A handmade plush begins with fabric, thread, and stuffing. The interesting part is learning how a flat piece becomes a rounded head, how embroidered eyes change a face, and how separate parts come together into a character.
This illustrated guide follows Aye’s original “Notes on Making Fabric Plush Toys,” from choosing materials to finishing a candy-themed Pichu. It preserves the original four-part journey: supplies, basic sewing and embroidery, pattern-making ideas, and assembly. It also includes the author’s early work and the lessons behind later improvements.
Original tutorial title artwork and Aye’s signature.
Aye wrote the tutorial after receiving questions about sewing and taking longer than planned to put the answers together. The author was still relatively new to plush making and presented these as beginner-level personal experiences, welcoming corrections. That context matters: the product preferences and drafting shortcuts below describe Aye’s practice, rather than universal rules.
Using a ready-made PDF pattern instead? Follow our step-by-step guide to sewing a plushie from a PDF. For a comparison of minky, fleece and faux fur, see our plush fabric guide.
If you are exploring sewing projects for beginners, you can use the material and stitch sections as a starting point, then work toward the shaped Pichu example. The full character involves more steps than a simple two-panel soft toy. This is a guide to understanding and developing a plushie pattern; the source does not supply dimensions or full-size printable templates.
Prepare Your Plush-Making Materials
Aye opens with a practical point: before making a toy, get the tools and fabric ready. The original materials list contains eight items.
Fabric
Aye usually worked with fabric sold as “crystal super-soft,” describing it as a common choice for plush toys. The source discusses pile heights from approximately 1.5 mm to 5 mm. The author’s regular choice was 1.5 mm pile, while 3 mm or longer pile was an option for a fluffier toy. These measurements refer to the height of the fibers, not the thickness of the backing.
Fabric swatch illustration from the materials list.
The comparison photographs show toys made with approximately 1.5 mm pile on the left and 3 mm pile on the right. They illustrate the surface difference the author was describing.
Shorter and longer fabric pile in Aye’s examples.
Needle
An ordinary embroidery needle was Aye’s choice. The author did not prescribe a needle length and candidly admitted there was no carefully developed buying method behind the selection. Choose a needle you can handle comfortably with the fabric and thread you are using; the source provides no exact needle size.
Ordinary embroidery needle.
Sewing Thread and Embroidery Thread
Thread has two main jobs in the tutorial. Ordinary fine sewing thread joins the body and other fabric parts; embroidery thread forms eyes and decorative markings. Aye also used ordinary sewing thread for embroidery, so the two materials were not treated as strictly separate categories.
Thread for sewing and embroidery.
The author found the embroidery thread used in these projects shinier and finer than the ordinary thread. That is a comparison of the particular materials used, not a rule that all embroidery thread is thinner. The photographs contrast facial details made with ordinary thread on the left and embroidery thread on the right.
Ordinary sewing thread and embroidery thread used for facial details.
Stuffing
Aye used filling sold as “PP cotton,” commonly used as a name for polyester fiberfill in this context. The warning in the source is about quantity: one jin, approximately 500 g, can look like a surprisingly large amount of stuffing. Buying a large bag for a small first project may leave much more than expected.
Stuffing illustration.
Disappearing Fabric Marker
The source describes a marker whose lines gradually faded in the air and disappeared immediately when wet. Aye preferred a red marker because blue marks could look too strong on pale fabric.
Disappearing fabric marker.
Those are the author’s product experiences. As an editorial clarification, check your own marker’s instructions and test it on a scrap; fading time and water response vary, so do not assume every disappearing marker behaves the same way.
Scissors
You need scissors that can cut the chosen fabric. Aye used small cross-stitch scissors and noted that ordinary scissors might struggle with the material. The tutorial does not identify a brand or require a particular model.
Small scissors used for cutting fabric.
Embroidery Hoop
For hand embroidery, Aye strongly preferred working with a hoop. The author recalled that sewing without one was tiring and hard on the hands, calling it a lesson learned the painful way. A 12 cm or 15 cm hoop was considered sufficient for these projects.
