Bitty Birdy Fridge Magnet Tutorial

I wanted to make a few things to brighten the house up for spring. We actually have some sunshine here today, although its still very cold.

I love making little fridge magnets. I started to make them when Toots was little. Letters and numbers made from felt and craft foam. The fabric and foam is a lot more tactile and gentle on her little hands than the hard plastic variety.

This is a very simple project and once you have an idea of what you would like to make you can turn out one of these magnets every few minutes.

I used:

Scrap pieces of felt from another project,
Matching thread,
Small amount of polyfill or fiber fill.
Small amount of black embroidery floss.

You also need very basic notions, just a pair of scissors and a needle.

Begin by doodling a few pictures of things you would like to make and use these as templates to cut your felt. I made the birds slightly less than 1 inch across.



The little orange pieces at the bottom of the photo are wings, beak and feet.

Next position the wings, beak and feet on the reverse of the piece of fabric to be the front of the magnet and tack in place. Then embroider some eyes. I think this one would have looked a little better if the beak was slightly lower on the face. Still I'll know for the next one...


The place the second circle of felt behind the face piece and slip stitch using small stitches around the outside edge of both circles, leaving a small gap to stuff.



Stuff the birdy using a small pinch of polyfill.

Then carry on slip stitching over the opening to completely close.

Once the birdy is closed, glue a small magnet on the back of the birdy and leave to dry. I happen to have a bag of rare earth magnets which I prefer to use. I know then that I can make a slightly heavier magnet and it will still stay on the fridge. However, don't feel like you have to run out and buy something specific. Before I started using rare earth magnets I just went to my local pound shop (dollar store) and bought a huge bag of those plastic alphabet magnets and popped the magnets out of the back of them.

And there you have it, a bitty birdy fridge magnet.


And it isn't just birds either. You could have birds, butterflies, little fluffy white lambs and Easter eggs in spring, a swathe of flowers in summertime, beautiful rust coloured leaves, with pumpkins in autumn and then snowflakes made from craft foam and painted with clear glittery nail polish along with a little santa or two and snowmen.

You'll seem so organised and together with your seasonally coordinated fridge and I won't tell anyone it only took you a matter of minutes if you don't.

If you liked this tutorial and are craving more, please head over to Make and Tell Monday at the 6 o'clock stitch.

Because she really has it together.