How to Make a Felt House: Beginner Tutorial
Ever since reading about Bilbo Baggin's Hobbit home, I've had a thing for unique and quirky houses. Luckily I can make up any design that I want to using felt.
You'll discover how to make a felt house with a really simple beginner tutorial that only requires just one easy stitch. Get step by step photos to walk you through the whole process from start to finish.
Because this project is so detailed, it's a bit like having your own personal sewing tutor. Enjoy making this first felt home and then having the know how to make so many more in your own style.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for which I can be compensated.
I'm going to show you, step by step, how to make your own felt house design. It's a beginner project which is ideal for newbies because it only requires that you know 1 very easy stitch.
Once you've had a go at this super easy project, you can put your own spin on it and use whatever stitches and house pattern designs that you like.
Tools and Materials:
The first step is to draw out a really simple house shape onto a piece of card and cut it out. Some of the easiest shapes are just a rectangle or square shape with a triangle on top.
This makes a very simple and quick house design with a pointed roof. This is one of the easiest house patterns to sew because it only has 5 sides and no curves to worry about. So I recommend that you use this shape for your first house plush.
When you have your house shape on card, trace around the pattern twice onto the same color of felt fabric and cut them out. Whatever color you choose will form the main color of the felt plush home. I normally opt for a pale cream but you can use any color you want. Why not look at actual buildings for inspiration.
I use a water soluble fabric marker to trace around patterns onto felt with. This makes a temporary mark that can be dabbed off with water.
Learn about temporary fabric markers specifically for felt sewing HERE
There are other means of marking felt for cutting or, alternatively, use a standard ballpoint pen on the reverse of the felt. Do not use a Sharpie or similar as this will make a very thick and unattractive line on your felt which you cannot remove.
On just one piece of your cut felt (what we'll call the front piece) you need to decorate it to make some sweet details for your own unique plush home.
Using the card template that you made back in step 1, draw and then cut out a triangle roof and then pin it in place over the felt house. I used some pretty blue patterned fabric but you could use a different color of felt for the roof instead.
Adding a felt roof will be easier for you to sew and will not fray. A fabric roof can look cute but can easily fray around the edges. If you were making these to sell, I'd advise using a good overcasting stitch such as blanket stitch around any fabric edges or use a fray check sealant.
Unless you are proficient in an overcast stitch, sew across just the bottom edge of the roof using running stitch. Do not sew up the top sides of the triangle because these will be sewn when you come to sew the whole house up.
You can see the triangular fabric roof sewn on in this photo with the stitch just along the bottom edge.
If I'm using a patterned fabric on a plush design, I like to pick out colors used in it for other details. So I chose a blue felt for the door.
I drew out a little door shape from a pale blue felt. Mine has a curved top on the door but your door could just be a square or rectangular shape. Make the door shape that you want for your beginner felt house.
When you are happy with the size and shape of your door, decide where it will go. You can have it to the left, right or middle. When you're happy with your placement, sew it on. I used a pale blue thread to match but you can choose any color of thread.
Doors, for me, are always perfectly finished off with a door knob detail - normally I use a button or a bead. Here I found a pink heart shaped button which matches in with the roof fabric.
I decided on a round window which I cut from the same color felt as the door. A fabric window is an alternative option. You can choose a different window shape such as a square or rectangle.
You could also add more than one window to add more interest. I'd probably add in a downstairs window if the door was placed on the left or right instead of the middle.
I don't like to make the front of my homes too busy with detail but I often add in a wall flower of some sort because it breaks up the bare walls with a level of interest.
Felt plush homes are made really special by the unique details that you are willing to add to them. A pink flower button was the perfect find and it works well with a very basic stitched stem and leaf design sewn on and following the curve of the door.
Consider the little details that you really want to add on to the front of your own felt house. You could make a simple green vine from a running stitch and then sew on some pretty beads for flower heads or even work French knots. Add your own personality into your home to make it uniquely yours.
When you are finished with adding all the detail to the front of your felt plush house, get the second felt piece that you cut out in step 1 and pin it to the back of your felt house. Try to match the sides up as best you can before pinning the pieces together.
When both pieces of the felt are pinned, you can then start to sew around all the sides except for the bottom.
Use a color of thread that will work well around all the sides and start sewing up one side from the bottom left or right. Sew all over the edge of the roof and back down the other side.
While I prefer an overcast stitch such as blanket stitch around edge seams, you can use a simple running stitch around the sides. An even stronger seam stitch is backstitch and this also makes a great choice. To keep your stitches looking neat, try and stick to an equal spacing away from the edge of the felt while you are sewing.
When you've sewn around all the sides except for the very bottom, you can start filling your plush home creation with fiber fill polyester stuffing.
Pull off some fairly small pieces of fiber fill. You want to make sure that the first pieces are pushed right to the end of your little plush house which, in this case, is the top of the roof.
