How to make a baby rattle toy

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one toy)

• Main fabric (printed cotton or double gauze) — two scraps about 20 × 20 cm (8 × 8 in)
• Toy stuffing — a handful
• Craft bell (a plastic rattle ball is safest) — 1
• Ribbon (1–1.5 cm / ½ in wide) — 10 cm (4 in)

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Baby” → “Baby rattle toy” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the diameter and how far the ribbon loop sticks out. Presets cover small, standard and large.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   It is small, so a shifted line changes the shape. Mark carefully.
2. Cut
   Cut two pieces. A print on one side and a plain on the other gives it two faces.
3. Finish the edges
   Not needed — everything is enclosed.

4. Sewing

4-1. Position the ribbon

1. Fold the ribbon into a loop and lay it on the right side of one piece with the loop pointing inward.
2. Keep the ribbon ends inside the seam allowance and baste or tape them in place.
3. Pointing the loop outward is the classic mistake — it ends up inside the toy after turning.

4-2. Sew the two pieces

1. Lay the second piece on top, right sides together, and sew all the way around leaving a 4 cm (1½ in) gap.
2. Clip the curve every 5 mm (¼ in) — it is a round shape and will turn out lumpy without it.
3. Backstitch two or three times over the ribbon. That is what a baby pulls on.

4-3. Stuff it

1. Turn through the gap and shape it.
2. Add the stuffing in small pieces, filling the outside first and the middle last. One big lump gives a bumpy toy.
3. When it is about half full, drop the bell in and pack stuffing around it so it sits centrally.
4. Stuff it so it squashes when squeezed — packed hard, a baby cannot grip it.

4-4. Close the gap

1. Fold the seam allowance in and close with ladder stitch.
2. Use doubled thread and go around twice — this is the first seam a baby will open.

✏️ This will go in the baby's mouth. Do not add buttons, beads or small appliqués — anything that can come off can be swallowed. A plastic craft rattle ball is safer than a small metal bell.

5. Tips & variations

• Crinkle sound: a scrap of laminated fabric or plastic tucked in with the stuffing makes the crackle babies love.
• Make it washable: washable fabric and washable stuffing. This toy will be covered in dribble within a day.
• Make a few: two or three in different prints wrap up beautifully as a gift.