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How to turn small parts with my special turning trick!

Dec 7, 2015 | A day in my life, Blog, Toy-making TIPS & TUTORIALS

Sewing softies is a great hobby because ANYONE can do it and you don’t need lots of expensive tools! Here is a special trick I use for turning small parts for soft toys using something I am sure EVERYONE will have already…

a ballpoint pen!

How to turn small soft toy pieces


I took these photos when I was sewing my Petunia PIG Pattern. You can see that she has a very skinny TAIL PIECE which is almost impossible to turn just by hand.

Flowet pig toy pattern

 

Let me show you my special turning trick!

STEP 1

Find a ballpoint pen and open it up. Take the ink-cartidge out of the pen tube. These are the 2 parts you will use to turn your small softie parts right sides out!

2-dismantle-pen-so-you-have-a-tube

 

STEP 2

Push the pen tube into the part you want to turn. In this case I am trying to turn the TAIL of my pig.

3.

TIP: The TAIL has a very pointy tip so I have already trimmed the fabric of the seam-allowance to about 3mm(1/8 inch) to make turning easier.

STEP 3

Use the end of the ink-cartidge to push the tip of the TAIL PIECE into the end of the pen tube.

4.use-the-pen-inset-to-push-the-tip-into-the-piece

TIP: This may still take a bit of practice but it is much easier than trying to push you finger into the tiny TAIL PIECE to turn it! 😁

STEP 4

Push the ink-cartidge into the pen tube as far as it will go. There is no need to force it in very far – it is enough just to start the piece turning!

5

 

STEP 5

Now you can use you fingers to push the rest of the piece over the part that is already turned right sides out….

6

 

STEP 6

…and it DONE! How easy is that? 😀

7

TIP: If you are worried about getting ink on your fabric….. you could also use a toothpick or a wooden BBQ skewer/kebab stick to push the fabric into the pen tube. These may be hard to find. You can use any small, sharpish object, even a knitting needle or crochet hook could work.

skewer

 

Pretty cool hey! 🙂

Let me know it you’ve tried to turn toy parts this way?


Pauline McArthur

 

Till next time, Happy Sewing,
xxx
Pauline

14 Comments

  1. Trinity Perona

    Thanks! This is a great tip!

    Reply
    • Toni

      Thank you Pauline! What a great idea!
      I’m fairly new to your patterns by I am having a wonderful time! I’m currently finishing up Slowpoke Sloth. My grandson requested this one and it is turning out great!

      Reply
      • Pauline

        Hi Toni, it’s so nice to hear you’re having a wonderful time sewing my patterns!!!! 🥰

        Reply
  2. Pauline

    Thanks Trinity!!! It’s funny how something so simple can make such a huge difference! 😀

    Reply
  3. Tracy

    Just brilliant, I tried this for elf ears and it was so much simpler!

    Reply
    • Pauline

      Thanks Tracy!!!! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Barb Gdanetz

    Thanks for the information. Great idea for tools

    Reply
  5. Sandra Hartwig

    I used it on dachshund long tail. work smarter; not harder. You’ve nailed. Thanks

    Reply
    • Pauline

      YAY!!!! Thanks for letting me know! 😀

      Reply
  6. Barb Johnson

    OMGoodness!!! That is a really GREAT tip!! That makes it sooo much easier!! Thank you! I am starting out with BUMBLE the Bee, but I get easily confused, which patterns do feel are easier for beginner toy makers?

    Reply
  7. Alice Berntson

    Great tip! I bought a set of turning tubes several years ago; they’re similar to the pen trick!

    Reply
    • Pauline

      Hi Alice, I have some of those too! I got them a long time ago. They were really expensive for me so I wanted to do a “no cost option”.😊

      Reply

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  1. Rita - THAT"S so clever and EASY. Thanks!

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