Fabric Beach Balls
These fabric balls are the perfect handmade baby gift, multicolored, soft and round…..what’s not to love! Sewers of all levels will have fun making these toys that will be worthy of passing down from generation to generation.
Enjoy! –Page
Materials
We recommend 1/4 yard of each fabric to leave room for error.
These are the fabric I used:
Large Ball
- Nani Iro White Tossed Flowers
- Yuwa Honeycomb in Red
- Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton in True Cobalt
- Carolina Chambray in Royal
Medium Ball
- Nani Iro Pink Blooms
- Yuwa Honeycomb in Pink
- Yuwa Honeycomb in Aqua
- Net of Jewels in Carnelian
Small Ball
- Nani Iro White Scattered Dots
- Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Daffodil
- Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton in Persimmon
- Yuwa Honeycomb in Blue
Other Materials
- Cotton Stuffing
- Cotton Thread that blends with chosen fabrics – We used #1040, #5910, and #6800
- Fabric scissors
- Applique needle
The Pattern
Finished Measurements
- Small ball: approximately 5-inches diameter
- Medium ball: approximately 7-inches diameter
- Large ball: approximately 9-inches diameter
Download this template for the small and medium balls, and this template for the large ball.
You will need to cut eight fabric pieces total to make each ball. We used two each of four different fabrics for ours.
Fold fabric in half by lining up the selvages so that you can cut two pieces at a time. Lay template on the fabric and trace with a pencil. Cut the fabric on the drawn line. Repeat this process with the remaining fabrics so you have eight pieces total.
Pin the cut pieces in pairs right sides together, carefully aligning the points and edges.
Chain-piece the pairs, sewing past the points at each end using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. You don’t need to backstitch because you’ll reinforce these seams when sewing the pairs together. Be sure to make smooth curves as you are sewing so that the ball will be nicely rounded. After chain-piecing, carefully cut the threads between each pair. Press the seams to the side of the darker fabric.
Pair the pieces once more, aligning their cut edges with right sides together and pin them together. Sew them together to create two half-sphere shapes with four pieces each. Press seams to the side of the darker fabric.
Turn one half-sphere right side out, and tuck it inside the other half-sphere, with right sides together. Align the points and edges, and pin the two pieces together. You’ll want to begin one of your seams 1- inch from the point to leave an opening for you to turn the ball right side out and to stuff it. Take care not to sew over the nice points you’ve made at the ends when stitching the previous seams. Your top seam should just intersect the point where the previous seams meet.
Turn the ball right side out through the opening, and stuff it firmly, making a spherical ball.
Fold and finger-press the edges of the opening 1/4 inch to the inside to create a clean edge. Using a blindstitch, carefully hand-sew the opening closed, stitching just inside the fold for an invisible seam.
Cut two circles for each ball to sew at each end. We recommend using the darkest solid fabric for this since it is a way to cover the part where all the seams come together which isn’t always perfect. We cut a 2 -inch circle for the large ball, a 1 3/4-inch circle for the medium ball, and a 1 1/2-inch circle for the small ball. Fold and iron the edges of the circle approximately 1/8-inch. Hand-sew the circles on each end of the ball using a hand stitch.
If the balls have gotten a bit misshapen while sewing on the circles, manipulate them back into a nice spherical shape and you’re good to go!
Update 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!
These are great!!! Thanks for adding a fun cute project.
These are so lovely! It makes me want to make 20 and hang them from my ceiling.
These are so cute. A while back we made one from felt and it came really nice. we hand sewed the whole thing with the seam on the outside. we have to try these ones too. thank you for sharing
Wow! These are adorable! Thanks for sharing!
These are adorable! As a pastor’s wife I go to tons of baby showers. This is a perfect special and unique gift to give. Thank you so much for sharing this!
These are so cute, I need to get started right now. Oh, but what is the seam allowance? 1/4in? I love your projects and enjoy seeing what you’re all up to!
Hi MaryAnn,
Thank you for your comment, the seam allowance is 1/4-inch. I’ll add it to the pattern right now!
