Baby Shark has gone viral

Baby Shark, Papa Shark, Momma Shark, Grandpa Shark and Grandma Shark set off in an adventure that kids are loving!  DOO-DOO, DOO-DOO-DOO, DOO!

First, let me tell you a little story of  how our baby shark came to be.  My grandson adored the Baby Shark song.  If you haven’t heard it you can find it here.   

When shopping for fabric one day, I came across this awesome flannel adorned with sharks!!  I had to buy it not knowing what I would do with it. PJ’s I thought, however, when “pinning” one day, I came across this fabulous pattern for a shark pillow!  But I had way more fabric, so I decided to make a much bigger pillow using the pattern. 

Oh, but then I got to thinking….could I make it sing the song?   

They must sell those magic buttons somewhere.  Amazon to the rescue.  I purchased this sound box.   

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Now, I needed to figure out how to insert it into the pillow.  After adding a zipper pocket for the sound box and putting the magic button into the fin, we had a singing shark pillow that my grandson adores!!  

If you want to make a singing shark, follow along with this tutorial. 

This tutorial, will show you how to revamp a pattern to make your own singing shark.  WARNING!!  The baby shark song is contagious and may become annoying to the parent. (payback time!)

In order to create the shark pillow, you must purchase and download the pattern from Etsy. 

In addition to the list of supplies shown in the tutorial, you will also need a 7 inch zipper, a sound box with an extension play button and  batteries.  You will also need two 6” x 6” pieces of scrap fabric for the pocket which will hold the sound box.  I had some scrap yellow flannel in my stash!

Because I wanted to make my shark bigger than the pattern,  I printed out the templates,  photocopied them at 200%, then taped the pattern pieces together. 

When cutting out the pieces, you will need TWO fins (the small ones).  Add a ½ inch seam allowance to all sides of the fin pattern piece when cutting as seen in Figure 0:1.  As indicated in the tutorial, you will also add this ½ inch to the front and back of the shark as well as the dorsal fin. 

Following the instructions in the tutorial, complete Steps 1 and 2 but DO NOT place the small fin on the body of the shark.  We are going to put the button in there!!

STEP 3

Stuff your dorsal fin before sewing it onto the front of the shark.  Complete the next two instructions – Figure 3:1 and 3:2.

Before sewing the front and back together, we are going to insert our sound box.

STEP 4

Record the baby shark song onto the sound box.  To do this, insert batteries and turn the on-off switch to “on”.  You are going to leave it on forever!!  Next, simply plug the box into your computer headphone jack. Start playing the shark song on your computer.  When you want to record, push the large button on the box, push again to stop recording. It took me a number of times to get it to start and stop exactly where I wanted it.  I knew all the words by the time it was done!!  

STEP 5 

We are going to sew a pocket into the belly of the shark for the recording box.  With right sides facing, place the front and back of the shark together.   On each of the front and back, place two matching marks six inches apart in the middle of the belly.  Baste the front and back together  ½ inch  from the edge starting about 4 inch from your marks.  Baste for about 12 inches being sure the area between these marks has been basted together.

Press seam open. Lay the top of the zipper at one of the marks and the edge of the zipper on the edge of seam allowance. 
Sew the zipper to each seam allowance using a zipper foot.  Remove basting.

Using the marks as a guide, sew one of the pockets to the seam over the zipper.  Right side down toward the zipper.  Repeat with the second pocket.  I used my zipper foot for this too!

Now we sew the two pocket pieces together.  NOTE:  One pocket will be longer.  Beginning at the top of the pocket, sew around the pocket to the middle of the lower side.  You do not have to be precise.  Next, insert the sound box into the pocket with the cord for the magic button hanging out of the bottom of the pocket.  Push the cord close to your stitching. 
Starting at the top of the other side of the pocket, stitch to the cord. 

STEP 6  

Place the two fins together right sides facing Sew the two sides of the fins together leaving the bottom of the fin open.  Press the unsewn edges under ½ inch.   Decide where the fin will be located and mark the position of the bottom of the fin. 

Make a buttonhole along this mark long enough for the “magic button” to fit through. Insert the “Magic Button” through the buttonhole from the wrong side of the fabric to the right side then into the Fin. 

Slightly stuff the fin to protect the “magic button”.  With the fin facing upward toward the dorsal fin, sew to the front over top of the buttonhole.  To avoid sewing over the cord of the “magic button”, sew from the left side of the fin to the middle.  Push the cord close to the sewing, then sew from the right side to the cord.  Do NOT sew over cord.

STEP 7

Assemble the pillow.  Pin the front and back  together, right sides facing.  Beginning and ending at the pocket,  sew around shark  leaving a space to turn. 

Turn inside out and stuff.  Close hole.

DOO, DOO – Doo,doo,doo DOO!!  You are done!

Any questions? Send me a comment!!

What song would you like to hear in a stuffed pillow??