Making Animals for VBS

Sewing Bug

Got the sewing bug this year as preparations were made for vacation Bible school. The theme is Australia and team names are various animals found down under. Down the rabbit hole we went sewing animals to give away to the kids.

Sewn Koalas, jellyfish, clown fish, dingos and platypus. These creatures are so different and fascinating.

Got the pin looms out to create some turtles. It’s amazing how different they look with yarns of different colors both solid and variegated.

The turtles were made with a few different looms including:

  • hexagon pin loom
  • 2″x4″ rectangle pin loom
  • 2″ square pin loom

Found the sewing patterns online. Some were on Etsy others were free on various blogs. The turtles were inspired by a weave along on the Facebook Pin Loom Support Group. If you love to craft, we encourage you to look into pin loom weaving and join this private group for inspiration.

Pin Loom Turtles

Turtles are a heartwarming creature. And easy to make with a hexagon pin loom. The are also a great opportunity to mix variegated yarns and solids in the same project.

We joined the turtle weave-along on TexasGabi’s website. We learned about it in the Pin Loom Weaving Support Group on Facebook. Before you know it, we had woven a bale (group) of turtles! We experimented a bit. We tried different yarn combinations, different size safety eyes and used different colors for the top vs bottom of the turtle.

Pin Looms Used to Make Turtles

The main pin loom used was a hexagon. We like the one from Bluebonnet Crafters. They have this classic shape in their Etsy shop and several other fun shapes, too.

While we used a lot of other shapes for the head, feet, tail and neck, they can all be made by folding, rolling and tucking a 2″ square.

But since we have other looms, we sometimes used the follows:

  • 2″x4″ pin loom was used for the head
  • 1″x4″ pin loom was used for the neck
  • 2″ triangle pin loom was sometimes used for the feet when we wanted a different color on top verses bottom of the turtle.

We received a special request for a few turtles. They requested pink, teal and blue. So we made a few more!

Behind the Scenes: Lil’ Snapper

Behind the Scenes: Lil’ Snapper

My in-laws recently had a baby, and to celebrate, I decided to crochet something to match the theme of the baby’s room. The overall theme was turtles, so I set out to make a sweet little turtle photo prop. After looking at the various turtle patterns available, I wanted to make something as lifelike as possible.

Baby Turtle Photo Prop Crochet Pattern

I drew various shell patterns and debated about the shape of the shell segments. I finally decided that hexagons and pentagons would be the easiest. Still, I wanted a pattern that would show intricate texture found on shells. That’s when I decided to try the spike stitch. After several prototypes, I settled on the pattern used in this Lil’ Snapper set.

Crochet Turtle Blue and Brown

Originally I designed the pattern in green and brown, thinking that was the color of the baby’s room. Nope, it was blue and brown! I furiously set to work redoing all the work I had done before. Turns out blue and brown make for an adorable turtle as well! That got me to thinking, there are girl turtles too, so I played with a pink version as well.

Turtle Family

Turtle Family

The set originally included the blanket, hat and diaper cover. Those were published in Love of Crochet. I was doing some research on rattles for another project when I realized that the hexagon shape would work for a little turtle rattle. A plastic Easter egg filled with popcorn seeds was the perfect size for the little hexagon. I also thought the little cape photo prop could be turned into a little stuffed animal, and thus the Turtle Family was born. I even debated about turning it into a purse, but that has yet to be done.

Turtle Blanket, shell, diaper cover and hat pattern available on Etsy.

Turtle Complete Set pattern available on Etsy.

Newborn Turtle Outfit Crochet Pattern

Newborn Turtle Outfit Crochet Pattern – Lil Snapper

Newborn Turtle Outfit Crochet Pattern

You’ll get lots of oooh and aaahs with this adorable little turtle newborn outfit. It’s a fun photo prop and fabulous baby shower gift!

Newborn Turtle Set - hat, diaper cover, cape, baby blanketThis newborn pattern set includes:

  • Baby Blanket
  • Cape
  • Diaper Cover
  • Hat

The baby blanket and hat are practical items that baby can be uses for months/years. The cape and diaper cover are sweet little photo props to capture a moment in time. We’re not sure which is cuter…the tail on the diaper cover or the decorative shell pattern that uses the spike stitch.

Baby Turtle Photo Prop Crochet Pattern

Lil Snapper Crochet Pattern Available in the Store

Love of Crochet Fall 2014The Lil Snapper crochet pattern is available in the Store.

Lil Snapper set on Etsy.

Lil Snapper plus rattles and stuffed animal on Etsy.

This newborn turtle set first appeared in Love of Crochet magazine Fall 2014. We have the rights back to this pattern and it’s now available in our shop.

Available in the Store

Learn more and see more photos of the Lil Snapper.

Turtle Family Crochet Pattern

Turtle Crochet Pattern – Mommy and Baby Turtle Rattle

Crochet Turtles Pattern

This turtle family crochet pattern is a whole lot of fun! The little guy is crocheted around a small plastic Easter egg to create a baby rattle! As baby gets a little older, he or she can shake the rattle and dance to some music.

Pattern includes:

  • Mommy Turtle Stuffed Animal
  • Baby Turtle Rattle
  • Pentagon Pattern
  • Hexagon Pattern

This Turtle Crochet Pattern PDF also includes instructions on how to crochet the spike stitch.

Turtle Stuffed Animal and Rattles pattern available on Etsy.

We label this project as intermediate because of the spike stitch. But if you’ve crocheted pentagons and hexagons before, then you should have no problem with this pattern.

When your kids ask you for a pet…crochet them one of these!

Available in the Store

Photo: Love of Crochet Magazine

Photo: Love of Crochet Magazine

Coordinates with Published Set

These little stuffed animals coordinate with the “Teensy Turtle Baby Set” that was published in “Love of Crochet” magazine Fall 2014! The Teensy Turtle Baby Set in the magazine includes a baby blanket, hat, diaper cover and cape.

Turtle Blanket, Diaper Cover, Hat, Rattle, and Stuffed Animal pattern available on Etsy.