A typical mistake I see by beginners is that they do not add in enough fiber fill to properly stuff the plushie. If you don't fill it properly, it looks rather limp and badly made. Normally, you need a lot more fiber fill than you think you do. Push it in firmly but not so hard as to break or damage your stitching.
You will need a pencil, your fingers or even a blunt ended tool like an embossing stylus to carefully but firmly push the fiber right into the corners. Otherwise the corners are not filled out properly as they should be.
When you have filled your plushie up with enough fiber fill, you can then sew along the bottom edge of the house design. This will complete the design and keep all the polyester stuffing held securely inside.
This is a very simple plush design which only has a front and a back to it. I used a blanket stitch around the edges of the pink house and used square and rectangle doors and windows. The pink design has added ribbon trim and a loop of ribbon for hanging up as an ornament.
When you are confident at making these felt houses, you can then move on to more beginner projects. I'll show you how to make more felt houses in future tutorials. I suggest you bookmark and revisit my site so you don't miss out.
➡️ Now Try My Free Felt House Needlecase Tutorial
Although this design is mostly decorative, you can make it more functional. Make some simple changes so that it will hold a scented sachet in the middle for a unique handmade drawer sachet.
Sew some ribbon or cord on the back to change it into a hanging felt ornament. Alternatively, sew on a chain or bag clip to take it out with you. There are all kinds of different ways in which you can use your plush projects and they make great little gifts too.
➡️ New to Making Plushies? Visit My Free Beginner Plush Guide and Tutorial and Get Started.
Related Content You Should Also Love:
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You'll discover how to make a felt house with a really simple beginner tutorial that only requires just one easy stitch. Get step by step photos to walk you through the whole process from start to finish.
Because this project is so detailed, it's a bit like having your own personal sewing tutor. Enjoy making this first felt home and then having the know how to make so many more in your own style.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for which I can be compensated.
How to Make a Felt House: Beginner Plush Tutorial Using Just 1 Stitch
I'm going to show you, step by step, how to make your own felt house design. It's a beginner project which is ideal for newbies because it only requires that you know 1 very easy stitch.
Once you've had a go at this super easy project, you can put your own spin on it and use whatever stitches and house pattern designs that you like.
Tools and Materials:
- Small pieces of felt in your choice of colors
- Embroidery floss and/or sewing threads
- Needles, pins, scissors
- Fiber fill toy stuffing
- Small piece of patterned fabric
- Buttons and some ribbon for decoration
- Marking tool like a water soluble fabric marker
Step 1: Draw Your House Shape on to Felt
The first step is to draw out a really simple house shape onto a piece of card and cut it out. Some of the easiest shapes are just a rectangle or square shape with a triangle on top.
This makes a very simple and quick house design with a pointed roof. This is one of the easiest house patterns to sew because it only has 5 sides and no curves to worry about. So I recommend that you use this shape for your first house plush.
⭐ I like to work in miniature so my felt plushies are rarely bigger than my hand and often a lot smaller. You decide how small or large you want your finished project to be and size your pattern accordingly. A larger size means more sewing while a smaller size becomes more challenging to sew well.
When you have your house shape on card, trace around the pattern twice onto the same color of felt fabric and cut them out. Whatever color you choose will form the main color of the felt plush home. I normally opt for a pale cream but you can use any color you want. Why not look at actual buildings for inspiration.
I use a water soluble fabric marker to trace around patterns onto felt with. This makes a temporary mark that can be dabbed off with water.
Learn about temporary fabric markers specifically for felt sewing HERE
There are other means of marking felt for cutting or, alternatively, use a standard ballpoint pen on the reverse of the felt. Do not use a Sharpie or similar as this will make a very thick and unattractive line on your felt which you cannot remove.
Step 2: Add a Triangular Roof on to Your Home
On just one piece of your cut felt (what we'll call the front piece) you need to decorate it to make some sweet details for your own unique plush home.
Using the card template that you made back in step 1, draw and then cut out a triangle roof and then pin it in place over the felt house. I used some pretty blue patterned fabric but you could use a different color of felt for the roof instead.
Adding a felt roof will be easier for you to sew and will not fray. A fabric roof can look cute but can easily fray around the edges. If you were making these to sell, I'd advise using a good overcasting stitch such as blanket stitch around any fabric edges or use a fray check sealant.
Unless you are proficient in an overcast stitch, sew across just the bottom edge of the roof using running stitch. Do not sew up the top sides of the triangle because these will be sewn when you come to sew the whole house up.
Step 3: Adding in a Felt Front Door
You can see the triangular fabric roof sewn on in this photo with the stitch just along the bottom edge.
If I'm using a patterned fabric on a plush design, I like to pick out colors used in it for other details. So I chose a blue felt for the door.
I drew out a little door shape from a pale blue felt. Mine has a curved top on the door but your door could just be a square or rectangular shape. Make the door shape that you want for your beginner felt house.
