With limited supplies, you can still make fun creations like this D20 plushie. My roommate had a bag full of clothes destined for the donation bin so I took the chance to snatch an old t-shirt for this project. The rest of the materials were already in my sewing kit, so there was no need to go out or order supplies. If you’re a D&D or tabletop RPG fan, this is a must-have project!
Tools/Materials
Old t-shirt
Thread that is the same/similar color as fabric
Embroidery thread that is a contrasting color to the fabric
Fiber fill stuffing (alternatively cotton balls or cut sponges)
Print your template
I like to glue my paper templates to cardboard to make them easier to trace onto fabric and so that they last longer.
Draw onto fabric and cut them out
Trace out your triangles onto the BACK SIDE of your fabric using a pen, chalk, or a leftover sliver of soap. If you are using an old t-shirt, this would be the inside of the shirt. By drawing your guides on the inside, you make sure it doesn’t show in your finished product plus it will be super helpful for future steps.
Trust me, I made the mistake of drawing the triangles on the outside and while this helped me center the numbers, I regretted it once I started sewing the triangles together.
Draw the numbers onto the back and embroider them in
Tip: Cut the triangles out BEFORE drawing on the numbers because this will make centering them much easier.
Cut about half an inch outside of the lines you drew so you have some seam allowance. Then, flip your triangles over and draw one number on each triangle, going from one to 20.
Using your contrasting thread and embroidery needle to embroider the numbers on using a back stitch. I didn’t have embroidery thread so I just used normal thread but went over the numbers twice. If you have never done embroidery before, follow this easy video tutorial.
Stitch the pieces together
Once all the triangles have their numbers embroidered on, they are ready to be stitched together! I used a back stitch again because it will make the seams hold much stronger than if I used a simple running stitch. I started with the number 1 and then radiated outward, using my actual D20 as a reference. Having the reference was super helpful as it can be confusing figuring out which triangle goes where. If you don’t have your own die, I have included a diagram with the template.
Make sure you double check that the triangles are in the right orientation before sewing them together! I have made many mistakes by not double checking which resulted in having to tear out the seams of an entire side and sew it again. Remember that you are working on the plushie inside out, so when you sew two pieces together, the numbers should be facing one another. We will flip it the right way out later. Also pay extra attention to the corners where multiple pieces meet. I did this by passing my needle through all the pieces that meet at the corner several times to make sure they were secure.
Once you have sewn all of the triangles together, leave a small hole, about 2 inches long in the last edge.
Flip inside out
This is a fun part. The plushie is inside out at this point but now we will flip it inside out through the small hole you left in the last edge. Do this very slowly and carefully because you don’t want to accidentally rip out any of those stitches you made before.
Stuff
I used fiber fill stuffing for my plushies, which I bought from Michael’s. Some other stuffing alternatives are cotton balls or cut up sponges. You will need quite a lot for a plushie this size. Stuff it to your desired level of squishiness. You can usually shape the stuffing after it is in as well.
Once the plushie is sufficiently stuffed, sew the gap closed using a ladder stitch. Ta-da! Your D20 plushie is now complete. Now roll your way through your campaigns in style!
I'd love to see the plushies you make! Share your work with me on Instagram or Twitter at @thenerDIYblog! If you'd like to have your crafting questions answered live, I stream on Twitch at twitch.tv/finding_doro.
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