DIY Sock Owl Coin Purse

So according to my calculations (which consist mainly of a bi-annual visit to Pier 1 and a bi-weekly scroll-through of my Pinterest) owls are no longer the hipster craze. Pretty sure they were replaced by elephants two years ago, and then as of this September, squirrels. Nonetheless, I'm still a fan. There's something about a bird so rotund that it appears as though his wings are purely aesthetic. That's why I spent my Sunday making this guy out of a sock.

Y o u W i l l N e e d:

• A sock

• Some scrap fabric

• Scissors

• Needle and thread

• Buttons

• Fabric glue (optional)

• Glitter glue

First you're going to need to cut the sock. This diagram is the best I could do with the description, but I promise it's not as confusing as it looks. The yellow dotted lines are where you're going to cut on the top layer of the sock--the part you can see while the sock's lying face-up. The red lines are where you're going to cut on the bottom layer of the sock. Cut along the edges to seperate the two layers, and everything above the red line, you can just scrap.

Once you're finished, it should look like the above right image. Now you're ready for the owl's beak, which is going to double as a fastener to keep the top flap down and the coin purse closed. I used a pineapple (???). Open the top flap, and sew a button onto the front, about half an inch down from the bottom line you've just cut. Be careful that the thread only goes through the top layer of the sock. If it goes through both, you'll have sewed your coin purse shut.

To complete the fastener, cut a small slit in the top flap, so that, when folded down, the button slips through, and the purse stays shut. Be sure that the slit is close enough to the edge that you have room for the eyes.

Now for the eyes. I used buttons for the pupils and white felt for the backgrounds, but really, you can do whatever you want here. From my experience, it's best to sew on the buttons and glue the felt to the sock, but if you can't find any fabric glue, you can sew them both.

Next you're ready for the wings and the tummy. I used a piece of my brother's old sweatshirt that he ripped apart for scrap fabric and stuck in my art closet, but you can use just about anything, including another sock or some felt. Just cut and glue/sew. once everything's fastened and glued, add your finishing touches with some glitter-glue. I went a bit nuts and made a shingle-pattern on the stomach and outlined the eyes and piped the wings. I think I'm going through a phase.

Behold: the finished product. This guy was way easier than I thought he'd be, and while I've only made the one so far, I'm sure there's tons of room for variation. I'm thinking I'll start sticking these obese little fluffs in with birthday cards and stocking stuffers.

#DIY #owl #Coinpurse #craft #cute #sock