Another craft I have been meaning to make for aaaages – this cute and fun juggling bean bag chooks! And there is nothing quite like a 4 year old’s birthday party to get you crafting (check out the Chook Bean Bag Toss)…… What I love about these chooks, is that they look ADORABLE and are surprisingly easy to make. Don’t worry – no complicated alignment of triangles. All you need is one rectangle and some clever sewing! You can machine or hand sew them. I can’t remember where I first saw these adorable pyramid chickens – it may have been on someone’s twitter profile or on etsy, but I did find instructions again on the lovely Anjie’s blog. Anjie has a beautifully crafty blog and she has already guest posted for me twice! So if you don’t know it, it really is worth a visit! And lots more Sewing Projects for Kids here!
This would be a great project for a child learning to sew!
NOTE: this post was first published in Feb 2012 and has been republished for you convenience!
I thought you may benefit from some additional photos, so I took pictures of my “making process” for you too, as well as a mini side step on how to do a French Knot.
Watch the Sewing Crafts for Kids Video or check out the step by step photos below.
How to make a pyramid bean bag chicken – Materials:
- Ssome larger fabric scraps – approx 20cm x11cm is ideal, but I have used 2 10x10cm squares and that worked too
- Some felt for the comb and beak.
- Embroidery thread for eyes (though you could use buttons, beads or paint them on with acrylics).
- A little stuffing and rice.
How to make a pyramid bean bag chicken – video how to:
How to make a pyramid bean bag chicken – Photo Step By Steps:
1) Cut out your fabric (20cm x 11cm) and felt pieces (comb, beak, waddle). Place it length wise, pattern side up in front of you and place your felt pieces in top right hand corner. Then fold your fabric up. This way your final seam will run across the back of the chicken. You can have the fabric going width wise – in this case you would have your final seam across the front of the chicken. I think both ways looks nice, but have a slight prefence towards the back! I only realised this effect after making 10 (yes, 10!!, of these chooks!). Be sure not to have the felt comb too close to the right hand edge, as you may sew it by accident.
2) Sew across the top and right hand side. Leaving the left hand side open for stuffing.
3) Add a French Knot for eyes:
(i) Bring needle up from below the fabric.
(ii) Point needle down towards fabric and wrap the thread round 3-4 times. I think I did 4. Don’t do it too tightly though.
(iii) Insert the needle close to the where your needle came up and pull down and through the fabric
(iv) Done!
4) Here comes the clever bit. I have seen tretra packs like this. First add a little stuffing to the head (a small hand full?) and then some rice (I was curious, my final chicken weighs 60grammes!! But ahem, I am sure the exact weight doesn’t matter). The above photo shows the chicken on its side and filled. Then take the sides and pinch inwards, and some more, creating a new diagonal. Tuck in the fabric. And sew! (I hand sewed this bit as found it easier, but you can machine sew it too!
Ta-daaaaaa
I warn you.. these bean bag chickens are seriously addictive. I made four chickens to begin with – as Red Ted will be four next week.. Then I snuck off and did another 6… and then I realised I hadn’t taken the right photos for you, so sewed my 11th juggling chicken!! Fancy making one? They would be a great little Easter gift too!
Have you given these Pyramid Chickens a go? It really isn’t as hard as you think and you will find that the kids adore it! Check out our teaching kids to sew article! As well as our great Sewing Projects for Kids!
More from Red Ted Art – 20+ Bunny Crafts and 20+ Chick Crafts
I love these! I think I will have to try and make them!
Now these are just TOO CUTE!!!! Love them! Nice work!
Thank you 🙂
these are so cute. I love juggling and Goblin is always somewhat amazed when i do it for hom, i\’ll have to make myself some of these – I\’m sure Goblin will enjoy \”flying\” chickens too.
Oh yes, perfect for Goblin, I am sure :-)))) I am slowly slowly teaching mine to juggle too – basically we are starting with one Chook and I get him to throw it up and catch it (hard for a 4yrs old). A start…
awww, Maggy, they are just too cute! i LOVE them. x
YAY! You have to make some!
Those are just the cutest things ever. I want a whole flock of them! Just pinned this. Vicky from http://www.messforless.net
Aaah thank you so much for pinning! Much appreciated 🙂
Love these!! I would love to feature them but I can’t grab the pictures – so I pinned them for all to see. Love love!
I love your chickens! I pinned them on my \’I want to make\’ board. Now I\’ve made a knitted one of my own. Thanks for the inspiration!
Okay these are so cute! I\’ll have to make some.
Oooh Debbie, so pleased you want to make some!!
And Donna would love to see your knitted version!
