A fabric ball can be used as a toy for a baby or as a Christmas tree toy. It all depends on the scale. It will be safe for a small child to play with such a toy, and the owner will have peace of mind about the safety of the apartment’s interior. In this material we will tell you how to sew a ball with your own hands at home without using special equipment. At the end of the article you will find a master class on sewing a toy with a detailed action diagram. Even a novice craftswoman or needlewoman without experience will be able to cope with sewing a ball of fabric.

History of the ball toy

The first toys in the form of balls made of fabric and leather appeared in Ancient Egypt. It is not known for certain whether these things had any sacred meaning. Most likely, these balls were toys for small children. Subsequently, in some countries such balls of fabric began to be considered magical artifacts.

In Russia, fabric balls began to be sewn relatively long ago.Therefore, patterns of these unusual toys have been preserved to this day.

What you need to sew a fabric ball

Depending on its purpose, the soft ball can be sewn from a single-color, non-staining fabric (in case it will be used as a soccer ball), as well as from different scraps of fabric to turn into an unusual interior decoration or even an unbreakable Christmas tree toy. This ball may also be needed by mothers and kindergarten teachers to develop fine motor skills. It’s convenient that this fabric ball can be machine washed.

For a fabric ball you will need:

• Fabric cuts. When choosing materials, please note that the fabric should not stretch much.
• Sewing supplies (threads, needles, scissors, pins, chalk for transferring the pattern onto fabric, etc.).
• Printable patterns are provided at the end of this article.
• Holofiber filler.
• Depending on the purpose of the ball, it can be decorated with beads, beads, lace or braid.

Step-by-step master class on sewing a soft fabric ball toy

To interest your child, you can start sewing a ball of fabric in front of him. The presented option will be relatively simple and suitable even for beginner craftswomen who have not previously worked in the patchwork technique. The pattern attached at the end of this article is a template for a six-wedge ball. Depending on your goals, the pattern can be scaled to sew either a large ball of fabric that can replace a soccer ball, or a small ball that resembles a Christmas tree toy. It all depends on the tasks assigned to the needlewoman and her imagination.

1. Print the pattern, scaling it to the size you need. The pattern consists of individual “petals”.
2. Secure the pattern to pieces of fabric using pins. Pay attention to the location of the shared thread.
3. Trace the pattern using tailor's chalk and do not forget about 0.5-0.7 centimeter indents.
4. Depending on how many colors are in the ball, arrange the parts of the ball in the order in which they will be in the finished product.
5. Place the two “petals” together with the right sides facing inward and sew them along the edge.
6. Take the next part of the product and attach it to the already sewn “petals”.
7. Continue stitching the pieces together until you have them all connected.
8. Connect the two parts of the fabric ball shell and sew them exactly to the middle, leaving room for stuffing.
9. Turn the fabric ball right side out.
10. Stuff the toy with holofiber and at the same time sew up the remaining opening with a hidden seam. This way you can adjust the degree of stuffing. At the final joining point, make a few extra stitches to secure the result.
11. If desired, decorate the fabric ball with beads, beads or braid.