Tutorials

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Seriously cute mouse tutorial

Mice - by Rose Fyleman

I think mice
are rather nice.
Their tails are long,
their faces small,
They haven't any
chins at all. 
Their ears are pink,
their teeth are white,
They run about
the house at night.
They nibble things
they shouldn't touch
And no one seems
to like them much.
But I think mice
are nice.


You might remember that I made this little mouse house and its two tiny occupants for my sister's birthday last month..well thinking ahead i took pictures as i sewed and now I can give you all a seriously cute little mouse tutorial; here goes.

You will need the pattern, mouse coloured felt - brown, grey, white, cream - scrap pink felt for ears and tail, embroidery floss to match your felt (i worked with two strands) large black seed beads, some wool stuffing and a few small coins or metal washers (or a small stone or something) to weight the mouse (I am hesitant to use grains because real mice might nibble on them...)

Download my free pattern from scrib, click here. I find it easier to glue the pattern to an old cardboard box and then cut out the pieces before tracing onto the felt.

Once you have cut out your felt start sewing the two main body pieces together from point B (shown) to A; I used blanket stitch.


When you reach point A (the nose) you need to add in your tummy panel. Stitch first down one side A to C, finish off the thread and hide your knot. Then, with a new thread, begin stitching down the other side from point A to C.

Continuing on with the same thread add your base piece by stitching around the curved sides A to B then B to C.

BUT don't stitch too quickly! you need to put in your tail at point B - so a few stitches short of the back centre seam - needle still threaded and attached to the body of your mouse - pick up your tail and run a couple of tiny straight stitches across one of the short ends
pull the thread tight and poke the gathered end inside your mouse at the centre back. Continue blanket stitching, catching in the tail on both sides of the centre, until you reach point C.

your mouse should now look a bit like this:

Stuff it with wool, til it is reasonably firm. Before you close it up at the base poke in your weights. I used 1967 one and two cent Australian coins. One and two cent coins were discontinued in 1991 and withdrawn from circulation but I still have a few around - who knows my sister's mice might be worth quite a bit one day!

Nearly done - just ears, eyes and wiskers to go!

If you still have plenty of length left on your thread just poke your needle up through the body of the mouse and come out where you would like an ear to go. (if you need to start a new thread thats is ok. just bury you end in the body and come out where the ear will go and secure your thread with a couple of small back stitches)
The ears are worked the same way as the tail; keeping the thread you are working with, run a few tiny straight stitches along the flat side and pull to gather then attach securely


Push your needle through to the other side and repeat with the second ear.
Poke your needle back in again this time coming out where you want to place the first eye - secure the bead and go through again, out the other side to stitch on the second eye.
ok poke your needle back in again and come out right on the tip of its nose. You are going to sew a few large loops for whiskers - make sure you secure your loops in the centre each time so they won't pull loose.

tie a knot with the needle, to end off, right on the tip of its nose and (this is  the last time we poke the poor creature I promise) poke your needle back inside coming out its tummy (or somewhere) cut your thread close to the body as you can and the end should disappear neatly inside (never to be pulled and unravelled)
Last of all cut the far end of your loops to double your whiskers.


Now all you have to do is find them a little house....

44 comments:

momma rae said...

adorable!!! are you sharing the pumpkin house, too? ;)

Ariella said...

oh yes, seriously adorable. love the pumpkin house too!

S said...

Thanks Momma Rae. I promised my sister hers would be a one and only, but i can tell you i got the how to idea from Living Crafts Magazine...a fall issue. I think last year...I'll check and get back to you here.

S said...

Oh! Childhood Magic you must have popped in while i was answering Momma Rae. Thank you, i love 'em, think i will make loads more little mice to have about the place :)

Linda said...

Shannon, this is so amazing!!! I do hope you will share this tutorial on Creative Friday tomorrow:)
Warmly
Linda

erin said...

They are so cute. Thanks for such a detailed tutorial. Love it!

WonderWhyGal said...

What a Wonderful tutorial! Thank you for sharing, it's truly adorable.

TwigandToadstool said...

you're right!!! Seriously cute!!!
I must have missed that issue of Living Crafts!!! Time to do a backorder!
xo maureen

woolies said...

LOVE the meeces. Or mouses. :)

S said...

Maureen - the issue shows you how to make a small felted pumpkin with a bottom and a lid...I got much bigger and creative with the idea from there - it doesn't show you how to make the house - sorry if i confused you.
Or even mice Wollies :)

S said...

It was Living Crafts Fall 2008 - felted pumpkin. page 20-21

K said...

And a seriously delightful tutorial. Charming! Every time one of my children went off on some kind of junket away from home - scout camp, an archaeological dig in Wales, a two years' trip to Argentina, I made them a little felt animal - a tiny green frog that surprised me with its charm, a little pony with beaded tack, a bitty wolf, and a bitty replica of our collie. There is charm native to felt, and to small - and to the tiny icons that remind our loved ones that they are, indeed, remembered and cherished.

S said...

Thank you K, funny you should mention a frog. I love frogs and have been thinking how to do a few together on a log so we can sing that silly song.

softearthart said...

So cool, cheers Marie

Val said...

