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3D Bird Stuffie in 3D (In-the-Hoop)

Completed stuffie project, featuring Bird Stuffie in 3D (In-the-Hoop) design

Set your heart soaring with this adorable stuffed bird! Stitch the pieces in-the-hoop, then assemble and stuff. Our step-by-step instructions below will show you how!

Supplies & Materials:

Project Needs & Notes:


  • 1/4 yard of teal quilter's cotton (for body)
  • 1/4 yard of red patterned quilter's cotton (for tummy)
  • 1/4 yard of teal patterned quilter's cotton (for wings and tail)
  • Small piece of yellow patterned quilter's cotton (for beak)
  • Cotton batting
  • Polyester fiberfill
  • Tear-away stabilizer
  • Temporary spray adhesive (such as Gunold's KK100)
  • Needle for hand sewing
  • Sewing machine
  • 2 buttons (1/2" - 3/4")

Finished Size:


4" wide, 3 1/2" tall (5 1/2" tall with tail), and 3 1/2" deep


Special Notes:


To make a completed stuffed bird, embroider two wings (embroidery file "f"), and just one of every other piece.


The stuffed bird's body is assembled on a sewing machine, and then the other pieces are hand sew onto the body. If preferred, the hand sewn portions may also be glued on.


For best results, place batting on both the front and back dieline pieces for the wings and tail. This will make the pieces sturdier and give them a cute, quilted effect.

The design featured in this tutorial is:


Bird Stuffie in 3D (In-the-Hoop)

Gather Materials:

This in-the-hoop design has sixteen files. Seven are the full embroidery files. The other nine are dieline files marked with the letters DL. Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the right shape and size.


Open the dieline files with embroidery software and print them.


Print two copies of the front and back dieline files for the wings (piece "f"). This will allow you to have enough dielines to make two wings as the one file will need to be embroidered twice.

Printed pattern sheets with a bird template are spread on a white surface next to folded fabric pieces in blue floral, reddish-brown, yellow, turquoise, and white colors.

Cut around the paper dieline for the top of the bird (piece "a"), and spray the back of it with temporary adhesive. Then smooth it onto the teal fabric.

Piece of turquoise fabric folded in half with a white paper pattern pinned on top, featuring a large leaf shape outlined and divided by two crossing lines. The background is a plain off-white surface.

Cut out the shape, and fold back a corner of the paper dieline to make it easy to remove later.

Orange-handled scissors lie next to a paper teardrop-shaped drawing with fold lines and a small corner folded up, all on a white surface.

Repeat the previous steps to make the fabric dielines for pieces labeled "b," "c," "d," and "e."


"a," "b," and "c" should all be out of the teal fabric, "d" uses the red fabric, and "e" uses the yellow. For best results, label the pieces with a pen to keep them from getting mixed up.

Orange-handled scissors next to five paper pattern pieces for a bird shape, some with parts cut out or folded, on a white surface.

To make the fabric dielines for the wings and tail (pieces "f" and "g"), spray and place the paper dieline onto the fabric as you did before.


Then, cut a piece of batting slightly bigger than the fabric, spray it with temporary adhesive, and smooth it onto the back of the fabric. The wings and tail pieces also have a front and a back. Make sure to put batting on every piece.

Six fabric pattern pieces outlined on white fabric with a green and blue leafy border, each labeled with instructions and seam lines, arranged on a white surface.

Label, and cut out each of the fabric dielines with batting. Make sure to cut out two wing fronts and two wing backs, so that two wings (file "f") can be made.

Pair of orange-handled scissors next to six paper patterns cut from white paper with turquoise floral fabric taped to one edge, arranged on a white surface.

Start Embroidering:

Now that the fabric pieces are cut to the proper shape and size, it's time to embroider the design.


Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer. Madeira E-Zee Tear 1.5 oz. or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less paper-like, and will tear more cleanly.

Embroidery hoop with fabric tightly stretched and clipped on a white surface, showing wrinkled edges around the hoop.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery design (not the dieline files) for the top of the bird (file "a").


Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle, rather than an embroidery needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle, so that will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.


Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline or outline. This marks the area on the stabilizer for the fabric piece.

