Handmade Fabric Carrot Tutorial

One of the things I love most about Easter decor is the whimsical charm of bunnies and carrots. Therefore, I happily display bunnies of all shapes and forms, including ceramic, wood, concrete, and moss, throughout our home. Additionally, I’m actively trying to find more ways to incorporate carrots into my decor scheme too. One of my most popular spring items in my Etsy shop is my fabric carrots. I’ve been making these for over a decade for friends and family and wanted to share my handmade fabric carrot tutorial with you. I’m excited to share that I’m currently creating a whole line of fabric garden vegetables that I can’t wait to share with you soon.

Fabric

The best part about this project is that it is very economical, only requiring small amounts of fabric. You can use fabric scraps if you have them or simply purchase a fat quarter or quarter meter or yard of fabric at your local fabric or quilting store. I purchase most of my fabric at a local store called Maker Savvy. To complete this project you will need to have some basic sewing skills and I recommend using a sewing machine, though the project can be completed with hand stitching alone.

At the end of this post, I will share a few ideas for how to display your fabric carrots. If you plan on making more than a few carrots, I recommend choosing a variety of coordinating fabrics. Most importantly, don’t be limited to just orange as carrots come in a variety of colours from white to yellow to purple. Choose a 100% cotton quilting fabric for ease of assembly as anything heavier will make assembling the carrots a challenge. The finished carrots are 7″ long, and you can scale up the pattern to produce larger carrots.

Materials For The Handmade Fabric Carrot Tutorial

• Pattern, printed onto cardstock
• Fabric for carrots (1/4 metre or yard is sufficient for a dozen or so carrots)
• Fabric for carrot tops (1/4 metre or yard is sufficient for a dozen or so carrots)
• Pencil or fabric marker
• Fabric scissors
• Pinking shears (optional)
• Sewing machine and thread to coordinate with the fabric
• Polyester stuffing
• Chopstick for inserting stuffing
• Hand sewing needle and sturdy thread
• Twine or yarn if you wish to make a garland, approximately 1.5 metres or 5 feet

Directions For The Handmade Fabric Carrot Tutorial

Preparation And Cutting

• Print the pattern onto cardstock and cut out pattern pieces
• Trace the triangle carrot pattern onto the back of the carrot fabric using a pencil or fabric marker
• Trace the arched leaf pattern onto the back of green leaf fabric three times (each carrot requires 3 leaves)

• Fold over the fabric with right sides together and cut out the double layer of fabric with sharp fabric scissors (carrot and each leaf consists of two pieces sewn together)

Sewing And Assembly

• Using a sewing machine with thread that matches the carrot fabric, sew a 1/4″ seam on the long sides of the carrot leaving the short end open

• Using a sewing machine with thread that matches the leaf fabric, sew a 1/4″ seam along the curve of the pattern leaving the straight edge open
• Trim the tip of the carrot close the stitching and use pinking shears near the curved stitching on the leaves to reduce fabric bulk

• Turn all fabric pieces right side out and use the chopstick to help push the insides out
• Stuff the carrot to a medium firmness with the polyester filling and the chopstick (start with a tiny piece of stuffing for the tip and gradually increase the amount as you fill)

• Note that the leaves are not stuffed; to give the leaves the proper shape, use a hand-sewing needle to form a little pleat in the middle of each leaf’s bottom, at the same time sewing the three leaves together

• Using the thread and needle sew a running stitch around the top of the carrot (about 3/8″ from the fabric’s edge) and pull tight, leaving a finger-sized opening for the bundle of leaves

• Insert the leaf bundle into the opening (about 3/8″ deep into the carrot) and tighten the carrot top around the bundle securing the thread with a knot

• Carefully sew the edge of the opening to the carrot top all the way around the top using an invisible stitch, tie off and insert the loose thread ends into the stuffing of the carrot

Ideas For Displaying The Handmade Fabric Carrot Tutorial

I think the carrots look sweet displayed in a basket or wooden bowl. You can create a vignette with a few other spring or Easter themed decor items like bunnies, flowers and greenery (moss, ivy, magnolia).

I also like tying together several carrots to create a garland. I have my carrot garland hanging from our fireplace mantle. To do this, cut a 5-foot piece of twine or yarn and attach the carrots with a knot in the twine at evening spaced intervals. Using an odd number of carrots creates a pleasing effect.

If you liked this tutorial, then you might enjoy one of my other spring or Easter crafts:

DIY Robin’s Eggs For Easter

Easy DIY Painted Terra Cotta Pots

How To Make Reversible Placemats

Summary

Thank you for checking out my handmade fabric carrot tutorial. I hope you find the directions easy to understand. If you decide to make this project, I’d love to see the fabric you chose and how you display the carrots.