How to Hand Sew a Simple Felt Bird or Parrot Plushie – Free Printable Pattern – Great for Beginners and Kids

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Hi everyone! I’m thrilled to share this fun and easy sewing project with you! Today, we’ll be making a beginner-friendly felt bird that’s perfect for kids ages 6 and up (with a little adult supervision!). This project is a wonderful way to learn the basics of sewing while also making a fun project that isn’t overwhelming for kids to finish. Are you ready to get started? Let’s make our feathered friend!

What You’ll Need:

• Felt (in your chosen colors for body, wings, tail, legs and beak)
• Free Bird 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)

(Two pattern options below, one with an image of the finished project, one without)

Click Image To Download and Print

Step 1: Trace and Cut

First, grab your free bird pattern, click the pattern image above to download it, and print it out. Let’s start tracing! The pattern includes the bird’s body, wings, beak, and tail.

Lay the pattern pieces on your felt and use your marker to trace around them. Remember to flip the pattern pieces when tracing any that you need to cut out twice; this ensures they match up perfectly when sewn together. After tracing, carefully cut out your felt pieces, trimming any marker lines where possible. Don’t forget to save any scraps, as they make great stuffing for your bird!

Step 2: Create the Eyes

Now, let’s give our bird some adorable eyes! You can either use small pieces of felt (perhaps in contrasting colors) for the eyes, or create simple stitched versions.

For the stitched version make a knot at the end of the embroidery floss. Poke the needle from the back of the bird’s body piece to the front where you want the eye to be. Secure it by making a “knot stitch” — just pull the thread tight and tie a little knot by looping the floss and pulling it through. If you want bigger eyes, you can repeat this a few times, just like I did with my bird’s eyes! Repeat for the second eye, ensuring the knots are on the inside of the bird piece.

Step 3: Adding the Wings & Feet

Next, let’s attach the wings and feet. Place the wing pieces on either side of the bird’s body piece. Thread your needle again and use another simple knot stitch to secure them in place. Then, do the same with the feet pieces.

Step 4: Start Sewing the Body

Begin sewing at the bottom of the bird. Knot your starting stitch behind one of the legs, and use a blanket stitch around the body of the bird, pausing when you reach where you want to add 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 Tail

When you reach the area for the tail, simply place it between the two body pieces of felt and sew it in place using a running stitch.

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: Continue Sewing with a Blanket Stitch

Once you have the tail attached, continue with a blanket stitch around the birds back and head, pause and add the beak with a running a stitch, then continue with blanket stitch under the birds chin and stop there to stuff your bird.

Step 7: Fill and Finish

Now it’s time to add your stuffing! Use small pieces of polyester filler or scrap felt. For tricky spots like the head, you can use the back of a pencil to help push the filling in. Once your bird is nicely stuffed, use the blanket stitch to close up the opening and knot everything off securely back where you started sewing.

Enjoy your amazing bird!