How To Make An Egg Cosy

This chicken egg cosy will keep your egg lovely and warm until you are ready to eat it. Decorate it with embroidery stitches in contrasting colours to show off your sewing skills.

Chicken head and comb templates (see below)

Paper and a pencil for making patterns

Scissors

Scraps of coloured felt

A small coin

Scraps of yarn (wool) or embroidery floss (thread)

A tapestry needle

Two buttons

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Skill

This craft is aimed at kids, although younger ones will need help and guidance, especially where cutting or the sewing are concerned. It's a great project for beginner adults, too!

Budget

You can make this whole project from scraps but if you buy everything from new, you can still make at least two egg cosies for under £5.

Time

Allow yourself up to two hours the first time you attempt this project.

Step One: Use The Head Template

Using the template for the head (you can print it out or draw it freehand), cut out one paper pattern for the chicken head. Fold one piece of felt in half and pin onto it the pattern for the head. Cut it out so that you have two chicken heads.

Step Two: Using The Comb Template

Using the comb template (adjust the size until it looks right to you), cut out one paper pattern for the comb. Choose a different colour felt for the comb and pin the pattern onto it. Cut out one comb.

Step Three: Cut Circles For Eyes

Find a coin that is bigger than your button. Choose a third colour of felt, draw around the coin twice onto the felt, and cut out two circles for the eyes.

Step Four: Sew On The Eyes

Thread the tapestry needle with a contrasting colour yarn (wool) or embroidery floss (thread), sew one eye circle onto each of the chicken head pieces. (Check that the eyes will both be on the outside of the chicken head when you sew the two sides together.) Tie a knot in the end of the thread. Then, from the outside, push the needle down through the centre of the eye circle and pull it back up on the outside of the eye, then down through the middle again and keep going like this. Sew about six stitches to make a pattern like the rays of the sun. Stitch the buttons in place on top of the circles.

Step Five: Decorate The Beak And Neck

Sew patterns on the chicken’s beak and neck using stem stitch (see below for stem stitch instructions).

Step Six: Stitch The Head Together

Pin the two head pieces together with the comb in place in between them. Starting at the bottom, use blanket stitch (see below to find out how) to stitch the two sides together. When you reach the comb, use a simple running stitch to stitch through all three layers, then change back to blanket stitch for the rest of the chicken.

Step Seven: Add Extra Decoration

If you wish, you can add more decoration by stitching in blanket stitch around the comb and both sides of the bottom of the egg cosy — but remember, you need a space for your egg, so don't sew the two sides of the base together!

How To Stem Stitch

This stitch is used to embroider patterns, especially to make lines of pretty stitching.

Begin by drawing a line where you want your stitching to be.
Pull the needle up through the fabric a little to the left of the line. Push it down a little to the right of the line and a bit further up to make a diagonal stitch.
Pull it up again next to your first stitch and continue like this. Try to keep your stitches the size and at the same angle.

How To Blanket Stitch

This makes a pretty edge when you are sewing two layers of felt together.

Bring the needle through at the edge of the fabric.
Push the needle back through the fabric a short distance from the edge and loop the thread under the needle. Pull the needle and thread as far as you can to make the first stitch.
Make another stitch to the right of this and again loop the thread under the needle. Continue along the fabric and finish with a few small stitches or a knot on the underside.