In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to sew a super simple and cute Totoro plush. This tutorial comes with a FREE Totoro template and SVG file that you can download and use to make your own adorable Totoro.
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Hello, Cricut buddies! I’m Jav from Cut N Make Crafts (not affiliated with Cricut). Today I’m sharing a super adorable Totoro plush tutorial with a FREE SVG and a Totoro template. We’ll be making this Totoro using felt and thread.
Tips for Cutting Felt Perfectly
If you’ve used felt previously, you know how difficult it is to get it off the sticky surface thanks to all the lint. It’s certainly not easy at all and can ruin the mats as well.
A quick hack to prevent your mats from getting covered in lint is to cover the mat with the contact paper. Keep the sticky side of the contact paper facing up so you can stick your felt on the sticky side. This will ensure all the lint sticks to the contact paper rather than the mat.
Okay now let’s have a look at all the supplies now.
Supplies Needed for DIY Felt Shark
- –Felt sheets (preferably grey or blue, but you can make your felt Totoro in any color you like)
- –Cricut Rotary Blade /fine point blade [this depends on the type of felt you use. If you’re using acrylic felt, you’d need the rotary blade. If you’re using plain felt, you can cut it out using the fine point blade.]
- Matching thread OR a felt glue if you don’t know how to sew.
- Polyester batting to fill inside the felt shark plush to give it a 3D shape
- FREE Totoro Template/SVG file (available for the VIPs, become a VIP member by entering your name and address below)
Gather the Supplies
The first step for this adorable felt Totoro tutorial is to gather all the supplies. Once you have all the supplies in one place, crafting becomes much easier and fun as you don’t have to spend time running around in the middle of the craft to look for the supplies.
Preparing the Image:
- Sign up for the VIP list by entering your name and email in the box given above.
- Once you’ve entered your name and email address, you will receive a welcome email from me – Jav at Cut N Make Crafts.
- Inside the email, you’ll find the link to go to the FREE VIP library.
- Download the FREE Totoro template/SVG from the VIP library. The link for the VIP library is included in the thank you email that you should receive after signing up for the VIP list.
- Open Cricut Design Space.
- Click on the “+” sign to start a new project, opening up a blank canvas.
- Click on upload.
- Locate the file on your computer and upload it to Cricut Design Space.
- Insert the file on the canvas and click on “Make it”.
- Click on browse all materials.
- In the search box, type felt and select the type of felt you’re working with.
- Add the blade to your Cricut depending on the type of felt you’re using for this project. If you have the Cricut Maker you will be prompted to add the fine point blade or the rotary blade. If you’re using the Explore Air 2, you can use the fine point blade to cut out felt.
- Place contact paper sticky side up on your mat.
- Place felt sheets on the contact paper one at a time.
- Load the mat and cut out the felt pieces.
Assembling the Totoro Plush
Stitch the crescent-shaped cutouts on the big white round cutout. Align the crescent-shaped pieces on 2 rows and then stitch them. Stitch the small black circles on the white medium circles to craft the felt eyes of the Totoro plush.
Grab any one of the base cutouts and stitch the big round pattern in the middle of the body part (bottom side of the base).
One by one stitch the eyes and nose of Totoro on the head part of the body base.
Place the plain felt base on the bottom of the stitched one and prepare needle with matching thread. Work flat blanket stitch around the side to join both base pieces together. .
Keep a small opening to stuff the felt Totoro. Use cotton or scrap felt to stuff the plush.
Once you are done stuffing the plush stitch the small opening to secure the stuffing. Tie a knot or 2 and then cut off extra thread.
Similarly, trace, cut out and stitch the other characters from the template to complete the plushie crafts.
That’s it! Your Totoro is now ready!
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