As if having three small children and a dog wasn’t chaotic enough we decided to add another pet to our family last month.  And it isn’t just a goldfish or chia pet.  We opted for a prickly, adorable, oh so shy hedgehog!  We did all sorts of research on these critters beforehand and knew what to expect.  We named our new friend Pepper as he is salt and pepper colored, the kids like to call him “Peps” for short.

When doing hedgehog research we learned that they like to snuggle up to sleep in or under something warm and fuzzy.  We decided to make him a few snuggle sacks to sleep in and also to cuddle in when being held.  Snuggle sacks are great for all kinds of small animals, not just hedgehogs!

These sacks are SUPER easy to make so we thought we would put together a simple tutorial for you!  You will need the following supplies:

-Basic sewing machine & sewing supplies (needle, thread, straight edge etc)

-Snuggly soft fabric, we used flannel for the outside and fleece for the lining, you will need  less than 1/2 yard per sack of each fabric depending on the size you make

-Cutting mat and rotary cutter (optional)

First, decide the size you would like your snuggle sack to be.  We decided on 12″ long x 10″ wide as that is just the right size for our hedgehog to cuddle but still have room to move around.  You will cut 2 pieces of each fabric 12″ x 10″ in size (4 pieces total).  I cut mine using a cutting mat, rotary cutter and straight edge.  You can just use scissors if you don’t have a mat and rotary.

Once you have your 4 rectangles (2 main and 2 lining) you will place the 2 main right sides together and 2 lining right sides together.  On your main fabric be sure if your print is directional that they are pinned together both facing the correct direction.  You will sew the 2 sides and bottom of the main fabrics as indicated by the arrows on the photo below.  You will leave the top edge open.  On your lining fabric you will do the same except you will leave a couple of inches open along the bottom edge as shown by the circle on the photo below.

After sewing as indicated above you will turn your main fabric right side out and slide the lining over it so that they are right sides together with the open edges at the top on both.  See photo below, I am sliding the main fabric down inside the lining.

Once they are right sides together you will clip or pin the open edge together and sew it together in a loop.  Do not sew it straight across (all 4 layers) as I did the first time as you will be sewing your sack closed!   The photo below shows the 2 layers clipped together all the way around forming a loop.  Sew this loop together (2 layers of fabric, main & lining).

After you have sewn the top edge you will pull the sack right side out.  You will do this by pulling the fabric through the open hole in the bottom of the lining.  You will keep pulling until it is fully right side out (both layers).

Once it is fully right side out you will sew up the hole in the lining you left in the beginning!  Just tuck your wrong sides in and sew straight across the small opening as shown by the clips in the photo below.

After sewing the hole closed you will push the lining down inside your main fabric and your snuggle sack is finished!  These are so quick and easy to sew!  I love this fully lined option as there are no exposed threads for Pepper to chew or unravel.  I made several as they get dirty quickly in Pepper’s cage so we always have a fresh clean one when the dirty one is in the wash!  I hope your little critter loves these as much as ours does!