They are brilliant..don't they come to life when you add the eyes!

thx for a great tutorial

Val said...

me again ..Excellent instructions..many Thanks... worked great younger daughter 7 (who was home ill ) managed to make a mouse (with a bit of help) in 45 minutes waiting for her sister to come home..it came out really well..the weighted base is especially nice..now she's making a bed, house and a museum...!!! for said mouse (all out of assorted cardboard boxes and duct tape lol)

S said...

Oh Yay Val I am so pleased.. perhaps it will be a girl mouse and before you know it there will be ten little meece all over her bed. i hope she is feeling better. AND you are right the eyes really make the difference. i was in teh pet shop today and was thinking i should make a white one with little pink eyes...

Val said...

Leaning over my shoulder reading comes a small voice "Can We make a white mouse with pink eyes?" see what you've started... :0) :0)
(actually I think that sounds a great idea too :0) )

M.J. said...

great pattern! I am working with it now the only thing that confuses me is this line "You are going to sew a few large loops for whiskers - make sure you secure your loops in the centre each time so they won't pull loose." How should I secure the loops? knots? back stitching? is there a trick I don't know?

S said...

Hmm MJ...any or all of those methods would probably work. I think that when I made a loop i backstitched then made a loop on the second side and backstitched again (It has been so long!) you really only need one loop on each side because if you work with 2 strands of floss whe you cut open the loops you will have four individual whiskers and the mice are so tiny they don't need more than that....you could also backstitch and cut each time rather than making a loop. Sorry I don't think i have been very helpful.

Michele T said...

These are soooo sweet! I just love mice... thanks for the tute!

Kimara said...

So cute. Now, these are mice I'd love to have all over the house :) I'll be sharing on WeeFolkArt's Facebook page. Thanks :)

Kreasi Flanel said...

Wooow, this is so beautiful felt crafts idea. I like felt crafts too. Can i share this tutorial. I like this creation so Muuuuuch. Thank's for share this free felt crafts pattern

Ribbons & Bows said...

These little mice in their pumpkin house are too adorable, do you have to pattern for them, my niece would love them.
thanks Karry

S said...

Hi Ribbons and Bows.. in the text of the tutorial there is a scrib link to the mouse pattern. The pumpkin house you will need to work out for yourself - sorry. Cheers.

ev.a thompson~ said...

What a sweet tutorial, thankyou! I smiled big when I read the "Mice" poem. I memorized that in grade school nearly 50 years ago. Thanks for the memory!! Ev

Grandma and Grandpa Spell said...

I love the mouse, but i don't know how to find the pattern-could you give me some instructions how to find and download the pattern??
Thanks-all your stuff is really inspiring :-)

S said...

G and G Spell, if you hover over the 'free pattern from scrib text' it will come up with hyperlink.. but to make it very easy for you copy and paste this link into your browser. http://www.scribd.com/doc/33840430/Seriously-Cute-Mouse Happy stitching.

Connys Cottage said...

hello to Brisbane,

your pumpkin is soo sweet.I love it.

I fond you via pinterest

greatings from the Nederlands send you Conny

Anonymous said...

I am 52 yrs old. When I was around 7 or 8 we made felt mice just like this, but with long tails and a paper clip inserted on the belly. We used them as cute book marks. We clipped the mouse to the book cover and used the long tail to mark the page. Always thought these were the cutet things!

mariekafer said...

trop mimi ces petites souris bravo!!!

JennyTheArtist said...

hello!
i just made a purple mouse for one of my best friends. see it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennytheartist/7651996456/in/photostream/
thanks for the pattern!

Aliselle said...

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!..... Elles sont vraiment trop trop trop craquantes ces petites souris dans leur jolie maison-citrouille!!!!!
Merci pour les explications! C'est très très gentil!...
Bises de France

Anilegra said...

PRECIOSO!!!!Anilegra Moda Para Muñecas

Dominika said...

Thank you for this tutorial! I've just made one mouse for my 5 yo daughter as a tooth fairy gift. :)

oksanai said...

Many thanks for your tutorial
I posted a link to a group of natural waldorf toys in facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/353963301361178/
Lafiabarussa

Yarn Miracle said...

Darling! I'd love to make one (or a dozen), but scribd now requires paid membership to print.

marky said...

I would love to make these adorable little mice for my grandaughters but I see I must pay for a subcription to Scribe for the pattern. Is it available for free anywhere else?

Thank You for your kindness in sharing you crafts so freely.

markywmurray@gmail.com

Anna M. said...

Oooh, super cue!

Meegan said...

Egads, this is a cutie pie! Will be making one today while the girls watch a movie. Thank you so very much.

Chiara Meneghesso said...

bellissimi questi topini nella zucca, penso che li copierò se non ti dispiace e quando li posto nel mio blog metto il link al tuo. a presto!

Chiara Meneghesso said...

Ieri avevo lasciato un commento, ma siccome non lo vedo, ti riscrivo per dirti che mi piace un sacco questa zucchetta con degli ospiti molto simpatici. Volevo dirti che vorrei farli anch'io e quando li pubblicherò nel mio blog, vorrei mettere il riferimento al tuo se questo ti fa piacere. Da oggi ti seguo, mi sono iscritta tra i tuoi follower.

Angie - Bumble Bee's Craft Den said...

Thank you so much for taking the time to email me the pattern and for sharing this tutorial xxx

animalibros said...

Thanks for the tutorial... I have made seven mouses because I am a storyteller and you have helped me a lot.

You can see them in my blog: http://mamameaburro.blogspot.com