Bowling Set

This colourful handmade bowling set is quick and easy to make and will keep the little ones entertained for hours. Whether made from coordinating fabrics or patchwork style with scraps from your sewing box, it will certainly please. We've even added a jingle chime to the centre of the ball to make playtime extra-fun. Trace your templates onto a polypropylene sheet rather than using paper, which can become tatty – alternatively if you can't find any, why not use the back of a cereal box?

Essentials

Assorted cotton prints, fat quarters
Plain coordinating fabrics, 10cm square of each
Toy stuffing
Ric rac, lime, navy, turquoise, baby pink, red, yellow, 15cm of each
Polypropylene sheet
Chime bell
Film roll canister, or similar

Dimensions List

Bowling pin: 12cm x 24cm
Bowling ball: 12cm square

Sew a bowling pin

1 Download and print the template by clicking the button above. Cut the templates for the bowling pin and base from a sheet of polypropylene or card. Place the bowling pin template onto the back of a printed cotton, draw around the shape twice using a pencil, then cut them out. Cut two more bowling pins from coordinating fabrics. Place the template for the base onto plain fabric, then draw around the shape and cut out.

2 With right sides together, pin a bowling pin piece to one of the coordinating pieces and machine stitch up one side. Repeat with the remaining two pieces. Open up the seams at the top of the bowling pin sections and finger press flat. Pin the two pieces, right sides together, and machine stitch around them starting at the base, followed by the top and back down the other side in one go. Press open the seam at the crown of the bowling pin with your finger.

3 Mark out four quarters on the base fabric, matching up the lines with the seams at the base of the bowling pin and pin into place. Machine stitch the base, leaving a 6cm gap for turning. Turn the bowling pin right sidesout and stuff evenly. Under-stuff the base of the bowling pin so it’s flat rather than rounded – this will help it to stand better instead of toppling over.

4 Close the gap at the base and sew shut with neat whip stitches. To finish, cut a length of coordinating ricrac to size and hand stitch across the neck of the pin. Make the remaining five pins in the same way using coordinating colours.

Stitch a bowling ball

1 Cut a polypropylene or card template for the bowling ball, then trace onto the reverse of a cotton print and draw around the shape. Cut out one piece from each colourway of print fabric so that you have six in total.

2 With right sides together, pin two colours together and machine stitch up one side, then pin and stitch another colour to it. Pin and sew the remaining three pieces together in the same way, so that you have two sets of three pieces.

3 Take both halves of the ball and pin them together with right sides facing. Machine stitch together, making sure the seams line up. Leave a 4cm gap for turning.

4 Place a chime bell inside a small receptacle such as an empty film canister, and seal up well with tape. Turn the ball right sides out and stuff well until it’s nicely rounded, including the chime bell in the middle. Sew the gap closed with neat whip stitches.