Embroidery hoop.
Embroidery Film
The source distinguishes water-soluble and non-water-soluble embroidery film. Aye had used only the non-water-soluble version and felt that it reduced snagging on the fabric’s pile and helped the embroidery go faster.
Embroidery film.
The author had heard that household cling film could be used instead, but that substitution did not work in their own attempt. The tutorial does not claim that the two products are interchangeable.
Learn the Basic Sewing and Embroidery Methods
The original tutorial introduces a simple equation: a plush toy combines fabric, thread, and stuffing.
A plush toy combines fabric, thread, and stuffing.
Thread then performs two different tasks: joining the fabric into a form and embroidering details onto its surface. The photographs below show both uses.
The two jobs of thread: joining fabric and embroidering details.
Aye learned the sewing methods from videos and suggested searching Bilibili for basic fabric-craft demonstrations if the drawings were difficult to follow. The source also says to work from the back of the fabric when joining panels. One clarification is needed: closing a turning opening with hidden stitches happens after turning, so that general statement does not describe every operation in the project.
Running Stitch: Shaping and Color Joining
The first method introduced is running stitch. In Aye’s examples, it is used both to join pieces into a form and to connect fabric of different colors. The diagram shows the path of the needle and thread.
Running stitch: the needle path shown in the original tutorial.
The practical photographs show stitching around a marked shape and joining differently colored fabric. These are useful companions to the diagram because they show the fabric held and sewn during the work.
Running-stitch examples: shaping a panel and joining different colors.
Hidden Stitch: Closing an Opening and Joining Parts
Aye calls the second technique a “Z-shaped” joining method. It is used to close the opening left for turning a sewn part right side out, and to connect two already-shaped components. In English sewing tutorials, this alternating joining method is commonly described as a hidden or ladder stitch.
Hidden stitch for closing or joining formed parts.
The first photograph shows a discreetly closed opening. The second marks the attachment area between parts, illustrating that the same joining idea can also be used during assembly.
Hidden-stitch examples: a closed opening and a component attachment.
Embroidering the Eyes: Three Stages
Eyes are a common use for embroidery in these projects, but Aye makes the choice optional: fabric pieces can also be used to create the eyes. If you choose hand embroidery, the source divides the work into three stages.
Outline the boundary. First stitch the outlines of the facial features. Aye describes this as “building a wall”: it gives the embroidery a defined edge and helps keep the finished shape tidy.
Outline the facial features before filling them.
Place spaced guiding stitches. The needle and thread can pull the fabric out of shape. To reduce that effect, the author lays spaced stitches across the area in the intended embroidery direction, usually beginning where the shape is widest. The source compares this stage to laying a foundation.
Spaced stitches before filling the eye. Original photo credit: A Meng.
Fill the shape. After defining the edge and placing the guiding stitches, fill the remaining area to complete the design. Aye again starts from the widest part and advises keeping the thread taut.
Fill the outlined eyes to complete the embroidery.
As an editorial clarification, taut does not mean pulling until the fabric puckers. Watch the surface while tightening the thread. The aim is a filled design that retains the intended facial shape.
How to Make a Plushie Pattern: Think from 3D to 2D
Aye identifies pattern drafting as a reason beginners can struggle to get started. To turn a three-dimensional character into flat pieces, imagine how its surface might be divided and unfolded.
If you draw characters, you may already use guide lines to understand their form. The source asks you to imagine cutting along those lines: where would the pieces separate, and how might the surface open out?
Imagine cutting along guide lines to unfold a three-dimensional character.
The tutorial then uses a simpler example: slicing a round watermelon into sections.
Dividing a rounded shape into curved sections.
Reverse the idea, and curved pieces of watermelon skin could be joined to suggest the whole rounded shape again. Aye uses this to explain how separate fabric pieces can create volume.
Joining curved sections to recreate a rounded form.
This is a visual way to reason about a pattern, not a dimensioned geometric construction. The original demonstration applies it to a standing, two-legged Pichu. The next nine steps preserve the source’s drafting sequence.
