Today I am sharing a DIY for the perfect Christmas accessory, a Reindeer Bag. It’s just the thing for carrying their stuff to Christmas parties or as a gift bag for special presents. It’s super cute, easy to make and the handles are the antlers (I was so happy with myself when I figured that out!) It’s also a great project for kids to practice basic sewing skills.
THINGS YOU NEED
30cm of brown felt sold by the metre (it needs to be at least 80cm wide, if not you will need 80cm), scrap of lighter brown felt (for the ears), download our pattern, sticky tape, scissors, pins, big sewing needle, brown embroidery thread, two black buttons, pompoms, craft glue
HOW TO MAKE
- Download our pattern, print it out and tape the two pages together.
- Fold the felt in half. Pin your pattern on top, with the dotted line at the top of the antlers on the fold.
- Cut out the reindeer shape. DO NOT cut the top of the antlers! Older kids can do this themselves, but younger ones will need an adult because cutting through two layers of felt needs sharp scissors. The antlers are a little tricky for kids to cut — it’s easier to use a small pair of scissors and you can always trim them after you remove the pattern if you aren’t happy with the shape.
4. Remove your paper pattern. Make sure the edges line up and pin the two layers together.
5. Thread your needle with brown embroidery thread and sew the two layers together — a simple straight stitch from ear to ear, about 1cm in from the edge. If you want to be tricky, you can hide the knot inside the bag by starting with your needle through just the top layer.
6. Now it’s time to decorate your bag. Glue some felt onto the ears. Glue or sew on two buttons for the eyes. Add a pompom for the nose and if you’d like, one on the back for the tail.
If you make one, I’d love to see the Christmas cuteness! You can post it on our Facebook Page or share your pic on Instagram with the hashtag #lottamagazine.