Embroidery machine stitching a light blue outline of a large teardrop shape on white fabric hooped in a plastic embroidery frame. The sewing head is in the top right.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer.


Spray the back side of the fabric piece with a small amount of temporary adhesive. Place the fabric right inside the sewn outline.

Hand holding a teal fabric piece shaped like a leaf, placed on white fabric secured in an embroidery hoop with gray edges.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue embroidering. A tackdown and border will sew next. Then the details will sew.

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching a turquoise leaf shape with gold decorative swirls on white fabric held in an embroidery hoop.

Once the embroidery is finished, unhoop the stabilizer and gently tear it away from the edges.


Make sure to leave the tear-away stabilizer on the back of the fabric piece as this will add a little bit of structure to the finished piece.

Teal fabric piece with gold embroidery of swirls, leaves, and hearts on white torn paper background, shaped like a leaf or wing.

Then repeat to embroider the sides of the bird (pieces "b" and "c"), the tummy (piece "d"), and the beak (piece "e").


Follow the color change sheets carefully and add the fabric dieline pieces before sewing each tackdown. Tear away the excess stabilizer once they are finished embroidering.

Blue fabric bird-shaped pieces with black embroidered eyes, yellow wing piece, teal wing piece with green swirly embroidery, and a round maroon patterned piece on a white background.

Next, it's time to embroider the first wing (file "f"). Load the file and start embroidering. Watch the color change sheet and add the front dieline piece before sewing the step labeled "front piece tackdown."

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching a turquoise fabric piece with a white floral pattern, secured in an embroidery hoop on a white background.

Then, stop the machine again before sewing the "back piece tackdown."


Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer.


Flip the hoop over, spray the back fabric piece with temporary adhesive, and place it inside of the embroidered shape.

Hand holding a small blue fabric piece with white floral patterns, placed and partially lifted on white stabilizer within an embroidery hoop.

Since both sides of the wings and tail will be seen, wind a bobbin with the same thread used in the needle.

Close-up of a sewing machine bobbin holder with a bobbin wound with teal thread inserted, white spool of thread in background, and part of machine controls visible.

Place the hoop back on the machine, and continue embroidering. A tack down and final border will sew along with a few inner details.

Embroidery machine stitching blue fabric with white floral pattern in a teardrop shape on white stabilizer inside an embroidery hoop.

Once finished embroidering, tear the excess stabilizer away, and repeat to make another wing (file "f"), and the tail (file "g").

Three small fabric pieces with rounded edges and teal stitching, featuring a white floral pattern on blue fabric, arranged on a white surface.

Now that all of the pieces are embroidered, it is time to start assembling the bird.


Take the top of the bird (piece "a"), and the right side of the bird (piece "b"), and match up the pointed end of the top to the curved point by the eye on the side piece (marked in blue).


These pieces are going to be sewn together from the points, along one side, and to the back corner of the top piece marked in red.

Two turquoise fabric pieces, one shaped like a bird wing with gold swirl embroidery and the other a bird body with black stitched eye and purple beak, laid flat on white background.

Match up the points and edges with the right sides together, and pin them in place all along one side of the top piece.

Partially sewn fabric piece with white and turquoise layers, pinned with straight pins that have green heads, laid flat on a white surface.

The finishing edge detail that embroidered on all the body pieces will be the seam allowance.


On a sewing machine, carefully stitch right along the stitched border. For best results, sew right along it on the inside of the stitching, so that none of the stitching will be seen in the seams of the finished bird.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching aqua blue thread along the edges of light fabric pinned with multi-colored sewing pins. Part of the presser foot and needle are visible.

Then repeat to line up, pin, and sew the other side of the bird (piece "c") onto the opposite edge of the top piece.

A small turquoise fabric bird head with golden embroidery swirls, black and pink embroidered eyes, stitched seams, held by a hand against a plain light background.

Next, take the belly piece (piece "d"), and locate the triangle dart.

Oval pink fabric with dark floral print of burgundy, brown, and cream leaves and flowers, stitched edge, with three blue arrows pointing to it.

Fold the fabric piece in 1/2 along the dart with right sides together. Match up the two stitched sides of the triangle, and pin in place.

White fabric piece folded in half with zigzag stitching along the curved edge, secured with three sewing pins with green and pink heads on a light surface.

