Here you will learn the basics of how to sew your own soft toys and pick up a few tips and tricks to make it easy and fun!
This simple pattern is great for beginners. It is suited to most stretchy materials but using fleece will give your toy a warm fuzzy feel! Once you've got the hang of it with your first platypus, experiment with different fabrics - look how great Plattie looks in pink!
Follow the picture instructions below - you can't go wrong.
Pink fleece material (38x32cm / 15x13inch)
Purple patterned corduroy material (38x21cm / 15x8inch)
Plastic pellets (about 35g/1 ounce)
5mm black beads for eyes
Strong thread for sewing on eyes
General sewing supplies (thread, pins, needles, scissors, etc)
Craft glue & firm card for templates
Fine tipped permanent marker pen
Toy stuffing
INSTRUCTIONS
You can sew your platypus on machine, over locker or by hand. I like to use fleece for the body as it makes the platypus so cute and cuddly, but you can use any scraps of fabric for the feet and bill. Start by printing the pattern and enlarging it 40% (from A4 - A3 on a photocopier) Some people have used the pattern pieces the size they are and plattie turns out small enough for a cute little Key-Ring Toy.
Glue the pattern page onto card or thick paper and cut out the pattern pieces to make your templates.
Lay the fabric right side down and place templates onto the wrong side of the fabric following the layout guide. Trace the templates with permanent marker and cut out your pieces. (Press lightly or the ink will smudge and may show through your material on the right side.) Cut the BILL and FEET pieces from purple patterned corduroy, and cut the UPPER BODY and UNDERBELLY pieces from pink fleece.
* Always sew pieces with right sides together and use a 5mm/¼inch seam allowance. Sew the FEET pieces together on the sewing line. Cut around the sewing line with a 5mm/¼inch seam and turn right sides out. I like to use an old wooden chopstick as my turning tool!
Sew the UPPER BODY pieces together from A to B. I use lots of pins and pin from one side then put pins in between from the other side. This stops the fleece from slipping as you sew.
Sew the dart in the UPPER BILL piece, and then sew this to the UPPER BODY pieces from E to F. Sew the BILL BASE piece to the UNDERBELLY PIECE from C to D.
Place and pin all 4 feet in position (Toes facing towards the middle!). Pin and sew the UPPER BODY pieces to the UNDERBELLY piece. Sew ALL the way around, leaving no gap.
Now, for the clever bit! Cut a slit in the UNDER BELLY piece as indicated by the pattern markings and turn Plattie right sides out through the slit you've cut. This way it makes Plattie easy to turn and stuff later, I think the seam on the flat tummy is easier to sew up by hand than one somewhere along the side.
If you like, you could put in a zip and make Plattie into a Coin Purse too,
some clever people have enlarged the pattern and put a zip in the tummy
to make a Pajama Bag!
Sew a seam around the edge of the bill using a 5mm seam allowance to create the duck-bill-look!
Fill the bill and head area quite firmly with toy stuffing. Fill the rest of the body with toy stuffing. Place some plastic craft pellets in the body cavity, or use some rice or beans if you like! Don't overfill it as it needs to flop like a beanbag. Looking at the photo as a guide, mark the eye positions with a permanent marker pen and sew two 4mm beads in place.
Use a ladder stitch to close the opening on the underbelly.
If the toy is for a young child, use a thick embroidery thread and sew a French knot for each eye. Your Platypus is ready to love!
The aim of author Pauline McArthur is to design soft toy patterns that are easy and quick to sew. She has put her experience to use, and offers these Soft Toy Making Tips on her website, to help you with your toy-making ventures. You'll also find a delightful collection of cute and cuddly soft toys that you can make at home, available to buy and download instantly on your computer. Enjoy!
i am going to try and make this for a fun project while teaching shannon how to sew for the first time (she is making a teddy bear)
im 13 and shannon is 10 =P thanks for the pattern
SarahH – Adelaide
Oct 16, 2009 - 04:32
Heyy, Im making the Platypus as a project at school. Im 12, and Ive sewn something before. i just wanted to say Thanks for the great pattern. Its a great help because I couldnt find anything good before this one!! thankyou so much.
Aneta – cheshire
Oct 15, 2009 - 15:54
Absolutely lovely!! just something I was looking for - I can't wait to start making it, congratulation on such an easy and lovable idea
Sarah
Oct 09, 2009 - 10:19
Hey, This is awesome!!! I have looked for stuffed animal patterns and yours is the best I have found!
Thank you.
Vicki – Gloucestershire
Oct 02, 2009 - 03:17
Im 12 and really want to make this for my friends birthday but i have left it a bit late - its on friday 9th of october, do you know if i can still do it?
rhonda jenkins – Pittsburgh
Aug 09, 2009 - 17:13
I love this pattern. My 13 year old & her bf made these together
& they look great. The only used stuffing, and used sequins for eyes OSM!
ryan – Barbados
Jul 20, 2009 - 21:08
lol i found this by mistake while looking for dress sewing patterns and i thought 'what the heck! i need a cute pin cushion anyway' i'm going to make this and keep it for a long long time ... thanks for posting!!!!!!
Izzy – QLD, Australia
Jul 12, 2009 - 00:59
Hi, (I'm 11 by the way)
My mum and I are making Plattie for my cousin's 12th birthday. My cousin and I both LOVE soft toys and she made an elephant for me on my birthday. I'm making Plattie out of brown matierial and she/he is going great! So cute and Fluffy! :-)
sima – tanx
Jun 22, 2009 - 00:21
very nice tanx
lorraine bowman – logansport high school
Apr 13, 2009 - 14:56
my special ed classroom is making the platypus for a service learning project. the finished platties will be donated to local fire and police stations for comfort toys.
i am slightly confused about the stuffing. the supply list calls for plastice pellets but the directions say to use toy stuffing. does that mean fiberfill and if so how much?
thanks,
lorraine
Glue the 
Sew the dart in the UPPER BILL piece, and then sew this to the UPPER BODY pieces from E to F. Sew the BILL BASE piece to the UNDERBELLY PIECE from C to D. 
Place and pin all 4 feet in position (Toes facing towards the middle!). Pin and sew the UPPER BODY pieces to the UNDERBELLY piece. Sew ALL the way around, leaving no gap.
Now, for the clever bit! Cut a slit in the UNDER BELLY piece as indicated by the pattern markings and turn Plattie right sides out through the slit you've cut. This way it makes Plattie easy to turn and stuff later, I think the seam on the flat tummy is easier to sew up by hand than one somewhere along the side. 
Fill the bill and head area quite firmly with toy stuffing. Fill the rest of the body with toy stuffing. Place some plastic craft pellets in the body cavity, or use some rice or beans if you like! Don't overfill it as it needs to flop like a beanbag. Looking at the photo as a guide, mark the eye positions with a permanent marker pen and sew two 4mm beads in place.
