I love, love, love using safety eyes! They come in all kinds of shapes and colors. They’re really easy to use. And they’re absolute magic when you’re sewing with kids!

One note – in the video you see me snipping a little hole for the safety eyes. I’ve since learned NOT to do that when I’m working with knit fabrics (that’s anything stretchy – polar fleece, Cuddle Fleece, stretch velour, socks for sock animals, etc.). The stretch factor in a knit fabric will make that tiny snipped hole a LOT bigger when it’s stuffed or played with. You’re better off poking a small hole with an awl (like this one) or a knitting needle. Ideally you want to poke and stretch a hole in the fabric without actually cutting or breaking any of the fibers.

In the video I show you two basic kinds. But I have lots of options in the shop! Solid black eyes, colorful eyes, cat eyes, cartoony eyes – even noses! See all the eyes and noses here.

Give safety eyes a try! I guarantee you’ll like them. 🙂

Update #2 – Here’s an additional tutorial showing a little trick for using safety eyes with thinner, woven fabric without having a hard ring from the inner washer show through the front.

Happy sewing!

Best,
Wendi