I love making little seasonal and festive sewing projects to mark the year. So I couldn't resist sharing a few Easter makes to sew on your own or with your children or grandchildren. All the suggestions are suitable for beginners or confident beginners.
It's a lovely opportunity to spend time together and brighten up the celebrations! Here are seven projects that I thought would be fun to make. I made four of them in total; the others will probably be for next year 😊
Let's get started!
1. Little fabric eggs to brighten up the table
I decided to sew little fabric eggs to fill a small basket and brighten up my table in April. After Easter, you can reuse them as pincushions.
I've put together a little tutorial of my own for you 😊.
To make the Easter eggs, you will need:
- scraps of fabric
- thread
- wadding/stuffing
- a hand-sewing needle
- a piece of cardboard to make your template
1. Draw the pattern
I suggest making your template from cardboard so that it is sturdier.
Draw a 12 cm line. At its midpoint, draw a perpendicular line measuring 6 cm, with 3 cm on each side of the first line.
Use a French curve or a convex object to draw the egg's outline through the four ends of the cross you have just drawn. Keep the outline slightly flat at the ends.
2. Cut your fabric
For each egg, cut four fabric pieces using the template.
3. Pin one long curved edge of the egg pieces with right sides together.
4. Stitch the long curved edge of the two pieces you have just pinned, using a 0.7 cm seam allowance, the width of the presser foot. Start at the tip, as shown in photo 3 below. At the end of this stage, you will have two half-eggs.
Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam.
5. Join the two half-eggs together
With right sides together, pin one side of the two half-eggs and stitch, starting at the tip and joining your first stitches. Then join the egg's remaining side to close it. Stitch the top and bottom, leaving a 4–5 cm opening so that you can turn the egg right side out and add the stuffing.
6. Fill the egg with stuffing and close the opening by hand using an invisible stitch.
And there you are! Just repeat as many times as you like to fill your basket.
2. The Gabin bunny by Miss Cactus
I've just discovered the designer Miss Cactus, and I'm a fan of her Easter creations. I really wanted to make her little bunny and hen using fabric scraps; you may recognise some of the projects they came from 😊.
The pattern and tutorial are available free of charge on her blog and in her shop. The pattern is accessible to beginners. The only difficult part is closing the top of the bunny, where your machine will need to sew through thicker layers. I recommend not overstuffing it, to make that seam easier.
If you want the ears to have more structure, you can add fusible interfacing.
Finally, to finish your bunny, don't forget to make a pompom from wool or faux fur and sew it on as a tail.
3. The Suzette hen by Miss Cactus
After making the bunny, I enjoyed sewing the hen by the same designer in the same fabrics. For the comb, however, I chose fine-wale corduroy so that it would hold its shape.
The pattern and tutorial are also free in her shop and, like the bunny, suitable for beginners.
4. The bunny backpack by Valma Créas
I thought this little backpack was adorable. You can give it at Easter or at any other time of year, for school, sports or lunchtime... It's a very versatile little bag.
I'll let you discover it 😊
5. The Lapin drawstring bag by Chouette Kit
I made this pattern last year to give Easter eggs to my godson. The size was perfect for his very young age, and his basket looked nicely filled, even though it didn't contain many chocolate eggs. This pattern is really accessible to beginners.
You'll find all the instructions by clicking here.
6. The Easter bunny basket by un brin d'Iris
I think this little basket is lovely for giving eggs to children or grown-ups. It is more difficult than the Chouette Kit pattern, so it is aimed at confident beginners. The technical challenge is adding a layer of wadding, which isn't necessarily easy to sew when you're just starting out.
7. The Cocotte basket by un brin d'Iris
Here's a wonderfully decorative basket for your table or kitchen, where it can even stay all year round to hold fresh eggs.
I love its retro design, which reminds me of holiday homes in the countryside... a little touch of childhood nostalgia.
This pattern is aimed at beginners/intermediate sewists because there are quite a few steps, and precision is important for the hen's details, particularly its head.
Please note: there is a correction in the video. Take the time to watch it all the way through before you start, because you need to sew the hen onto the wadding before making the head details. It will be clearer when you watch the video 😊.
I hope these patterns have inspired you to make your Easter decorations. Tell me in the comments if you're planning to make any, or if you have other patterns to suggest 😊. I'll be delighted to read your ideas.
Happy sewing!
