Catholic Family Craft: Cuddly Baby Jesus

Monica McConkey shares simple instructions for making a soft and cuddly Baby Jesus toy from items you probably already have around the house.

Let’s celebrate the season of Christmas for the full 12 Days!

Maybe your Nativities have been assembled around your house since the start of Advent and if you have little ones around, maybe it has been a challenge to keep precious Nativity figures (especially Baby Jesus) in their rightful Nativity place.

Maybe your kids need their own Cuddly Baby Jesus?

This is a super easy craft that you and the kids will enjoy making and you’ll end up with a Cuddly Baby Jesus to treasure for Christmases to come!

You probably already have most of these materials in your home!

You will need:

• A clean single white or tan sock (preferably a low-cut, quarter or mid-calf sock; not an ankle or knee sock)
• Some cotton batting, cotton balls or fabric scraps
• 2 reasonably thick/strong elastics
• Markers
• A scrap of flannel or fleece material (about 10” or 12” square or rectangular)

Optional Crib:

• One empty and clean Clementine (oranges) wooden crate
• Yellow string (for “no mess string straw”)
• Fabric Scraps

Instructions

Stuff the sock with the batting, cotton balls or fabric scraps (or the other matching clean sock) from toe to heel. Secure an elastic to secure the main body of the doll. Stuff additional batting or cotton balls for a nice, round head and secure the head with the second elastic. There will likely be some sock left over including the cuff.

With marker, draw a few faces on scrap paper to decide on the face. A simple short arc (opening upwards) makes a nice sleeping eye and a subtle smile. Dot or small circle eyes will give him a nice awake look. Use a red marker to give him a cute heart.

Pull the elastic ankle/cuff part of the sock down to the face for a cute little hat. Use the scrap flannel or fleece to wrap the baby. The fleece blanket could be sewed in place in a couple spots, or just tucked into itself for a swaddle.

The crib can be repurposed from an empty and clean wooden clementine crate with some fabric scraps folded for extra padding. Some Advents, we have tucked a ball of yellow yarn under the material for the kids to warm up the crib with string straw, a couple inches pulled out with every good deed!

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Family Craft: simple instructions for making a soft, cuddly Baby Jesus toy from items you probably already have around the house. #catholicmom

Copyright 2021 Monica McConkey
Images copyright 2021 Monica McConkey, all rights reserved.