These chicken bean bags are just about the cutest things that you can make with your sewing machine. Use them as pin cushions, bean bags or even rice packs! This post contains an affiliate link.
If you like this simple sewing project you’ll love our sugar cookie pincushions, 5-minute hand warmers and fabric wired headband tutorial!
This post was originally shared in 2014, but has since been updated to include a video.
Watch our step by step video!
Ruby loves chickens. For some reason there are chickens all over the place in Yuba City. Especially in certain intersections and parking lots. Every time we go to Toys R Us or Winco we see chickens walking by our truck. She loves that. Her favorite song is “The Chicken Dance.” There aren’t any words, but she loves the actions and dance. I thought it would be fun to make her a chicken softie, but fell in love with these chicken bean bags instead. She loves them too. We started with one and she loved it so much that we made a few more. They take about 10 minutes so it’s easy to make an entire flock! Her little chickens go everywhere with us. Grocery shopping, church, on her tricycle, and in her bed.
The sewing inspiration came from Anjie’s Blog. Red Ted Art saw the original and created some photo instructions. Ours are slightly larger than the original and since neither one came with a printable pattern, I quickly drew one to make it easier to keep them uniform when making them by the dozen, ha!
You can download it here: Little Chicken Bean Bag PDF
LITTLE CHICKEN BEAN BAGS
Equipment
- scissors
- pins
- Permanent Marker
- sewing machine
- needle
- stuffing
- rice
Materials
- cutting template (print here)
- felt
- thread
- fabric
Instructions
- Cut out felt templates for the face and a large rectangle of fabric for the chicken body. Lay the felt pieces in the upper right corner of the long rectangle of fabric.
- Bring the bottom of the fabric to the top with the fold along the bottom. Pin to keep beak and details in place. Stitch top and right side, leaving left side open.
- Turn right side out. Add an eye. You can hand sew this or use a sharpie pen like we did. Very gently so that it doesn't bleed.
- Fill 1/3 with fiber fill and 1/3 with rice or small beans. Leave the rest open to allow room to close the bottom.
- To turn your bean bag into a pyramid shaped one vs. a flat square, line up your seams so that the side seam lies flat as the back of the chicken. The front seam where the beak is and the back seam will line up and it will turn into the pyramid shape. Turn under raw edges and pin closed.
- Hand stitch to close.
Notes
This little orange one is my favorite. Ruby’s too.
I’m thinking that this little pattern would make a great base for so many fun animal bean bags! A puppy, a cat, or even a pig.
Can you think of any others? What a fun little party favor or stocking stuffer, or homemade birthday gift!
For 60 more sewing projects, check out my sewing book for kids!
I think Lexi might need a couple of these. They are ADORABLE!
She does! And they are so easy! 🙂
Sorry, but the pdf file will not open. It only shows the title.
Love the chicks.
Debbie
I revised the settings, if it still doesn’t work let me know! It works from my computer. Thanks for letting me know!
These are so adorable!!
Thanks Dani! I think I need an excuse to make more, they are so easy and fun!
Super cute but could not download PDF 🙁
Hi Janet,
You aren’t the only one who has had issues downloading it. It’s so strange because I have it set to “public”. Would you mind clicking this link and letting me know what it does? I double checked the settings. It “should” open right up now. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1m2SR4aI1ThSWN1bTVEUG1Sdjg/edit?usp=sharing
Looks very cute
Hermosas!
You gotta love the internet. I have been making chicken bean bags for years. I’ve never made them this large and my take is a little different. I use golden beads and make legs – and i put on a tail using scraps of suede. Until this post I had never thought of adding the wattle.
fun!
Thank you so much for this cute pattern! Mine turned out a little different (I call it “unique”) but still adorable. I know that I won’t be stopping at just one! 🙂
I’m hooked on making these little chickens! i checked out a few different tutorials before attempting and found yours to be the best one! they are so cute, and easy!
Thank you Brooke! They are so fun, right?!
THESE ARE SOoooo CUTE. I Love, love, love chickens too. Have them free ranging in my back yard I gotta make some of these for my sewing room. Thanks a bunch for posting this.
Sooo Delighted to have just found your little chickens as ive been wanting to make these for a while but had no template for them. Thank you.
Hi there I was hoping to get the little chicken bean bag template emailed if possible. couldn’t get it to work
Absolutely! I’ll email it to ya!
Awwww so nice bean bags!
Check my site http://www.beanbagbedwithblanket.com/
Too old post and m checking now…….shoo cute!
I LOVE the chicken bean bags.
i am making one for my little brother for Christmas this year but i am just wondering what fabric you used?
cheers, ash
Thank you Ashlee! I used a home decor fabric that was a little thicker because I liked the pattern, but you could definitely use a basic cotton!
I love these and the Yuba City chickens too!
Do you just allow the fibrefill and the rice to mix within the chicken? I wondered about putting the weight into a pouch inside
Hi! Yes, I put the fiberfill in first and then the rice. Our chickens are pretty old now and the fiberfill has flattened down some, but the rice works great and stayed at the bottom, didn’t seem to mix in with the fiberfill.
Thank you