These are exactly like the ones my grandma used to make. I can’t wait to put some together!
thanks
What an adorable project! Can’t wait to try this one. Thanks for another great one!
I LOVE these… they are super cute… and really would make a GREAT baby gift! I think they would also just be fun for families in general! :o)
You know, I just stitched one of these up with scraps from the Party Garland and now my gift to the new mom will perfectly match the party! I’m helping host a baby shower and these will be the perfect gift for a new baby girl with two older brothers. I think I will leave off the circles on the ends, though, and I’m thinking about adding a jingle-bell in the center of the stuffing… What a wonderful project!
So cute and they couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. My friend’s baby is discovering balls. They definitely look like they’ll be quicker to sew up than the Puzzle ball in LMPG. Thanks for the great projects. So inspiring and making me want to sew more!
wow, those are almost identical to the felt ones i make. i do all my stitching by hand though, but i really like the circle over the “ends”. i usually just satin stitch the area to make it neat. very nice work!
How cute!!! Another great project to add to my list of projects to do!
Thank you so much for this pattern. I have been racking my brain for the perfect shower gift for a little baby boy… I have so many scraps… These should be perfect:)
Just wanted to add that this is a great toy for kids to grow with. My 7-year-old son plays basketball in the house with a similar ball that I knitted up for him years ago. Great way to get around the “no balls in the house” rule!
I have too many of those special remnants, I’m going to make me one of these! How about a bell in the middle for extra fun?
Hello everyone!
This is my first post year. I’m a bit challenged in this area. I’ve never really tried sewing anything and I certainly don’t have a machine. In fact, I just ordered something similar on Etsy from a lovely woman using Amy Butler’s Baby Gumdrop and Mama Gumdrop Ottoman.
I’m just hoping that I can actually find some throw pillows that I can figure out on my own and be able to make without the need of a machine. If not, I’ll just start collecting fabrics that appeal to me and I’m sure I can always find someone who would be interested in making some pieces for a fee.
I’ll bet my 2 year old little cousin would love one of these…something very girly, I hope!
Looking forward to learning as much as I can here. Thanks ever so much!
Nancy
I love it! I am going to make one tonight. My best friend’s son is turning one next week and this will be the perfect gift. Thank you so much for the great tutorial!
Adorable!
Wow, thanks for this tute. Great for xmas gifts. x
Great project. Would you mind if I used one of your pictures on my blog? I will give you proper credit and link to the post. I just wanted to show my readers what I want to make my son for his birthday
Thanks
Me encanta todo lo que haces. Very, very beautiful. congratutation
Thank you for this idea. I am going to adapt it to make sorority balls (pillows) since I am always looking for unique ideas for handmade sorority gifts using fabrics that reflect the particular sorority’s color.
Julie
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I made one today and am putting it on my blog (http://tingaling.wordpress.com/2008/10/19/ball-ey-ball/) with a link to this tut and blog. Again, thanks so much!
Hello, I’m Paola. Our blog is a young, we would be able to put your work, citing the obvious source, products used and your link. We were impressed by the creativity and beauty of the work, and we’d love to have you as our amci. The site, and ‘staff http://elisina.wordpress.com/
sorry for my bad english
oh, this is love. i think it’s the fabrics you picked, though, that makes them especially nice.
I am having trouble understanding this step:
“Pair the pieces once more, aligning their cut edges with right sides together and pin them together. Sew them together to create two half-sphere shapes with four pieces each. Press seams to the side of the darker fabric.”
How do I pair them? Do I open up the pairs I just sewed?
I am sorry, the rest of the tutorial is very clear, I am just having a very hard time visualizing this particular step.
Thank you!
april
schaumburg, IL
Hi April,
Yes, open up the pairs and then sew the two pairs together along one edge. This will give you a set of 4 and the shape when you open it up will be a half sphere.
Let us know if you need more clarification!
this is wonderful!
i have an old red satin bridesmaid dress and i was thinking of making these as christmas ornaments! i think it will work perfectly.
