DIY Woodland Felt "Paper" Doll Series - Winter Raccoon

Downloadable PDF Pattern:

Winter Raccoon Pattern Pieces

A note about Heat'n Bond: while it is optional, I highly recommend using it with this project. It will add stability to your pieces, make your cuts sharper and allow you to easily iron on tiny details. For any pattern pieces that have 2 sides, I only use Heat'n Bond on one side.

Instructions:

Cut out all pattern pieces. My favorite way to do this is to print out the pattern or bring it up on a tablet and trace onto the matte side of some freezer paper with a pencil. Use a bit of washi tape to secure the paper before tracing. Iron the shiny side of the freezer paper onto the felt and cut out the pattern pieces. The freezer paper will peel off easily and can be re-used.

If you are using Heat’n Bond, iron the freezer paper onto one side of the felt and the Heat’n Bond onto the other. Do not peel the backing off the Heat’n Bond until both the freezer paper and Heat’n Bond are fully adhered to the felt. Once both are attached, remove the Heat’n Bond backing and cut out your pattern piece.

Making the Raccoon:

If you want to attach the face details by stitching them on, do so before you assemble the raccoon’s body. If you intend on gluing them down, assemble the raccoon first using a blanket stitch or sew the pieces together with a sewing machine. If you use a sewing machine you will have to go very slowly; manually turning the hand wheel will allow you to have control of the project in tricky areas.

Raccoon Head: Attach the inside of the ears first. Attach the base of head, then attach cheeks and forehead. Then add the eyes, nose, mouth and cheeks.

Eyes: I used plastic doll eyes, but you can also cut felt circles or use tiny buttons.

Clothing/Accessories: Get creative! I know you’ve got a stash of craft supplies that you will use “some day”… well my friends, today is that day! Buttons, beads, ribbon and felt scraps are all perfect for this project.
This time I used my Sizzix die cut machine to create the tiny details. Make sure that you are backing any small pieces with Heat'n bond first to add stability and ensure clean cuts. If you have a Cricut machine you can also use that to cut small felt details.
If you want to add hand stitched details to the any of the clothing, make sure to finish that first before assembling the layers so the back of the stiches are hidden by the 2nd layer.

Tree Costume: Cut out the star and and tree layers. Attach the layers of the tree by attaching only the top of each layer:

Decorate the tree using whatever you have in your stash, or cut out small details with your Cricut or Sizzix machine (if you have them!) I used a star die that I had on hand:

Jammies and Sweater: In previous projects I stitched the clothing with a sewing machine but you definitely don’t need to do that! This time I simply used Heat'n bond and ironed the layers together. The project is still really cute and this is a great method when you are short on time or making the project with kids.

I found tiny heart dies and a snowflake die in my stash and used those to add details to the clothing and the stocking. You can hand cut them as well, just take your time and use really sharp scissors.

The acorn ornament might be my favorite part of this project! I used white felt balls and the tops of some acorns that the local squirrels kindly left in my backyard to make some adorable woodland ornaments.

Using a sewing needle, poke a hole in the top of the acorn and then thread the string through, tying a knot at the end to keep the thread from slipping out. Attach the felt ball to the acorn top with a bit of glue. I think I’ll make a bunch of these and add them to my Christmas tree!

Also, if you haven't already, feel free to check out my DIY Woodland Felt "Paper" Doll Series below - there's one for every season:

• DIY Woodland Felt "Paper" Doll Series - Summer Bear
• DIY Woodland Felt "Paper" Doll Series - Autumn Fox

Now you should have 3 adorable woodland pals to trade outfits with!

Wishing you a wonderful holiday full of love and crafting.

If you have questions, please reach out to me on Instagram @theannexfeltstudio. Be sure to tag us in your finished projects on Instagram @theannexfeltstudio and @the_felt_store, We’d love to hear from you!

Happy Crafting!