Learn how to make a dinosaur candy basket and have fun this Halloween sewing with our fabrics from the Prehistoric range

24 October, 2018

Get your sewing basket ready! We want to celebrate Halloween with you by showing you how to make a dinosaur shaped candy basket. This is a really easy project, that the kids are going to go crazy about, for such a special and terrifying occasion. Furthermore, they are going to have a monstrously fun night with it. Get your sewing equipment and materials ready we’re going to start.

dinosaur candy basket

How to sew a dinosaur basket 

To make this original project we’ve chosen the cheerful and charming print fabrics from the Prehistoric collection. The one in the mustard colour is a cotton poplin, and the one with the prehistoric birds is a sweat/fleece fabric. To give the basket some form we’ve used a stabilising foam, but you can use wadding or felt instead.

dinosaur candy basket materials

Materials:

  • Patterns (for measurements, see below)
  • 11 3/4″ (30cm) of Fabric A: Prehistoric Landscape  and 11 3/4″ (30cm) of Fabric B: Prehistoric Coord. It is important that the fabrics are washed and ironed before starting to work with them.
  • 11 3/4″ (30 cm) of stabilising foam, fine wadding or felt
  • Sewing thread in the same colour as the fabrics

Equipment:

  • Scissors
  • Pins/ small tweezers
  • Measuring tape
  • Fabric marker/tailor’s chalk
  • Thread cutter
  • Iron
  • Fabric scissors and paper scissors
  • Sewing machine
  • Ruler, paper and pencil

dinosaur candy basket cut

The first thing you must do is to transfer the measurements onto paper to prepare the pattern pieces.

Fabric A:

  • 2 rectangles: 10 5/8”wide x 9 7/8” high (27 cm x 25 cm). Main pattern.
  • Spike patterns: Bag: 8 triangles with 2 3/4″ (7cm) sides for the bag. Tail: 6 triangles with the following measurements for the sides of each spike: 2”- 2 1/4″ – 2 3/8”- 2 5/8”- 2 3/4″ – 3” (5cm-5,5cm-6cm-6,5cm-7cm-7,5cm)

Fabric B:

  • 2 rectangles: 10 5/8”wide x 9 7/8” high (27 cm x 25 cm). Main pattern.
  • 1 rectangle: 5 1/8”x 18 1/8” (13 cm x 46 cm). Handle pattern.
  • Tail pattern: 11 3/4″ long x 5 1/2″ high x 13 3/8” diagonal (30 cm x 14cm x 34 cm)

Foam, wadding or felt:

  • 2 rectangles: 10 5/8” wide x 9 7/8” high (27 cm x 25 cm). Main pattern.
  • 1 rectangle: 5 1/8”x 18 1/8” (13 cm x 46 cm). Handle pattern.
  • Spike patterns.

Once the pattern pieces are ready, cut the pieces out in the corresponding fabrics. The 0.5 cm seam allowances are already included in the pattern.

Spike patterns

In the case of the spikes, place them on top of the foam/wadding/felt and sew in this way to make the best use of the fabric.

dinosaur candy basket spikes

Once sewn, cut them out one by one, trim the corners and turn out to the right side. Press the pieces flat.

dinosaur candy basket spikes

Tail

Position the spikes from small to large, pin in place and sew along the edge with a 0.5 cm seam allowance.

dinosaur candy basket tail

Next, match both tail piece together, with the right sides of the fabric facing each other, pin in place and sew along the two long sides.

dinosaur candy basket tail

Trim the seam corners and turn out to the right side. You can use polyester stuffing or kapok to fill the tail, or you can recycle all the left over pieces of fabric like we have done.

dinosaur candy basket filling

Handle

To make the handle, fold the strip in half with the right sides of the fabric facing together and sew along the long edge to join. Turn out to the right side and insert the piece of foam/wadding/felt then work rows of parallel top stitching as shown in the photo.

dinosaur candy basket handle

Making the bag

Continue with the bag: place the foam/wadding/felt underneath the main fabric piece A. Pin the 4 spikes along the upper edge of fabric piece A and sew. Next, match fabric A to fabric B with the right sides facing together and sew along the upper edge again. Open out and iron. Repeat the same process for the other side of the basket.

dinosaur candy basket bag

Pin the tail at a distance of 2 3/8” (6 cm) from the upper seam and sew.

dinosaur candy basket bag

Match both pieces together with the right sides of the fabrics facing each other, taking care at the seam joins. Pin in place and leave a 3 1/8” (8 cm) opening along the lower edge of the lining.

dinosaur candy basket bag

Now make the 4 corners: flatten the seams and sew a row of stitching approximately 3 1/2″ (9 cm) long, as indicated by the dotted line in the photo. Securely fasten off the start and finish of the sewing.

dinosaur candy basket corners

Turn the bag out to the right side through the opening. Press and sew the opening shut using the sewing machine or by hand using an invisible seaming stitch.

dinosaur candy basket handles

Place the handle ends at the side seams, folding 1 1/8” (3 cm) at the lower edges inwards, and pin in place. Sew the handle on, with a rectangle with a cross in the middle, at both sides. Now your basket is ready for having lots of fun with on the most terrifying night of the year.

dinosaur candy basket final

Katia Fabrics

Find everything you need for this project in Katia Stores and at our online sales platform KatiaShop.