These are addicting! I’ve already made three and can’t wait to make more. Thanks for the great pattern!
http://kundhicreative.com/lincolnblog/?p=795
Thanks so much for sharing this pattern, My grandkids and I have had so
much fun making these. They are good at stuffing, it is such a fun project.
I’m going to make a bunch of these as party favors for my daughter’s third birthday party, but I’m going to put a big buttonhole in them so you can put a balloon inside instead of stuffing. If I can find the time in the next 3 days!
Quiero agradecer por el tutorial de la pelota de tela. Hace mucho tiempo que quería hacerla. gracias!
Just finished sewing my first fabric ball! Mine turned out a little lumpy, but your tutorial was awesome!
this is so awesome! thank you for documenting and sharing!!
What a fun project – Already I can see making these beach balls for my granddaughter’s third birthday! Thanks for adding to my ever-growing projects file. Your website is spectacular and I am very thankful for your inspiration and creativity. I look forward to every email from you! You are awesome!
Your tutorial is great, so easy to follow, and your balls look wonderful. My use for this project is, um, a little unusual, to say the least. We just adopted a seriously abused Border Collie. In five years, he never was played with and is afraid of balls (we are sure he had hard balls viciously thrown at him by a cruel person). So, in an attempt to teach him to play, I’m going to make your fabric ball and cover it with real sheepskin pieces that were left over from a project. I think this will be a gentle way to introduce him to a fun ball that won’t hurt him. Thank you for your ball instruction!
Hi Mary,
That is so sad for your poor dog! I hope he or she enjoys the fabric ball. Just a thought, if you aren’t familiar with Patricia McConnell, you might be really interested to read her books, visit her site or read her blog. She is an amazing animal behaivorist and also has several border collies. Here is a link to her main site:
http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/
Let us know how it goes with your dog!
Joelle
Hi, Joelle,
I spent the entire day making the ball, and Raleigh is showing a little interest. This dog is a project in himself, and we are making progress, albeit slow. VERY slow, but progress, nevertheless. I have some of Patricia McConnell’s books; she is a genius. Thank you so much for your very kind words; I really appreciate your post! This dog is a love, and we’ll do our very best to ease his fear and bring out his playful side. I know it’s in there, somewhere!
Mary
Thanks so much for the fantastic free pattern! I made two of these balls over the weekend.
i just made one of these, and i’m planning on making some more as gifts. they are so cute!
http://reedreeder.com/whitney/?p=1104
I just made one for my son – he got the biggest smile on his face when I tossed it to him fresh out of my craft room! Thank you so much for sharing such a fun and easy projest with us!
These are great!!! I made some for my kids and they LOVE these. I linked to this.
Hey, these are so awesome. I've made some for both my kids, and I even just made some for my Little Man's Birthday Party. They were perfect because my Little Man's friend is allergic to so many things, and this was something he could actually have.
If you want to check it out: http://sandtopearl.blogspot.com/2010/08/little-mans-birthday-party.html
Thank You!
P.S. I put the link to this page on my blog where I showed the balls I made.
Thank you so much for sharing this pattern. I would like to make these as gifts, and I was wondering if you can wash these, either machine or by hand. Has anyone tried? Did it work? Thank you for sharing your experience!
Love, love, love this pattern! I think I'm going to stuff mine with cellophane for my baby girl. She'll love it! Thank you so much!
Thank u so much! THANKS!!!
I was looking how to create a pomkin- head 4 my kids(son)
I was looking for a pattern to make a fabric ball– like a peach–
and I happened upon your blog– yipppeee
🙂
I am going to use your pattern and tweak it a little,
I am using peach colored micofiber handtowells… for my fabric
Instead of the round piece on the top I'll make a green leaf…out of some green satin I have…
This will be a baby toy, for a girl called Georgia… hence the peach…
I am going to make it crinkly by adding a Sunchips compostable bag on the inside before I put the stuffing in…
IF IT turns out cute– I'll post pictures of it on my blog and send you a link!
Hi! This is so fun! Just one thing… I'm REALLY bad at blindstitching….do you know of any good tutorials?
