Ever wanted to give your amigurumi projects a bit of added weight? Struggling to get your project to stand up on it’s own? The solution is simple: try making a weighted base with Poly Pellets!
Poly Pellets are small pellets made of plastic that can be used to add weight to your amigurumi projects. This added weight can help keep those rogue stuffed animals to stand up-right instead of toppling over. But, there’s a trick to using them correctly, and safely. Today, I’ll show you how to use Poly Pellets safely and effectively in your next amigurumi projects.
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How to Use Poly Pellets
Poly Pellets are tiny little plastic beads/pellets and if you were to add them to your crochet project, they’d eventually work their way through the small wholes that exist in crochet stitches. So, in order to use them safely, the Poly Pellets need to be placed in a cotonainer of some variety that prevents them from escaping. The cheapest, quickest, easiest thing I’ve found to use is nylon stockings. That’s right, I use pantyhose knee-high stockings! I get them in a package of 2 pairs from the dollar store for $1.25 and that gets me 4 stockings to use in amigurumi projects.
If you can’t find stockings, you can try sewing little pouches made of a solid fabric with a tight weave. While that is definitely an option, I personally prefer the nylon stockings for their low-cost and how quick and easy they are to use.
Watch my video tutorial for how to use poly pellets in amigurumi:
Once you have your containment method of preference, you need to add the pellets to it. If you’re not careful, they can be a bit messy so you want to do this carefully. I like to place my stocking into a clean cup or mug and fold the top of it over the opening of the cup/mug to hold the stocking open. Then using a spoon, I scoop the pellets into the stocking until I have the amount I want to add to my project.
Once I’m sure I have enough, I remove it from the mug/cup and tie a knot in the stocking. If you have extra stocking, you can cut it off and disgard it, leave it attached or, if you have enough you could turn the remaining stocking back over the part of the stocking that contains the beads and essentially double up the stocking to reinforce it.
When you’re using the poly pellets you would use the poly pellets in the base or where you want the weight to be (i.e. the ends of the limbs). You would stuff the rest of the piece/project with regular stuffing. Adding the pellets to the head would just cause it to topple over and no one wants that!
I hope you liked this tutorial. If you want to try a pattern where I use this technique, try out my crochet christmas gnome pattern for Gnorman Gnome.
If you like free amigurumi patterns, you may be interested in these:
- My Dolly Molly Amigurumi Doll
- Free Crochet Dog Pattern Henley the Hound
- Free Crochet Seal Pattern – Salty the Seal
- Crochet Owl Free Pattern – Otis the Owl
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I’m curious if anyone has ever used the poly beads with disposable nylon foot socks for smaller amigurumi projects. Especially if the project is miniature size I think it would be a lot cheaper to get a box of those to use if you’re making multiple projects at a small size… just curious. I was thinking of trying it, but wasnt sure if it was as effective, or not, as a longer sock.
I haven’t done it personally but I think it would work generally in the same fashion albeit possibly a little trickier/messier to fill. I’d love to hear how you make you 🙂