Sew right along the stitched side of the triangle to create the dart.

White circular fabric piece with red stitching around the edge and a diagonal seam, laid on a white surface.

Now, take the belly and the connected top and sides of the bird, and start to match up the bottom corners of the belly piece to the outer points of the sides along the curved edges.

Two partially sewn fabric pieces shaped like rounded cones sit on a white surface; left piece has maroon fabric with leaf pattern, right piece is plain turquoise with purple thread stitches.

Match up the corners and the curved edges, and pin the two pieces with right sides together.


It is easiest to sew if top of the bird is curved like a bowl, and belly is inside of it.

Hand holding two circular fabric pieces pinned together with green-headed pins, red stitching visible around edges, pale background.

Sew along the seam allowance, and make sure to leave about 3" open in the back for turning and stuffing.

Hand holding a partially sewn 3D fabric bird piece showing inside layers with teal, brown, and white fabric and visible overlock stitching.

Turn the bird right side out, and stuff it firmly with polyester fiberfill.

Hand holding a small, round, teal fabric object with gold embroidery on top, stuffed with white polyester fill, against a plain light background.

For best results, continue to stuff the base of the bird's body with filling as you sew the opening closed.


Simply sew a little and then add stuffing, and then repeat until the opening is closed and all the bottom corners of the bird are firmly stuffed. This will help the bird sit very well.

Hand holding a partially sewn fabric piece with turquoise top and maroon bottom patterned with birds and flowers, needle and thread visible, plain white background.

Next, take the embroidered beak piece (piece "e"), and gently bend it in half with wrong sides together. Do not crease the fold.


Match up the two short straight sides, and hand sew them together along the straight edges.

Close-up of a rounded fabric piece in yellow and white floral fabric with a decorative yellow stitch edge, threaded needle inserted, and yellow sewing thread.

Position the beak on the front of the bird's face with the straight seam facing down.


Carefully, begin to hand sew the beak in place by placing little hand stitches along the edges.

Close-up of a small, handmade fabric bird with blue front, brown floral-patterned back, embroidered black eyes, and a decorative yellow and white cap with stitched details. A hand is holding part of the bird.

Leave a small hole, and add some stuffing inside the beak (between the body and the beak).

Close-up of a handcrafted 3D bird fabric stuffie with turquoise body, maroon patterned back, yellow embroidered swirls on the face, a small yellow fabric horn, black embroidered eye, and fluffy white stuffing near the horn.

Then finish sewing the beak on, and close the hole.

Hand holding a needle sewing a small blue fabric bird with a patterned brown belly, embroidered yellow design on head, and black eyes on a white surface.

Next take one of the wings (piece "f"), and sew a button onto the right side above the line detail.

Blue fabric piece with white floral pattern, stitched edges, and a yellow button in the center; a threaded needle rests above it on a white background.

After the button is sewn on, position the wing on the body so that it is about 1" away from the eye, and the bottom edge of the wing is resting along the seam of the belly.


Hand sew the wing to the body by first sewing right behind where the button is sewn.

Hand holding a small stuffed bird with turquoise body, floral-patterned wing with yellow button, orange beak, and stitched pink blush on cheek, white background.

Then hand stitch the edge of the wing for about 1/4"-1/2" to tack it in place.


This will prevent the wing from spinning on the side of the bird.

Hand-sewn stuffed bird with turquoise upper body, brown patterned underside, embroidered yellow swirls, button eyes, and a teal floral wing with yellow button.

Repeat to add the button onto the second wing, and sew it onto the opposite side.

Small 3D fabric bird stuffed toy with turquoise body, beige floral nose, pink cheek embroidery, dark patterned belly, and blue patterned wings attached with yellow buttons.

Finally take the embroidered tail (piece "g"), and fit it into the groove on the back of the bird. Make sure the right side of the tail is against the body.

Hand holding a small stuffed bird with blue patterned wings, a solid turquoise body, and a red-brown patterned face and tail against a plain white background.

Hand sew the tail to the body by stitching along the bottom edge of the tail, and then continue by stitching about 1 1/4" up each side.

Small fabric bird stuffie with a turquoise body, blue floral-patterned wings and tail, and a brown and orange bottom, against a plain white background.