Hand Sewn Puzzle Ball
These Hand Sewn Puzzle Balls will definitely get you in the holiday spirit! Bright and cheerful, soft and cushy, they just make us smile.
Puzzle balls are commonly thought of as a traditional Amish handcraft, usually constructed from fabric scraps. For our version, we use 100% wool felt instead, making these Puzzle Balls super simple to hand sew without worrying about seams or fraying.
They may look complicated, but these little guys couldn’t be simpler to make. From a couple of traced circles, you cut two simple shapes that you stitch together into a stuffed wedge. Twelve stuffed wedges later, you embroider them in six spots and voila, a beautiful and very clever Puzzle Ball!
For festive holiday ornaments hang your Puzzle Balls on doors, Christmas trees, and garlands, or pile them in a bowl as centerpieces on tables and mantles. They’re also wonderful toys for babies and toddlers, who wonder at their shapes and bright colors and who love their tactility and movement.
To make your own set of Puzzle Balls, start with a Hand Sewn Puzzle Ball Kit. It comes in four colors: Petal, Goldfinch, Grasshopper, and Lagoon, and each Kit includes all the materials you’ll need to make four Balls: two baseball-size and two softball-size ones. Have a ton of fun making your collection of Hand Sewn Puzzle Balls, and may they add lots of merriment to your holidays!
Materials
To make two small and two large Puzzle Balls, you’ll need…
- Eight pieces of 8 x 12-inch 100% wool felt
- A spool of hand-quilting thread
- A skein of embroidery floss
- An embroidery needle
- A needle threader
- 24 safety pins
- Several straight pins
- A set of four chalk pencils
- 3 ounces of stuffing
- 2 yards of cotton ribbon for hanging
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For our Hand Sewn Puzzle Ball Pattern, please email customerservice@purlsoho.com and we’ll send a free PDF right over to you!
Update, May 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!
Sizes
Small Ball: Approximately 9¾ inches in circumference
Large Ball: Approximately 11¼ inches in circumference
This puzzle ball looks very much like the Amish Puzzle I have made in the past but I don’t understand the circle templates. With the Amish puzzle the segments are football shapes.
I don’t really want to buy the pattern but it has me “puzzled”.
Can you give me a hint why this is a circle?
Hi Lorraine,
Thank you for your question! The circle templates are used to create the wedge and football shapes that you’re familiar with. Again, thank you for writing in and please let us know if you have further questions!
Best,
Kumeko
How beaUtiful, thanks for the lovely distraction from post-election distress.
Hi Martha,
Thank you for your kind words!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
With the fabric being felt, do you recommend these for babies, who would put this into their mouths?
Hi, Marny!
These felt puzzle balls make great toys for babies and toddlers! They are perfectly safe for drooly babies and will withstand many hand washings. Please let us know if you have further questions!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
me encanta este proyecto, gracias por darnos nuevas ideas creativas
Hi,
Do you still sell the kit?
Hi Miki,
Thanks for reaching out! We no longer sell this as a kit, however we offer all the components separately! You can find all the pieces you need including the pattern under the Materials section!
All the best,
Gianna
Will this kit be available again? Such a perfect holiday gift!
Hi Ko,
Thanks for reaching out! We no longer carry this kit, but you can purchase the pattern and all the materials needed! You can find the list under the Materials section!
Warmly,
Gianna