Snake scarf

I made this scarf for my snake-loving 4-year-old son. I LOVE how it turned out! I would do the tongue a little different next time, but it's still cute.
I didn't take pictures while I was making it since I pretty much winged the whole project, but I'll describe how I did it.


MATERIALS

• 2 pieces of fleece for the body, roughly 4-5 feet long (depending on how long you want it) and 1 foot wide
• 1 scrap piece of red fleece for the tongue
• 8 coordinating buttons for the eyes (4 should be larger than the other 4)
• 3 jingle bells for the tail
• embroidery floss to sew the buttons on

INSTRUCTIONS

• Using a scarf that you like as a guide to determine the length and width, make a pattern on paper. The head will be wider than the regular scarf and the tail should be tapered.
• Layer the two colors of fleece you would like to use and pin the pattern on top of both pieces of fleece. Of course, you could cut the pieces out separately, but I like to get things done quickly. =) NOTE: If you feel your fleece has a wrong or right side, put the right sides together.
• Cut out the tongue. We serged 2 pieces of fleece together but it doesn't looks as finished as I'd like, so I will have to think about how to do it better. Maybe I'll just use a single piece of fleece and sew down the middle and into the fork for reinforcement.
• Place the tongue inside the mouth, facing inward, so only the very edge peaks out to be sewn into the snake.
• Pin around the outside of your cut-out snake, leaving an opening somewhere along the straight side of the body large enough to put your hand through so you can pull it right-side out.
• Sew around the outside of the snake, except for the designated opening. I used the serger so the inside seam wouldn't be bulky, but a straight stitch would be fine.
• Turn the snake right-side out, drop the jingle bells into the tail, run your finger along the inside seams to make sure they are pushed out all the way, and then pin all the way around the outside to keep them in place. Be sure to pin the opening shut.
• Sew around the entire outside of the snake. When you get to the tail, leave one bell in the tip and sew around it. Then, you'll have to sew the other two bells into their own row. I'm sorry I don't know how to explain it better, but you can look at the picture to see what I mean.
• For the eyes, put each of the smaller buttons on top of the larger buttons and line them up so you can sew them on all together on both sides of the snake. Sew them on nice and tight with the embroidery floss so they can't be pulled off, the you're done!

I hope this makes sense. Feel free to contact me if you have questions or need clarification. Happy sewing!