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Over the last few months I've had some requests for a tutorial on how to weight your amigurumi projects so that they will sit or stand on their own. This comes in handy when making a project for decor to sit nicely on a shelf or desk.
After doing a bit of research on what materials work best to do the trick, I landed on Poly-Pellets. They are tiny plastic pellets and when placed into a nylon stocking they make a great base!
You can wash your amigurumi projects as you normally would and it is super cost efficient!
To make my weighted base I used approximately 3/4 cup of pellets (this can vary depending on the size of the amigurumi you are making), one nylon stocking (I found a pair for 50 cents at my local Wal-Mart), and a funnel (this is optional but helps when pouring your pellets into the stocking mess free. I used a jam funnel I had in my kitchen but rolling up a piece of paper will work great too!).
For this tutorial I have used a medium sized amigurumi project for reference, this sweet bee here.
Want more free patterns that a weighted base would come in handy for?
- A little will go a long way, the goal is not to fill the entire body but to add a little weight at the bottom. You will then add your stuffing as you normally would.
- Poly pellets are not recommended for children under 3. While the pellets are placed inside of a stocking they can still pose a hazard if they were to make their way through. If you are making your amigurumi project for a small child I would stick with stuffing and bypass using a weighted base.
- Because the pellets are quite tiny you will want to place them inside of a stocking or something of similar fashion so they won't make their way through the stitches.
Making A Weighted Base
Materials -
- You will want one knee-high stocking for each amigurumi project you plan to weight. Tip: Use a color as close to or lighter than your amigurumi to reduce the chance of the stocking showing through your stitches.
- You will also need about 1-2 to 1 cup of poly pellets. I ordered mine here on Amazon but you can also find them at most local craft stores.
- A funnel and measuring cup comes in super handy when pouring pellets into your stocking but aren't necessary. You can also roll a piece of paper to get the job done!
- Your crochet project. Your base will be placed into the body of your amigurumi, I recommend doing this at a place where you start to make your decreases but before your opening is too small to get your hand in. You want to be able to place your weight along with stuffing into your project. If you are making a weighted base for our Puppy CAL I recommend inserting after completing round 23.
Getting Started -
- Because the pellets are quite tiny you will want to place them inside of a stocking or something of similar fashion so they won't make their way through the stitches.
Making A Weighted Base
Materials -
- You will want one knee-high stocking for each amigurumi project you plan to weight. Tip: Use a color as close to or lighter than your amigurumi to reduce the chance of the stocking showing through your stitches.
- You will also need about 1-2 to 1 cup of poly pellets. I ordered mine here on Amazon but you can also find them at most local craft stores.
- A funnel and measuring cup comes in super handy when pouring pellets into your stocking but aren't necessary. You can also roll a piece of paper to get the job done!
- Your crochet project. Your base will be placed into the body of your amigurumi, I recommend doing this at a place where you start to make your decreases but before your opening is too small to get your hand in. You want to be able to place your weight along with stuffing into your project. If you are making a weighted base for our Puppy CAL I recommend inserting after completing round 23.
Getting Started -
Step 1 - Place your stocking onto the end of your funnel (or place your paper funnel into your stocking) and pour your poly pellets inside. Feel free to play around with the amount of poly pellets you use. The goal is to have your stocking of pellets fill the bottom circumference of your amigurumi.
Step 2 - Tie a knot into your stocking to secure your pellets inside.
Step 2 - Tie a knot into your stocking to secure your pellets inside.
Step 3 - Place inside the body of your amigurumi. You're now ready to keep crocheting and stuffing as normal.
I hope you have found this tutorial helpful, please let me know if you have any questions! If you feel I've missed a helpful tip please share it with us in the comments!
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