How To Sew A Fabric Ball - Free Pattern

Do you want to see how to sew a fabric ball? Look no further, I'll show you exactly how - and here you'll also find a free pattern to sew a ball.

Make a perfect baby-welcoming gift in a really short time, using my free soft ball pattern. It's a great project to use scrap fabrics - and it's totally beginner-friendly!

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These soft diy baby toys are great as thoughtful diy birthday gifts, or simply as cute diy toys your kids will love to play with, day after day. They are sooo easy to sew! Let me show you how.

I included lots of photos to make it super easy for you to sew a handmade gift to a special baby in your life - it's a perfect beginner sewing project. And shhh - you can use the same template to make this beautiful fall decor for your home, so it's a two-in-one.

Looking for more baby sewing ideas? I've released this baby sewing course. Currently, you can join for free!

Now, off to sewing fabric balls: they are an all-time favorite with babies, so you cannot miss if you decide to make one yourself as a baby gift. In fact, I've made some as baby welcoming gifts myself - and they always, always turned out to be a great, personalized present. And did I mention there is a free ball sewing pattern waiting for you? 

How To Sew a Ball Tutorial - Supplies

You can make this cute fabric ball even if you are new to sewing. You'll need:

• 5 pieces of 6x3 inch cotton fabric (use scraps or check out these cute baby prints!)
• optional: pieces of satin ribbon to make loops
• some soft toy stuffing material
• coordinating sewing thread
• sewing machine, scissors,
• pins
• free ball sewing pattern - see step 1 of the tutorial below.

How To Make a Fabric Ball with the free fabric ball pattern

I usually use a ¼" seam allowance here (=approximately 7 mm in metric), which is standard for soft toys.

Step 1 - Print The Free Fabric Ball Template

I’ve created a simple fabric ball template that you can download for free. To download the FREE ball TEMPLATE, click the button below:

OR do you want a printable copy of the WHOLE tutorial? Scroll to the bottom of this tutorial for more details!

Step 2 - Cut Your Fabric Pieces

Use the PDF pattern to cut 5 pieces for the soft baby ball. Also cut several pieces of ribbon, each 2 inches (5 cm) in length. Arrange the individual leaves for sewing.

Step 3 - Sew The First 2 Pieces Together

Put the first two pieces with right sides of fabric together. Fold a ribbon in half and pin it between the two leaves. Note: the loop of the ribbon should be facing inwards (see the photo below).

Using a quarter-inch seam allowance, sew along one entire side of the piece and leave the other side open. Assembly will be easier if you don't stitch entirely to the end - stop at ¼" before the end of the edge:

Step 4 - Add the Remaining Pieces

Add individual leaves as you sew, each time adding a satin-like ribbon (folded in half and facing inwards, as mentioned above). Each time you add a leaf, just sew along one side, as shown in the photos below.

Sewing tip: babies will tug on the ribbon bits. As I wanted to make sure the pieces are secure and won't come off, I sewed each seam twice. You do not necessarily need to do that.

Once the 5th fabric piece has been attached, you'll need to stitch it together with the 1st leaf, but not entirely. Leave an opening for stuffing.

Step 5 - Turn And Stuff

Turn the fabric ball right side out, then stuff it with some soft material and then close the opening.

I just topstitched over the opening using the sewing machine, but this ladder stitch tutorial shows you how to make the seam invisible.

So, are you ready? If you liked this sew a ball pattern, make one as a baby welcoming gift, as a birthday gift, or simply a playful diy toy your kids will love to play with, day after day.

Soooo, your soft and cuddly fabric ball is ready for playing. Happy gift giving!

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This post is part of the FREE BABY SEWING PATTERNS series on this blog. Make sure to grab ALL of the free baby sewing patterns on this site:

• Free baby hat pattern - 3 SIZES!
• Diy Knotted Baby Headband - SWEET!
• Free Baby Bib Pattern - Comes in 3 Sizes!
• Bandana Bib Pattern - Cool And Free
• Free Pattern - Baby Burp Cloth
• Baby Sensory Toy

And there are so many more! Save to Pinterest using this link for later, so you have the tutorial ready when you need it:

More to sew:

While you are at sewing, you can make an easy earwarmer headband in matching colors. You'll have a wonderful handmade present for your loved ones (aka 2-in-1!) – You can either use my free 3-size version (baby to 1 year) if you subscribe to newsletter, or get an 8-size PDF pattern in my shop (baby to adult). The latter comes complete with instructions and tips for easy sewing. Easy project, too!

Want A Printable Copy of the WHOLE Tutorial?

Do you want this online tutorial as an optional PDF that’s optimized for printing? Many readers have requested it, find it here for just $3. You won’t need to access the internet every time you want to make it – and it takes fewer pages to print. ------ Or get the BUNDLE with ALL the Printable Tutorials - current and future ones!