What Happens at Grandma's: Stuffed Snake Instructions

Here's what you'll need to make one snake:

Fleece fabric, 1/6 yard (6"x 60")
2 large buttons
2 wiggle eyes and Gorilla glue (both optional)
Polyester stuffing
Wood dowel for poking stuffing down the tube
Ribbon scraps:

narrow (1/2" or 5/8") : 12" for tying tail end closed and 10" for tongue
wide (1.5") : 36" length for body bows (4) or 18" for body ties (4)

Sewing machine and supplies:

scissors, pins, strong thread, needle, marking pen for light fabric, white chalk for dark

Snake pattern - see instructions below

This project is not for children under 3 years old due to choking hazard from buttons.

1. Draft a pattern by tracing a 5" circle (snake head) on paper. Add a 4" x 22" body to back of head. Cut pattern out.

2. Fold fleece in half horizontally, right sides together. Center pattern on top, pin and trace it with marker. Note that head is placed at fold.

3. Machine sew along traced line, leaving short end (opposite head) open for turning and stuffing. Cut snake out, allowing 1/2" all around.

4. Turn to right side. Hand sew buttons to face with strong thread. Glue wiggle eyes on top of buttons if desired. Note that button eyes may also be sewed on after snake is fully stuffed.

5. Pull the "sleeve" of snake down as far as possible to make it easy to stuff the head until it is full and round. Use dowel to poke stuffing in. Continue stuffing and pulling sleeve up until body is also full, leaving the last 2-3" unstuffed.

Almost half stuffed!

6. Tuck the raw open end inside about 2" and tie tightly with a 12" scrap of narrow ribbon.

7. Use strong thread to hand stitch a 10" scrap of narrow ribbon to center front of face, at seam, for tongue.

8. Tie a 36" length of wide ribbon into a bow directly behind head. Space 3 additional tied bows (for girls) or tied knots from 18" lengths (for boys) behind head to complete the snake.

CATNIP TOY SNAKES!

To make a cat toy snake (approximately 2" wide x 9" long),
follow the above instructions with these variations:

SUPPLIES - substitutions and additions:

Fleece fabric, 3" x 60" (1/12 yard) -makes 2 snakes
Ribbon (5/8" wide or less), craft cord, or raffia, 18" lengths for body bows (4)
Feather boa trim scraps (1.5" wide) and strong glue (optional)
Quilting thread for eyelashes (optional)
Catnip (preferably fresh) added with stuffing

PATTERN:

Make the sewing pattern exactly the same as above, substituting a 3" circle for head with a 2" wide x 11" long body.

OTHER:

Safety Issue! Cats can be just like kids! If the use of button eyes might present a danger when bitten off and swallowed, omit them. Cut circles from felt for eyes and hand sew them on.
To make eyelashes, thread a needle with black quilting thread, doubled. Make a triple knot about 2" from end of thread. Push needle into snake head behind button eye. Pull it through to the opposite eye, tug on the thread until knot is embedded in snake head and then cut at desired length to make lashes. Repeat for a total of 4 lashes on each eye...more if your cat likes them on his snakes!