Thanks!
xoxo
Janee
yellowbirdyellowbeard.blogspot.com
I love this pattern, made them for my great nephew and I am going to make a set for my granddaughter!!!
Thanks for the tutorial! I made a small ball for my son and he loves it.
You can see it here, if you like: http://thesewingme.blogspot.de/2013/06/soft-ball-tutorial.html
I linked to your tutorial of course :))
Very good job!
Ciao
i love this… can't wait to make this for my 5 month old, will add some ribbon around for more fun… 🙂 thanks for sharing..
Great tutorial! I'm going to try making this out of vinyl and adding a bit of cat nip to make some handmade cat toys 🙂
I saw these years ago, but instead of being stuffed with fiberfill, they put a balloon in it.
Is anyone else balls coming out sort of oval on one end? What am I doing wrong?
Try sewing the two halves then putting them together. It might help.
Make sure you cut your fabric pieces with the wider part on the crosswise grain (the top of the segment should be pointing toward the selvedge). This helps prevent the fabric from stretching as you stuff.
If you cut your fabric on the bias your ball will turn out nice and round.
Utube has some videos if you don’t know how to do this.
love these! i'm working on 2 sets – one for my daughter and one for my niece 🙂
I've made something similar, and instead of stuffing it, I've made a button hole in the end (circle) to push a balloon inside. Once the balloon is inflated, the tied end is hidden inside. This makes a very bouncy ball, which doesn't hurt.
I loved the idea of fabric beach balls and decided to make one for my son, who is 17 months. Thank you for an easy and clear tutorial. I posted a review on my shop blog and am planning to make more for him.
I love this pattern – even if I am so late seeing it… I am going to make several and instead of putting batting in it I am going to put scrunchies in them… making a lighter ball for little fingers.
Thanks
I just found this tutorial and am very anxious to make these for my grandchildren only I can’t seem to get the templates to come up. Is there something I am doing wrong or has the website been closed. Is there someway that someone could email me the templates, please?
Hi Pam-
The templates seem to be loading fine on our end. Can you try from another browser? If you still can’t get them to load please email me at Molly AT purlsoho DOT com and I can send them to you directly.
Thank you!
Molly
Fabric Beachball template
Hi Dorothy,
Thanks for writing in! The template for the small and medium beach balls can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/smallmediumball.pdf The template for the large ball can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/largeball.pdf
Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance!
Happy sewing!
Cassy
Going to a baby shower and now I have a ball to match my blanket and burp cloths. Thanks!
love baby patterns
Thankyou so much for the pattern and easy to follow instructions. I have so many scraps of material after years of sewing and have been looking for a project to use them up. I make quilts and toys for our birthing unit in local hospital.
I have two new great grandchildren. Would love to make them one.
Hey. I have all my pieces cut to sew… but am trying to figure out which ones to pin together? Am I pinning the same fabrics together? Or how do you choose? Thanks
Hi Lindsey-
It’s totally up to you! I would suggest not pinning two of the same prints together but other than that there are no rules 🙂
Thanks for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
I’m making a few of these for my nephew who is 18 months. I am using college football fabrics, but I have made these for baby shower gifts and used prints to match the other items I made. I tend to use felt or fleece for the circles on the ends of the balls, because I have trouble turning under the edges neatly. I also put a large bell in the center of each. So far the new moms and babies have loved them.
What an awesome gift! Thanks so much for sharing your tips, Amanda! -Alyson
love the pattern balls go together good, am making them for christmas presents for grandkids, came back for the large pattern, will try that made 5 of the medium balls so far
I linked to your tutorial on my “Baby DIYs you can do BEFORE you find out the gender” Round up: https://aredheadmarriedageek.wordpress.com/2016/02/13/roundup-baby-diys-you-can-do-before-you-find-out-the-gender/. Let me know if this isn’t okay.
I’m excited to make a ball for my Little C soon!
nice pattern but my ball looks like a rugby ball is there anything that I could of done wrong
Hi Ashlee,
Thanks for writing in! I am not sure what could have gone wrong. The only thing that would cause something like that might be that your seem allowance was slightly over 1/4 inch. That would account for the shape being slightly less than round. You may also try adding in an additional section to round out the balls.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Mine is a rugby ball shape too!