This is so cute! Now I know what to do with all my extra rice 🙂
just wanted to say thank you for sharing such a fab idea! my 2 year old little boy is in love with anything chicken or egg related so i have made 6 of these for him and 6 for my little girl for a little game to play over easter when we have family round and they look fantastic and are so easy to make!
What a wonderful website you have here! we are going to make your little decorated chicken eggs tomorrow to. have just shown then the pics and they are very excited about making them! x
Oh my, what a truly wonderful and lovely comment to make. I am SOOOO pleased that you have ALREADY made TWELVE of these (that is 2 more than me!!!). They are addictive, aren’t they? Am so pleased you are getting so much fun and joy out of them. Am all happy goosebumpy 🙂
Oh my gosh they are adorable Red Ted so cute love the fabrics are they hard to do as am sooooo not a sewer 🙁 Wonder if I could do this for my almost 3 yr old at the end of the month and then make the scoop using a milk bottle cut to make the scoops as done in Imagination Tree She made 2 scoops to play with her eldest daughter Great for eye and hand co-ordination
Love them Love them!!
Great work!!
How lovely to have you stop by! The chooks are a great project for “no sewers”, as you can sew them by hand and you only need to sew three sides of one square, if that makes sense? Do give them a go!!
Thank you for inspiring us :}
What a great idea. I love them. I have made 7 this evening. Thank you so much for the wonderfully clear instructions.
I am too,,,
Super cute! FYI, it’s spelled wattle, not waddle.
Muito lindas as suas galinhas, com certeza vou tentar fazê-las.
Oh WOW! These look more complicated to make then they actually are. Really very simple. Thanks Maggy.
I loved making these. I made three polka dot ones for my Miss 7 who wants to juggle. Naturally little sister and brother want some too.
We never tire of ours either!!
Hello!
I have had a stack of fabrics waiting in my craft room so I can sew some bean bags for my preschool classroom. Love these little chicken chooks!
My question is this: how do I make them so I can wash them? In group settings we need to be able to wash all manner of ‘things’ off of toys.
My idea is this: make a plastic bag to fit out of a sandwich bag and fill with rice and seal it up. Place inside bean bag. So bean bag is like a sealable bag around it. Velcro to keep chicken closed? The idea being that I can take the fabric off to wash it without the filling getting washed as well.
I need some suggestions as to the best way to do this. Has anyone tried this before?
Thanks.
Marcia
BC Canada
I think making the filling removable may be the only way? I would also not use felt for the beak and waddle etc, but fabric, as that washes better (Unless you have “wash friendly felt”.
I made 3 of these cute chooks yesterday and my 2 youngest (3 & 5) struggled to juggle so spent an hour using them to play hide and seek with ! Fab.
Yes, it takes a while to learn. But you can start by playing simple catch games with one chook at a time. Mine can’t juggle yet either!!! (4 and 6).
THE LINK FOR THE PATTERN FOR THE JUGGLING CHOOKS NO LONGER WORKS.CAN YOU POST AGAIN?
THANK YOU.
There is no link for a pattern?
When I click on Anjie’s blog, I get an error message.
Hi, there is clearly something wrong with anjie’s website. Don’t visit again, in case it contains a virus. You can follow my instructions too, you just need a rectangular pieces of fabric.
I adore these! I just finished making my first one by hand and it turned out so well! I can’t wait to break out the sewing machine and make more!
I saw this post as was looking for something to do with all the left over uniform we have at school! However, at home I have now made 9 and my boys love them. They are easy to do and my son wants me to make some for his friends and my twins have commissioned a load for their nursery! Best I get back to sewing!!! Many thanks for this.
Oh what a fun way of re using old uniforms!!!
Is there a way to print out these instructions? I do not have a computer at home and need to print out at work. Thanks!
Hi Caroly – when you hit “print”, doesn’t it print them out for you?!
Your pictures are great!!! I love that you make and try on your own designs! You inspire me to get better at using my sewing machine!!! I LOVE the Juggling chooks that you did too!! Awesome website!
Oh my gosh, Love your tutorial!!! Thanks so much – gonna try this one for sure
So happy to hear it 🙂
I’m sure Goblin will enjoy ”flying” chickens too. these are so cute. I love juggling and Goblin is always somewhat amazed when i do it for hom, i’ll have to make myself some of these
Me encanta, es una monada.
Gracias,
Carmen
My Daughters age 11 & 13 wanted to make juggling chook sets to sell and donate the money to charity. Are we infringing on your rights by doing so?
I would LOVE you to do this!! 🙂
That so cute. My babies love it so much.
I love them!
https://sewtales.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/easter-chicken-version-2/
I loved them and here they are:
https://sewtales.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/easter-chicken-version-2/aster-chicken-version-2/?preview=true