch a small round nose. Or, stitch on a small button to create the nose if preferred.
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Create the ears. On the part of the sock that normally goes around your ankle, (on top of the bunny's head) cut this in half. Cut straight up to allow the pieces to flop down. You can either leave the ears unstitched if they look okay, or you can decide to stitch them into a firmer ear shape if liked. If they need stiffening, cut small leaf shapes from thin cardboard and insert inside each ear and stitch around.
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Complete the face. You're at liberty to finish the face as wished but the image shows one possible approach of a simple stitched circle to give the effect of the rabbit's snout end, a simple stitched smile and two googly eyes stuck into place. You could also use buttons for eyes and nose and use different colors of thread for any features.
Tips
- Don't stick the needle all the way through when finishing the face!
Warnings
- If children are helping to make this, do all the cutting and stitching for them. They can help with stuffing and decorating.
- Use the usual care required when using scissors and needles.
Things You'll Need
- Sock (good quality, washed and clean)
- Cotton balls or soft toy wadding/stuffing
- Needle
- Scissors
- Ribbon, twine or yarn for whiskers
- Decorative elements (optional)
