Question

What type of filling can be used in rag toys?

Answer 1

1. Old tights or socks
Nylons work great, but woolly ones will do too. They should be clean, obviously, and you’ll probably want to cut the elastic hem off the top. They’re machine washable, the dye doesn’t leak (not after a billion washes) and it’s a good way to upcycle ones with a ladder in.

Pro tip: Chop the tights up to stuff small areas or smooth out lumps.

2. Worn out t-shirts or jumpers
Again, these should be clean. The material tends to be thicker, so you’ll probably want to cut the material into small pieces before using it as stuffing.

3. Tissues or tissue paper
Not machine washable, but a lightweight solution for ornaments. Stuff the object quite densely, as otherwise it can be difficult to reshape it if it gets squashed. Brightly coloured tissue paper can show through pale yarns, and is notorious for spreading dye around if it gets at all wet. Printer paper or letter paper is clean and white, but tends to be too thick to be effective.

4. Newspaper
A frugal alternative to tissue paper, with many of the same problems. Bear in mind that newspaper ink does spread itself around – you don’t want to put a dark fingerprint on a white snowman.

5. Plastic bags
The really thin ones from supermarkets are best. Cut off any lumpy bits, and chop the bags up into manageable pieces. The stuffing will be lightweight and washable. The dye shouldn’t run, either. However, the object will crackle if squeezed.

Pro tip: Plastic bag stuffing is not recommended for toys for small children or animals, as if they manage to tear open the toy, they’ll discover a whole collection of choking and/or suffocation hazards to play with.

6. Packing materials
Bubble wrap, packing peanuts, bits of foam… all the things companies send you along with whatever you ordered can be used to fill up an ornament. They’re best for the centre of larger objects though, as they tend to have awkward corners. Stuff small areas with other materials, and use these found objects to fill up the bulky middle.

Pro tip: Also not recommended for small children or animals, for the obvious reasons.

7. Toy stuffing from another toy
It might seem a bit heartless to chop up ted, but if you’ve got a stuffed toy that’s really no longer useful, you can reclaim its stuffing. The contents might need a wash though, and older toys may not have stuffing that meets modern safety standards, if that’s a concern.

8. The filling from a pillow
Another bit of upcycling. I strongly recommend washing the pillow before cutting it open if you want the stuffing clean. Artificial fibres are preferable to feathers, unless you’re making a cushion.

Pro tip: Hypoallergenic pillows are a good source of hypoallergenic stuffing. That said, most toy stuffing is acrylic so the yarn is more likely to be an issue.

9. Yarn
Always a last resort for me! For small objects, like mini Christmas tree ornaments, a few meters of yarn can be enough to give it some shape. It can be a great way to use up unknittable scraps, but it’s hard to poke into the right place.

Answer 2

Type of filling:

Rag toys are very roughly used toys by child who can tear and throw toys very often, but needs to be soft so, that baby doesn’t get hurt when playing with it. Fillings of toys are then important things to keep in mind.

• Shocks and clothes – Usually torn shocks or clothes can be used as a filling.
• From other worn rag toys – When a rag toy is torn, it’s filling can be used to stitch a new one.
• Cotton and Styrofoam – They are often used to make commercial rag toys.
• Tissues or papers or plastics – They are not very used but can be used in case of emergency.