Sketch the Finished Design
Before drafting, Aye draws the intended toy. This version is a candy-themed Pichu with large ears, a lollipop, and a large candy decoration. The drawing gives the later pattern and assembly decisions a common reference.
The initial candy-themed Pichu design.
Reduce the Character to Basic Forms
Pichu’s main structure is a roughly spherical head and a body that is narrow at the top and wider at the bottom. Add the two large ears, two hands, two feet, and tail around those forms.
Pichu simplified into a round head and a narrower upper body.
Aye emphasizes that the head and body carry much of the toy’s three-dimensional appearance. Those are therefore the main areas where the curved-section idea is needed.
Consider Eight Sections, Then Reconsider the Face Seams
Suppose the rounded head were divided into eight narrow curved sections. More sections can help describe a rounded shape, but sewing every section separately also creates more visible seams across the face.
A rounded head divided into eight conceptual sections.
The source rejects using eight separate pieces directly for this particular face because of the appearance of those seams. This is a design choice, not a claim that an eight-panel head is impossible to sew.
Aye points to existing plush toys with broad, uninterrupted front faces. The reference photographs illustrate why keeping the facial area in one piece can be desirable.
Reference plush faces illustrate uninterrupted front panels.
Combine Sections into One Front and Two Back Pieces
Aye assigns four of the eight conceptual sections to the front and four to the back. For the front, the four shapes are arranged with overlap so they connect, then their combined outside contour is traced as a single front panel.
The back carries no facial features, so it can be split into two panels to help shape the back of the head. Each back panel combines two of the conceptual sections.
Grouping head sections into a front panel and two back panels.
The author also trims a little from the bottom of the pattern to leave an opening for stuffing and for attaching the head to the body. That small opening is part of the construction plan, rather than an area to close immediately.
Add Material for the Seams
Sewing consumes some fabric along the edge. Aye therefore draws an extra border around the drafted shapes to create room for the seams.
Head pattern sketches with material added around the edges for seams.
The source does not specify a seam-allowance width or a print scale. Treat the illustrations as drafting explanations, not ready-to-cut templates. As additional practical guidance, mark the intended sewing lines and compare corresponding edge lengths when testing your own pattern.
Place the Face and Check How Sewing Changes It
For these simplified Pokémon faces, the placement of the eyes and other features has a large effect on the result. The diagram shows the facial layout together with the head panels, cheek pieces, and small top detail.
Head pieces with the facial placement, cheeks, and tuft indicated.
Aye warns that sewing can bring the eyes closer together and change their angle. The author had encountered this problem twice and remembered the rework clearly: a large placement error could mean starting again.
The sequence below shows an earlier face, the opened piece during revision, and the revised result.
Facial placement before and after revision.
A useful editorial addition is to test the head before committing to the final embroidered face. Sew and lightly stuff a sample, mark the intended features on that three-dimensional form, and carry any adjustments back to the pattern. This testing sequence is additional advice; the photographs document the original placement problem and correction.
Draft the Body and Its Color Sections
The body follows the head’s arrangement: one front piece and two back pieces. Draft it narrower at the top and wider below, then mark the separate dark fabric areas that make Pichu’s markings.
Front and back body pattern sketches.
Aye also adds a horizontal cut line across the lower back, using this to create a more pronounced change in the fabric’s direction around the bottom of the body. At this point, the character’s main overall form has been worked out.
Draw the Hands, Ears, and Tail
These parts use matching front and back shapes. After drawing each outline, add the markings inside the ears to refine the color sections rather than leaving the ears as undivided shapes.
Hand, ear, and tail pieces for this particular design.
For the illustrated design, the labels specify four hand pieces, four ear pieces, and two tail pieces. The counts belong to this example and should be checked against your own design before cutting.
Make the Foot from a Base and a Side Piece
Aye treats each foot as a small truncated-cone-like form: a bottom surface with a side section around it. Draw the base and the surrounding side piece to obtain the foot pattern.
A tapered foot divided into a base and side piece.
