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How to Hand Sew a Simple Felt T-Rex

Hello fellow crafting friends! As a mother of four young children, I absolutely love diving into creative projects with them. There’s something magical about seeing their eyes light up as they create something amazing — and I want to share that joy with all of you! Today, I’m sharing a fun and simple tutorial on how to hand sew a cute felt T-Rex. This project is perfect for beginners, and should be possible for kids aged 6 and up to complete (with a little adult supervision). And, to make it even easier, I’ve made a free printable pattern for you to download and use!

Materials Needed:

• Felt (in your chosen colors)
• Free T-Rex pattern (link below)
• Sharpie Creative Markers (or similar) for tracing
• Embroidery floss (try to match the colors to your felt)
• Needle with the big eye / Embroidery Needle (a child-friendly one works best)
• Scissors
• Stuffing (polyester filler, scrap felt, or even ripped-up plastic grocery bags)

Step 1: Print and Trace the Pattern

Start by downloading and printing the T-Rex pattern.

**Some of the pattern pieces you’ll need to trace twice, make sure you flip the pattern when you do, so you can hide your tracing lines better when you sew your creation together.

• Body Piece (Trace this one twice, flipping the tracing paper as you do so it’s easier to hide your tracing marks)
• Hand Piece (Trace twice)
• Foot Piece (Trace twice)
• Teeth (Trace once)
• Back Spines (Optional, trace once)

To cut the pieces, flip the body, hands, and feet patterns when tracing onto your felt, which will ensure you have a matching set. I’ve had great success using Sharpie Creative Markers to trace the pieces as they show up really well on the felt, but you can use any marker, or even chalk for your tracing.

Step 2: Sew the Eye

Now that your pieces are ready, let’s start with the eyes! To sew a simple eye on each T-Rex body piece, begin by threading your needle and making a knot — I call this a “knot eye.” Push your needle through the back of the felt at the spot where you want the eye to be, then pull it through. To create the eye, make a few stitches in a circle, and when you’re happy with the size, secure it with a knot on the back.

   

Step 3: Attach the Arms and Legs

Next, grab your hand and foot pieces. Place them on each side of the T-Rex body and sew them in place using a knot stitch. To create a knot stitch, simply bring your needle from the back to the front of the felt, pull it tight, and make a knot on the back to secure it. Don’t forget to cut off any visible tracing lines or face them inward for a cleaner look!

Step 4: Start Sewing the Body

Now let’s sew the body together. If you start at the back leg, knot the first stitch behind one of the legs, then use a blanket stitch from the back leg and around the bottom of the tail.

How to Blanket Stitch: To make a blanket stitch, start by threading a needle with some sturdy thread and tying a knot at the end. Choose the edge of your fabric where you want to start stitching. Poke the needle up from the back of the fabric, so the knot is hidden. Pull it all the way through. Next, bring the needle back down into the fabric a little bit away from where you came up, then pull it through again. Before you pull the thread all the way tight, loop the thread around the edge of the fabric and bring the needle back through the hole where you first poked it up. Keep repeating this process, making sure to keep the stitches evenly spaced and pulling the thread tight each time, until you reach the end of your stitching line.

Step 5: Add the Spines and Finish the Body

When you reach the top of the tail, it’s time to add the optional back spines! Simply place them between the front and back panels of the trex’s body and use a running stitch to attach them and sew the two halves of the T-Rex together, with the spines between them.

How to do a Running Stitch: To make a running stitch, start by getting your needle and thread ready with a knot at the end. Begin by pushing the needle up through the fabric from the back to the front, pulling it all the way through. Then, move the needle a little forward and poke it back down through the fabric making sure to leave a small space. Pull it through until the thread is tight. Next, poke the needle back up through the fabric right where you came down so it makes a little stitch. Keep going back and forth, moving forward a little each time and sticking the needle down and then back up, making sure the stitches are nice and straight. Continue until you reach the end of where you want to stitch!

Step 6: More Sewing

Continue with a blanket stitch around the face, then use a running stitch to attach the teeth. After the teeth do a blanket stitch on the bottom of the face and chest, then pause, leave an opening under the arm for stuffing.

Step 7: Stuff and Close the T-Rex

Now comes the fun part — stuffing your T-Rex! I often use poly filler, but scraps of felt or ripped plastic grocery bags can work too. Be sure to stuff it gently, so it keeps its shape but is still cuddly. To stuff take a small bit of your stuffing and push it into the trex’s body, working on the filling up the parts furthers away from the opening first, like the dinosaurs face and tail. Once stuffed, close the belly with a blanket stitch, knotting it off back under the leg where you started.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it—a delightful felt T-Rex that your child can proudly say they made themselves! This project is a fantastic introduction to sewing and working with patterns. I hope you and your little ones find joy in creating this adorable creature. Happy sewing!

Click Image to Download and Print pattern T-rex Large

Click Image to Download and Print pattern T-rex Small

Now grab your materials and let your creativity roar!