DIY Weighted Wolf Stuffed Animal

Make an easy and affordable weighted stuffed animal for kids with sensory needs!

If you know a kid with sensory issues, you'll agree that weighted blankets and lap pads can be a lifesaver. My daughter has ADHD, and her weighted blanket has helped so much! After researching lap pads, I knew I could make something myself that was cuter and a lot more affordable. She is obsessed with wolves right now, so I decided to make a wolf stuffed animal that doubles as a lap pad for homework time and to keep calm when she starts feeling overwhelmed.

This post is sponsored by Fairfield World . As always, I only share things that I use myself and truly recommend!

This is the first stuffed animal I have ever made, so I was a little overwhelmed about making my own pattern for this project. Then I found this adorable pattern from Teacup Lion. This pattern is easy to follow, has options to make multiple animals, and is also FREE! I'm now a huge fan of her patterns and hope to make more stuffed animals in the future since this first one was so simple.

Start by printing out the pattern and instructions. When shopping for fabrics, look for some stretch minky or fleece fabric. If it doesn't stretch, the stuffed animal may not turn out how you want. I chose a fluffier gray plush fleece for the "fur" and a regular white fleece for contrast in the wolf's muzzle and belly.

Cut the paper pieces of the pattern out and trace them onto the fabric with a water soluble fabric marker. Carefully cut the pieces out with fabric scissors. Because the eyes and nose can be tough to cut correctly, I redrew the shapes and uploaded them into Design Space. Then, I used my Cricut Maker to cut the eyes and nose out of felt.

After the head and muzzle pieces are sewn together, attach the felt eyes and nose to the face using a little bit of Fabri-Tac. Hold in place until the glue has set. If you are worried about the felt pieces coming off or are making this for a younger child, topstitch over the felt to keep it in place.

Once the stuffed animal has been completely sewn together, rinse the fabric under WARM water to remove all of the fabric marker. Toss the fabric in the dryer with some towels for a few minutes or pat the fabric with a towel and hang it up to dry completely.

The secret to making a stuffed animal extra soft and cuddly is all about the stuffing! I used some Poly-Fil, which is made specifically for stuffed animal projects like this. It's very affordable, washable, and non-allergenic.

Grab a small handful of Poly-Fil and stuff each of the four legs ONLY. Since you are doing the stuffing yourself, you can control how firm you want the stuffed animal to be with the amount of filler you use.

To transform a stuffed animal a weighted stuffed animal, you will need Poly-Pellets. Unlike rice or beans, these pellets allow your stuffed animal to be completely washable!

Instead of pouring the pellets directly into the stuffed animal, I wanted to control where most of the weight would be. Cut two circles out of the same fabric as your stuffed animal's belly (the bigger the circles, the more weight it can hold). Sew around the edges, but leave a space to add the pellets.

Put a funnel into the bag opening and fill the bag with Poly-Pellets. Once you are happy with the weight, sew the bag closed.

Carefully fit the weighted bag through the opening in the stuffed animal. I placed the bag right in the belly of the stuffed animal, but you can put it anywhere you want.

If you use the same fabric as the belly on your stuffed animal, you can't even tell that the weighted bag is inside!

Fill the rest of the stuffed animal with Poly-Fil until you have the desired shape and firmness. You can also pour in more Poly-Pellets in with the stuffing if you want a little more weight and texture.

Sew the opening in the head closed, and squish the stuffed animal a bit to evenly disperse the stuffing (if needed).

Isn't this little guy the cutest?! This fluffy wolf measures about 9” tall with the ears, 11” long (feet to feet) and about 6” wide, which is the perfect size for snuggling at night or for keeping on a lap to keep from wiggling. My daughter is thrilled with this new addition to her stuffed animal collection, and I am now hooked on making adorable stuffed animals! I guess it's a win-win!!

What do you think? Would your kids like a custom-made weighted stuffed animal of their own?

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