⭐ Stitches that are made using a contrasting color are likely to stand out more. This is fine if you have neat stitching. Otherwise you might want them to blend in by using a similar colored thread.
When you are happy with the size and shape of your door, decide where it will go. You can have it to the left, right or middle. When you're happy with your placement, sew it on. I used a pale blue thread to match but you can choose any color of thread.
Step 4: Add Door and Window Detail
Doors, for me, are always perfectly finished off with a door knob detail - normally I use a button or a bead. Here I found a pink heart shaped button which matches in with the roof fabric.
I decided on a round window which I cut from the same color felt as the door. A fabric window is an alternative option. You can choose a different window shape such as a square or rectangle.
You could also add more than one window to add more interest. I'd probably add in a downstairs window if the door was placed on the left or right instead of the middle.
Step 5: Sewing on a Wall Flower
I don't like to make the front of my homes too busy with detail but I often add in a wall flower of some sort because it breaks up the bare walls with a level of interest.
Felt plush homes are made really special by the unique details that you are willing to add to them. A pink flower button was the perfect find and it works well with a very basic stitched stem and leaf design sewn on and following the curve of the door.
Consider the little details that you really want to add on to the front of your own felt house. You could make a simple green vine from a running stitch and then sew on some pretty beads for flower heads or even work French knots. Add your own personality into your home to make it uniquely yours.
Step 6: Stitch Round the Sides of Your House
When you are finished with adding all the detail to the front of your felt plush house, get the second felt piece that you cut out in step 1 and pin it to the back of your felt house. Try to match the sides up as best you can before pinning the pieces together.
When both pieces of the felt are pinned, you can then start to sew around all the sides except for the bottom.
Use a color of thread that will work well around all the sides and start sewing up one side from the bottom left or right. Sew all over the edge of the roof and back down the other side.
While I prefer an overcast stitch such as blanket stitch around edge seams, you can use a simple running stitch around the sides. An even stronger seam stitch is backstitch and this also makes a great choice. To keep your stitches looking neat, try and stick to an equal spacing away from the edge of the felt while you are sewing.
Step 7: Fill Your Felt House With Fiber Fill Stuffing
When you've sewn around all the sides except for the very bottom, you can start filling your plush home creation with fiber fill polyester stuffing.
Pull off some fairly small pieces of fiber fill. You want to make sure that the first pieces are pushed right to the end of your little plush house which, in this case, is the top of the roof.
A typical mistake I see by beginners is that they do not add in enough fiber fill to properly stuff the plushie. If you don't fill it properly, it looks rather limp and badly made. Normally, you need a lot more fiber fill than you think you do. Push it in firmly but not so hard as to break or damage your stitching.
You will need a pencil, your fingers or even a blunt ended tool like an embossing stylus to carefully but firmly push the fiber right into the corners. Otherwise the corners are not filled out properly as they should be.
Step 8: Your Very First Felt House Plush
When you have filled your plushie up with enough fiber fill, you can then sew along the bottom edge of the house design. This will complete the design and keep all the polyester stuffing held securely inside.
This is a very simple plush design which only has a front and a back to it. I used a blanket stitch around the edges of the pink house and used square and rectangle doors and windows. The pink design has added ribbon trim and a loop of ribbon for hanging up as an ornament.
When you are confident at making these felt houses, you can then move on to more beginner projects. I'll show you how to make more felt houses in future tutorials. I suggest you bookmark and revisit my site so you don't miss out.
➡️ Now Try My Free Felt House Needlecase Tutorial
Although this design is mostly decorative, you can make it more functional. Make some simple changes so that it will hold a scented sachet in the middle for a unique handmade drawer sachet.
Sew some ribbon or cord on the back to change it into a hanging felt ornament. Alternatively, sew on a chain or bag clip to take it out with you. There are all kinds of different ways in which you can use your plush projects and they make great little gifts too.
➡️ New to Making Plushies? Visit My Free Beginner Plush Guide and Tutorial and Get Started.
Related Content You Should Also Love:
Tutorial to Make a Small Felt Cupcake with Free Pattern
How to Stuff Felt Ornaments and Plushies
Beginner Guide to Making Felt Plushies
Make a Felt Bird Ornament Tutorial
More Felt Crafts to Enjoy
How to Stuff Felt Ornaments and Plushies
Beginner Guide to Making Felt Plushies
Make a Felt Bird Ornament Tutorial
More Felt Crafts to Enjoy
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CraftyMarie is a craft themed website by Marie Williams Johnstone. I love to craft in the winter and garden in the summer. I make handmade cards, papercrafts, crochet and seasonal crafts. I enjoy many of the more traditional crafts and hobbies including sewing, embroidery and working with felt and fabric. Thanks for leaving me a comment. Comments do not show up until I approve them. Marie