I make my plush...by, well, sewing them! (No seriously. This is the first thing that I always think when people ask me this question.) It takes a lot of patience and may not be a great hobby for someone without that, unless you're very determined. (If you've got a lot of determination and enjoy sewing, you'll really love plush-making!)

I don't currently have any patterns online to share (I should in the future), and I'm really terrible at explaining how to do things without image examples or when I'm not physically showing a person. So no, I really can't help you with that. If you have a specific question, though, I will do my best to help. (Broad "can you give me advice on plush-making?" questions are extremely aggravating since there's so much to plush-making. It's not that simple to explain and is pretty much the reason I'm making this faq..)

*** Zakka Circle at the UFOCatcher forums has a lot of free patterns, and BabyLondonStar has a great sitting plush tutorial that's got a lot of detailed steps.

Really, any type of materials you want will probably be great! Felt isn't the best as far as durability, but it's okay for practicing and if you don't want to spend a lot of money. Fleeces are a step-up from felt, a lot softer, and I really recommend it! (Fleece does pill up with time though, so look for non-pill fleeces.)

I really enjoy using (polyester, not real) suedes - they come in a huge variety. Doe suede and buttersuede are really soft and they don't fray (I use doe suede for plush bodies), and microsuedes are similar. Mole-skin suede is also very nice, but since it's 97% poly/3% spandex it can sometimes stretch a little funny, and it also frays. Alova suede, crushed panne, and other "costume" fabrics are nice too. Suedes generally range from $5 - 20 a yard, sometimes more.

Velveteen, velvet, and velour are also good to use. Minky is nice when (you can afford it) you want some fluffy texture, and faux fur can be used for anything from hair to clothing to ... well, anything!

Linens and other fabrics are also very nice if you want more realistic than soft. Check out your local fabric stores, or if you don't have any, go online. Most fabric websites nowadays offer a swatches option, so you can order a bunch of swatches to see what you like!

Pleathers and Vinyl PVC are good to use too for characters with those types of outfits.


REMEMBER to put your iron at the right temperature when ironing fabrics, otherwise you may burn them! Usually, somewhere on the iron, there are settings that tell you what number to use for certain fabrics. (Off the top of my head, I believe #3 is Polyester on most irons, so that's what I use with my polyester suedes.)

Specific Areas of Question:

Face/Eyes/etc. - I do a lot of details by creating them in Photoshop or Illustrator and printing them onto QuickFuse Fabric Sheets (made by JuneTailor). They have a fabric feel, unlike t-shirt transfers, and you can fuse them onto most fabrics with an iron at a high cotton setting (so if you're ironing them onto something like suede, be sure to put a light handkerchief or something over it so you don't burn the suede!). The only downside to QF is that it's not good for teeny, tiny details.

You can draw on QuickFuse with marker, too, or paint on it. You can also put designs/eyes/etc on with fabric or acrylic paints (straight onto the fabric!), and you could always do fabric details by using Heat 'n' Bond (since most of the time, it will keep the fabric from fraying).

Clothes - I find the best way to make clothes is to plan out the shapes by sketching/etc, as well as tracing the patterns for your body parts and copying them (but bigger, so they fit). I always put my clothes on my plush before I stuff them, as it's hard to get clothing over the over-large head, feet, and hands sometimes. To do details, I like to use things like Heat 'n' Bond (see Face/Eyes/etc) for details. You could also embroider (by hand or machine). Bias tape is really useful for doing small trims, is inexpensive, and comes in a variety of colors. (Especially if you'll be using a lot of it - I stock up on red for the trim on Akatsuki cloaks since I make so many plush of them.)

Hair - I layer hair. There's tons of ways to do this, as well. You could make a "cap" to sew onto the head, cut pieces and sew or hot glue them, etc etc. You really have to find a way that works best for you. It's best to use a fabric that doesn't fray.

I've specifically had people ask me about Deidara's hair, too - for something like his hair, take a bunch of strips of fabric and sew them all together at the bottom. Then sew these into the red band, and sew the band to his head securely.