Have unpicked and will give it another go!
Hi Elizabeth,
I am sorry to hear that you are having difficulties! The only thing that would cause something like that might be that your seem allowance was slightly over 1/4 inch. That would account for the shape being slightly less than round. You may also try adding in an additional section to round out the balls.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I love this project and blogged about 3 balls that I made using your tutorial. I found that using sweatshirt fleece for the center circle worked best for me:
http://theredchairblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/sweet-and-simple-cloth-beach-balls.html
This is great but I really wish you included the instructions in with the template all in one pdf so I have all info in one place
Hi Micaela,
Thanks for writing in! I will pass your request on for the future!
Happy sewing!
Cassy
Mom used to make these. After she died I kept her house 5 years and before selling I traded washing machines. Her machine worked in my house for the better part of a year, then failed to empty. I took the pump apart and found one of the baby ball sections clogging it. What were the chances? It worked for months and months again, before it clogged. You guessed -another baby ball section! MOM, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME? I think she was just saying Hi, I’m good! A grand baby coming made me think of Mom’s baby balls.
Thank you for sharing, Brian! And congrats on the new addition!
Wonderful balls! perfect stretching, looking nice balls now ready to play in beach, thanks for sharing…
wow! these balls are looking so awesome and you shared amazing guide to design it. I really like and will try at home.
I have now made many of these large balls for gifts. THANK YOU!
So fun. I found I liked leaving a two inch opening on one side
For stuffing rather than the top, though.
Also, I put a balloon into them when done to “iron” the finished ball
Before stuffing. (Dollar Store ballon size – big and round)
Also fun to play with just leaving balloon in without sewing the side opening, of course.
I want to cover a bonce ball I figured the pattern but how did I get it on the ball when it’s sewn together. Please help
Hi Carmie,
Thanks for writing in! In order to insert a ball rather than stuff the finished piece, you may need to use a ball the deflates and can be placed through the small hole and inflated once inside the sewn outside. If the ball is hard, you may try leaving off one panel and then hand stitching it in place. I am not sure of how well this will work out as we have not tried it ourselves. Do let us know how it turns out!
Best,
Cassy
I learned an easy way to make the round circles for the ends. Trace the size of the finished circle on a scrap of card stock. Cut a circle of fabric about 1/4 inch bigger than the paper circle. Using a running stitch, sew about 1/8 inch from the edge of the fabric. Put the paper circle in the center and use your running stitch to gather the fabric around it. Using an iron and lots of steam, press the fabric flat against the paper circle. Pop out the card stock circle, and you will have a beautiful fabric circle with the edges pressed under smoothly. I like to edge stitch the circle on my machine before sewing it on by hand.
How can I get the pattern of this ball?
Hi Ineke,
Thanks for writing in! The templates for these lovely balls can be found linked above in the The Pattern section just after the list of supplies!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Thank you so much for the patterns of the beach balls .I’m going to see them up for my grandkids Thank you again
Lindas! Obrigada por partilhar, também os moldes. Já tinha experimentado mas as minhas saíram muito pouco esféricas 🙂
Do you happen to have a pattern for a clutch ball or grab ball? Thank you
Karen
Hi Karen,
Thanks for writing in! I think you might be interested in our Hand Sewn Puzzle Balls pattern or kit! You can purchase either a hardcopy or download only version of the pattern at this link.
Happy stitching!
Julianna
I do not own a sewing machine, but I’m going to hand stitch these together this week thank you for the idea!
Hopefully, the hand stitching will look decorative and not too messy!
Hi there! I love this! Does anyone know how to easily enlarge this pattern? I would love to make the ball even larger!
Hi Kahla,
Thanks for reaching out! I think that the easiest way to make the pattern even larger would be to enlarge the template when you print it. You can probably do this by printing out the template over the span of two pages and then taping the pieces together once you cut them out. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili