How To Make A Streamer Toy For Baby!

Fabric Streamer Baby Toy

With Guest Crafter Amber Cox

This is an easy to make baby sensory toy that was a huge hit with my three month old!

My little one constantly needs new entertainment and is the type of baby that loves to look at things, wiggle about, and is easily bored. One day I noticed that he was fascinated by the pacifier clip that was attached to his toy (typical that he likes the clip more than the toy itself!). This gave me the idea to create a fabric streamer toy! Once it was made, he LOVED it. This toy gives him something bright to look at, fun new textures to grab at, and helps him with movement in terms of grabbing and moving the streamers back and forth. 

Important Note: Please remember that this is a handmade baby toy. As with many baby activities, you should always supervise your child when they are playing with this toy. 

Materials: 
Wooden Dowel – 36 inches long 
10 Wooden Discs with Hole at Top – 2 ¼ inches in diameter
Fabric – 18 ½ inches long, 22 inches wide 
Sewing Machine with matching thread 
Twine 

Supplies

Step One: Cut the fabric into 2 inch thick strips along the width. You should end up with 11 strips. (You can make your strips wider if you want by having less strips or more fabric). I recommend using a bright colored fabric to grab the attention of your little one! You can also use black and white fabric for very little babies. I folded the fabric in half before cutting to make it easier to cut in a straight line.

Cut 2 inch strips

Step Two: Fold the fabric strips in half lengthwise and iron flat. When you do this, the side of the fabric you want to eventually be on the outside should be folded inward and not visible. Your strips should now be 1 inch wide. 

Fold strips in half and sew

Sew long edge and 1 short edge, leaving one end open for turning.

Step Three: Using a sewing machine, sew the long side and one of the short sides for each strip. 

Step Four: Turn your strips inside out (so that the fabric you want to be seen is now visible). This is the most tedious part of the project. You can use your wooden dowel to help turn the fabric inside out. If you have wider strips, this part will also be easier. I recommend taking breaks and having a friend do some for you! 

Turn right-side out using a dowel to push knitting.

Step Five: Iron your strips flat.

Step Six: On the open edge of each strip, fold the rough part over and then fold again about one inch down. Sew across this flap. This will create a pocket to slide your wooden dowel through. 

Step Seven: Take your wooden discs and check them for rough edges. Make sure they are all smooth so they are safe for baby hands. 

Check edges for smoothness

Step Eight: Cut the twine into four long pieces so that they are the length of your fabric stripes with about 5-6 inches extra. For each piece of twine, tie a wooden disc to the bottom, making sure to knot it 4-5 times so it won’t come off easily. 

Step Nine: Add 1-2 wooden discs to each piece of twine by pulling the twine through the holes in the disc twice and pulling tight once the disc is positioned where desired. I did two strings of two and two strings of three. 

Step Ten: At the top of the twine, fold the twine over to make a loop that is big enough to fit on the dowel and then knot.  

Step Eleven: Slide the fabric strips and twine onto the wooden dowel in any pattern that you want. I did the following: 2 fabric strips, twine with 2 discs, 2 fabric strips, twine with 3 discs, 3 fabric strips, twine with 3 discs, 2 fabric strips, twine with 2 discs, 2 fabric strips. 

Now your toy is done! I use this to dangle over my baby when he is lying down or sitting in his chair. I also put it in between two of our table chairs so he can play with it on his back. He loves looking at the color in the fabrics and feeling the textures in the fabric, wood and twine. It is also easy to move around and store. Once he grows out of it, I will be able to reuse the dowel and the wooden discs as an added bonus!

Finished Sensory Toy

Important Reminder: Please remember that this is a handmade baby toy. As with many baby activities, you should always supervise your child when they are playing with this toy. Hang or hold toy securely and never allow baby to become entangled in the streamers.