Make your own "Monster Pal"

Today is another Thankful Thursday Design Team day over at CrazyAboutCricut. This week's assignment is to make something red, white and blue. My boys and I set out to make a red, white and blue monster using recycled supplies.

I gave up an old sweater to this project, we also used a sharpie, scissors, buttons, 1/8" ribbon, and a needle and thread. Thankful Thursday is all about crafting with the kids in your life, so don't stress so much about the end result, but enjoy the time spent together.

My eight-year-old drew out the monster shape using a sharpie.  I cut out his drawing.

Flip your drawing right-sides-together and sew your monster together, leaving the bottom un-sewn for stuffing. I let my boys take turns sewing up the monster body.  It's is fairly time consuming, but I don't have a working sewing machine... and don't think it's a bad idea for boys to know how to sew by hand! :)

While sewing the head, we added some ribbon "hair", just add them into the sandwich. 

Our monster is kinda messy, but none of that will show once we turn him right side out. :)

After we sewed the button eyes (we doubled large blue buttons under small black buttons) I balled up some scrap fabric to make a nose and helped sew it on. You could add another button here, but my boys wanted a red nose.

Okay, here is Bryce and Owen's favorite part... STUFFING!! We took some recycled stuffing for a pillow that had lost it's shape, but you could buy new too.

Next, sew up the bottom of your monster so the stuffing stay inside after all those hours of snuggling! :) I didn't have any red thread so we used white.  

Here is our brand new monster! :)  Owen, my-six-year old gave him a hair cut and opted out of adding a mouth.  I thought dimensional fabric paint would make the perfect mouth.

See, he's ready to snuggle! :)  Now we have to get on making one for Bryce, my eight-year-old!

Please head over to CrazyAboutCricut to see the other inspiration projects from the Thankful Thursday Design Team.  While you're there, take time to craft with the kids in your life and link it up to the Thankful Thursday Red, White and Blue Challenge.