On a recent getaway north to visit my brother and his family in the idyllic Port Macquarie, I met a friend of my niece at a BBQ who just loved craft. Already an expert crocheter, Willow’s other pet project was making felt mice, and had turned her room into a delightful little burrow, with dozens of mice in different sizes and outfits perched in every available space.’]

With just a few pieces of felt, some scrap fabric and a needle and thread, Willow had let her whimsy run wild, lovingly adorning each one so it came alive with it’s own darling personality. The were just too cute!  I’m sure Willow found the whole situation a bit odd – a slightly tipsy 30-something woman asking inviting her over for a crafter-noon to make felt mice (!), but Willow is a sweetheart and happily took on the challenge.

 

This craft requires needles and lots of fiddly bits, so this is a craft best suited to children 8 and over who are happy to wile away a rainy afternoon.

If you’re not confident with sewing, strong glue will also do the trick. Just give it time to dry before moving onto the next step.

How to make DIY Felt Mice

You’ll need

• Felt in a few different colours (depending on what colour you want your mouse)
• Scrap material such as lace, cotton or trims from old clothes
• Black thread
• White thread
• Needle
• Sequins or beads for the eyes
• A small amount of stuffing (leftover fabric will do
• Scissors
• Glue

1. Cut out the two sides of the head (use the guide below – they should be a hook shape), two arms, two feet, two small circles for the ears and a tail.  You want the neck to be quite (around 5 or 6 cms long.
2. 
3. Stitch the head together with the needle and thread. Then stuff it with a small amount of fabric so that it’s firm. Sew the bottom and sew in the tail and feet.
4. Find some scrap fabric that will be it’s dress or shirt (think cotton, doilies, ribbons – anything you like!) then sew around it’s neck sew. Add a few layers if you’d like your skirt to billow out. We chose some calico and three layers of lace.
5. 
6. Decorate the face by sewing in small black eyes, a nose, and whiskers. If your mouse has a hat, attach this before sewing on the ears.
7. Make small ‘sleeves’ with the remaining fabric. These should be two small rectangles. Fold them in half and sew in the hands.
8. Repeat over until you have a family of cute little mice!

 

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