Quick and Easy DIY Sock Bunny
The Sock Bunny Journey
About 6ish years ago, my husband, our first two children, and myself, were really struggling. I think, by many standards, we still are. But in my eyes, by the grace of God, we have come such a very long way. 6 years ago, my husband was going back to school after having been laid off from two different jobs in less than a year. I had been a stay at home mom since our first child was born, with no career opportunities on the horizon, and nothing that made the childcare expense worth it. We had just moved back to New York State from North Carolina (with a brief stint in Pennsylvania), so we didn’t qualify for welfare. We hadn’t been residents long enough. We were on a 3-year waiting list for Section-8 (low income housing). We were on Food Stamps and Medicaid, and the only other assistance we qualified for was HEAP, which helped with our gas bills in the winter. All of this was greatly appreciated, but the fact remains that if not for the generosity of our own parents, we would have been homeless. They helped with vehicles, rent, and keeping our children clothed.
But we also benefited from the generosity of many others along the way. One of which was my grandmother. I had been crocheting gifts for my children, and really wanted to be able to do more. She gave me her sewing machine! I had never used one before, and truthfully, it sat collecting dust for a long while because I was so intimidated. One Easter, I wanted to make bunnies for the kids. I found some knee-high socks for $1, and only one tutorial on the internet at that time for a sock bunny, and I’m pretty sure I did it wrong.
Sure, they have been well-loved, but I promise you, they never looked much better than you see this one above. In fact, many times, in my own embarrassment, I have asked the kids if I could get rid of them. “You have plenty of nicer stuffed animals,” I’ve told them. “I have even made you much nicer things since then!”
“No, Mommy!” they yell, while clinging to their respective bunnies. “We loooooove them!” is the response, with no hesitation. They nearly cried at the idea. A few years later, I had gained a bit more confidence with the sewing machine, and still had some knee high socks lying around. I decided I could make them much better, and even use nearly every scrap of the pair of socks! Today I will share that process with you!
Materials:
1 pair of knee high socks
Polyester Fiberfill for stuffing
sewing machine
thread, colors are a personal preference
scissors
buttons for eyes
felt for nose
Notes: I am not an expert sewer, or versed in writing sewing patterns. This is DIY sock bunny pattern written out exactly as I figured it out on my own. Basic knowledge of your sewing machine and its functions will be helpful. Become friends with the manual! I am still getting to know mine, but find the manual to be very helpful! I tried to capture pictures of nearly every step, but some may be left more to the imagination. Don’t be scared! Just have fun!
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1. The sock on the right will be the body. The toe is the top of the head, the heel is the butt, and the calf will be the legs.
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2. The legs will not be the full length of the sock. Cut about 4 inches up from the end of the sock.
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3. Line the arms up to be about the same length as the legs, and then cut the end off.
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4. Use either one of the ends to the right for the tail. The other is scraps, or can be used for stuffing the tail.
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5. Start on body first. turn it inside out. Try to line up the seam in the middle. This will be your guide for sewing the legs.
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6. Sew each leg down either side of that seam, leaving about a half inch between for cutting to separate the legs.
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7. When you get close to the end, slow down, and begin to turn to close off that leg.
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8. Turn slowly while you sew, toward the outside of the leg.
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9. Sew all the way to the end, and then knot your thread.
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10. Now, line up your needle to sew the other leg, leaving about a half inch between them.
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11. Now you have two legs. I like to sew over these twice for good measure, knowing little ones will be playing with them. Knot off the thread on both sides.
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12. Now cut right down the center, between the legs.
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13. After cutting, also trim off the excess fabric from the feet. Use the opening between the legs for turning ride side out.
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14. Once turned inside out, use the opening between the legs for stuffing the body and the legs.
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15. Now, go ahead and get your giggles out, because you have to sew up the crotch between the legs.
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16. I used the ladder stitch for closing.
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17. This is my brief example of the ladder stitch (pic 16 and 17). Find the video link below for a great tutorial by StitchLabSewing.
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18. All closed up!
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19. Now, grab your piece for the arms. Turn the fabric so that the seam is in the center to use as a guide, just like the legs.
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20. Just like you did for the legs, line your needed up on one side of the seam, and sew. Where you begin will be the arm opening for stuffing and sewing onto he body.
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21. Again, just like the legs, begin to turn at the bottom to close up the hand part of the arm.
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22. Then line up on the other side, and sew the other arm. Leave about a half inch between to cut and separate them.
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23. I sewed over these twice so they are more secure. Knot up your loose threads and trim down.
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24. Cut between them, and you have two arms!
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25. Turn them right side out and stuff through the openings.
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27. Fold down that extra fabric, into the arm.
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28. Then, sew the arms on the sides, right in the center of the body. I’ve found the stitching doesn’t have to be perfect here. I just go back and forth from arm to body, all the way around, until closed up.
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29. Bunny arms are on!
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30. Next we move onto the ears. Using the piece from the other toe, turn it inside out.
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31. Start at the open end, and sew down both sides of the seam, just like you did with the arms and the legs.
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32. As you approach the toe, slow down and begin turning toward the left (right on other side).
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33. Same thing on the other side of the fold, to make the other ear.
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34. Cut down the fold to separate the ears. Knot off your thread.
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35. Using a long piece of thread, insert it into the opening at the bottom of the ear, and then sew back and forth between the front and back of the ear.
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36. This gives it this pinched look, and adds shape and the illusion of an inner ear. Then sew the ears onto the top of the head.
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37. Sew a small piece of felt, in color of your choice, to the muzzle of the bunny, which is the other heel.
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38. After sewing on the felt nose, add some stuffing to puff out the muzzle, and embroider on some whiskers. You can also do this after attaching to the face, if you’d prefer.
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39. Now, fold down and pin the top of the muzzle into place for sewing.
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40. This is a look at the top of the muzzle, with the bunny upside down. After sewing across the top, fold in the corner of the mouth and sew around, stuffing as you go.
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41. As you stuff, the whiskers will stretch out and the muzzle will fill out.
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42. Keep tucking the excess fabric inside and sewing along the fold. Add stuffing as you feel it is needed.
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43. Fold in the last of the edges in the corner, and finish sewing around. Knot off the thread and weave it into the muzzle/body.
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44. Finished nose!
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45. The last piece of the sock you will use is for the tail. Turn it inside out.
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46. Fold the end of it, like so.
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47. Pin it closed.
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48. Sew it closed. I went over this twice for good measure.
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49. Turn the tail right side out and stuff.
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50. Pin the tail just above the bunny booty, centered in the back. Make sure the fabric is folded in.
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