Stuffed Animal to Kawaii Bag Tutorial

I'm not typically very big on stuffed animals, but something about this little guy caught my eye when I found him yesterday. He was so cute and sweet, and after all, I have been wanting to try my hand at turning a stuffed animal into a bag. For my first try, I love how well it turned out! I finished this project within an hour, and it's very beginner friendly, so if you have a cute stuffed animal you want to put to use, keep reading for the tutorial!

You will need:

*A stuffed animal

*Thread

*Needle

*Ribbon (amount needed depends on length of straps, I used just over 2 yards)

*4 D-rings (optional)
*Fabric (I used roughly a 7"x10" rectangle, but the amount needed will depend on the size of your animal and the size pocket you want)
*Zipper (I used a 6")
*Seam ripper

First, use the seam ripper to open up the seam you want to put the pocket in. Because of the type of stuffed animal I used, I opened the seam along the middle of the back, but if you have a stuffed animal that sits upright, you could always put your pocket in its stomach instead. *Remember though, if you place the pocket differently, you may have to open a separate seam to sew the straps into* Remove a handful or two of stuffing to make room for the pocket.

Cut a rectangle of fabric that is the size of the pocket you want when folded, but with an extra 1/4" to 1/2" seam allowance.

If you are using the D-rings, cut four 2" long sections of ribbon. These rings are optional, but I like how they make the finished project look more professionally done, and since they only cost a dollar for 4, I don't mind the extra cost. Fold a section of ribbon over each ring, and stitch the ends together, or if you are using synthetic ribbon and have a lighter or lit candle, I like to hold the ends of the ribbon near the flame for a second to seal it and prevent unraveling. 

Pin the fabric and ribbon ends (from the rings if you're using them or the ends of the ribbon you are making the handle from otherwise) to the zipper and stitch. Ignore the fact that I only had 2 rings attached in this next picture, I had only planned to do one strap at first but it worked better with 2. The picture does show how to space them though if you are placing the straps at the pocket. 

Next sew the sides of your pouch shut. We're almost done now! Place the pocket into the animal's opened seam and hand stitch the top of the pocket to the seam edges. If you're like me and don't have the nicest hand stitches, don't worry, the fur will hide any messy stitches. 

Sew the ends of your straps onto the D-rings. When it's all stitched and zipped shut, your seam will look like this! 

Finished project! Enjoy the excessive cuteness. :)

*Note: my bag ended up being a bit top heavy because of the puppy's head, so I ended up putting a rock in each back foot while the seam was opened to balance its weight. Yours might be balanced fine already, but if not, this step worked great for me and keeps the puppy's head up when I wear the bag now.