The original tutorial closes this section by bringing the preparation together: materials are ready, the basic stitches have been introduced, and the pattern idea is in place. The next step is to make the toy.
Sew the Pichu Plush: Six Assembly Steps
The following sequence follows Aye’s actual project photographs. Refer back to the design sketch and use your own tested pattern for dimensions and placement.
Embroider the Eyes
Fix the fabric in the embroidery hoop, outline the eyes, and complete the embroidery. The photographs show the outlined features and the filled eyes before the head becomes a closed form.
Eye outlines and completed embroidery.
Mark and Cut the Fabric
Use the pattern pieces to draw the required shapes onto the fabric with the marker, then cut them out.
Fabric marked with the panel shapes.
Sew and Stuff the Head
Join the head pieces and fill the head with stuffing. In the original order, the cheek patches are then attached with hidden stitches after the head has been filled.
Sewing and stuffing the head.
Assemble the Body, Limbs, and Tail
Sew the body, hands, feet, and tail. Attach the hands, feet, and tail to the body, then sew the head and body together.
The assembled body and limbs.
Make the Candy Decorations
Return to the original design drawing and make the candy accessories. Aye used glue to attach the small Pikachu decoration on the large candy piece. Pichu is the main plush character; Pikachu appears here as a separate decorative motif.
Candy decorations for the finished character.
Attach the Lollipop and Finish the Pose
Sew the lollipop to Pichu’s hand, then secure the body against the large candy decoration. That completes the candy-themed Pichu.
The completed candy-themed Pichu.
From a First Attempt to a Better Plush
Aye ends by encouraging readers to try making something rather than only reading tutorials. The feeling of completing a three-dimensional toy was a large part of the appeal for the author.
The first plush was Sylveon. Aye thought it was cute when it was finished, but later discarded it. The original group photograph is included here as part of that early-work story.
Aye’s early plush toys, including the first Sylveon.
Next came two brooches. This was when Aye began trying hand embroidery and felt ready to experiment further.
Embroidered brooches from the author’s practice projects.
The author then returned to a full-body Sylveon. It was the same character as the first attempt, but the result was substantially different.
A later Sylveon plush made by the original author.
The closing message is encouraging without requiring a perfect first result: plush making becomes more approachable when you start, see what happened, and try again. The shape, face placement, and finish of one project give you specific things to improve in the next.
Choosing Sewing Projects for Beginners
The original Pichu is a useful example of how to make a plushie pattern and assemble several shaped parts. For a first-ever sewing project, a small two-panel toy or a simple plush face can be a more manageable practice piece. That is an editorial suggestion, not an additional pattern provided by Aye.
A possible progression is to practice joining scraps, make a small stuffed shape, try a face or brooch, and then return to a full character. Keep each attempt focused on a skill you can assess: a clean join, a smooth closure, an embroidered feature, or a rounded form.
Can I Make a Plushie by Hand?
The tutorial uses hand-sewing and hand-embroidery methods. It does not require an embroidery machine. The photographs show the tools, stitching, and component connections used in the original projects.
Does This Include a Free Printable Pichu Sewing Pattern?
No. The source illustrates a drafting method and shows pattern shapes, but it does not give finished dimensions, edge measurements, or print scale. Those details need to come from your own draft and test pieces; they have not been invented for this article.
What Should I Check Before Finishing the Face?
Check how the head looks after sewing and stuffing, including eye spacing and angle. The author’s before-and-after sequence is a reminder that the flat pattern and the final three-dimensional face can look different.
Source and image credits: Aye (阿夜), “Notes on Making Fabric Plush Toys,” supplied as six illustrated pages. The embroidery foundation photograph credits the original contributor, A Meng (阿萌). This English adaptation preserves the tutorial’s substantive instructions, examples, personal experiences, and instructional pictures. Repeated title banners, step badges, decorative separators, and page-turn prompts are omitted. Chinese instructional labels within the illustrations have been translated into English. The original source images are retained separately. Additional clarifications are identified as editorial guidance.