Sew a Tooth Pillow

Losing baby teeth is an important rite of passage during childhood, and keeping those teeth safe is a big deal for kids because lost teeth means a visit from the Tooth Fairy! This little tooth pillow is the perfect place for hiding just-lost teeth until the Tooth Fairy comes. Soft and squishy, it won't keep him awake as it lies tucked under his pillow.

Little hands can help design and create the pillow, giving his fine motor skills a big boost and strengthening his little fingers for writing.

What You Need:

• Cotton or flannel fabric (solid color or print)
• Cotton or flannel fabric (white)
• Paper and pencil
• Straight pins
• Needle and thread
• Polyester fiberfill
• Fabric paint

What You Do:

1. Help your child measure two 8" x 8" squares of the solid color or print fabric and cut them out.
2. Talk with him about what a tooth looks like, including the roots that you can’t see below the gums. Help him sketch a tooth on paper that you can use as a template to form the pocket of the pillow. Use clip art or photos from the internet as a reference for the design.
3. Help him cut out the tooth from the paper and pin it to the white fabric. Carefully cut out the fabric in the shape of the tooth template.
4. Stitch the fabric tooth to one of the fabric squares, leaving the top of the tooth open to form a pocket for holding teeth.
5. Now invite him to decorate one side (the outside) of each fabric square with fabric paint. He can write his name, draw pictures, or make other designs of his choosing. Let dry.
6. When the fabric paint is completely dry, help him place the two squares together with the decorated sides facing inward. Pin in place.
7. Starting with the top right hand corner, help him stitch the pieces together until only three inches remain.
8. Remove the pins and turn the pillow right side out, so the decorated sides are on the outside.
9. Have him stuff the pillow with the fiberfill through the opening in the side.
10. To finish the pillow, help him stitch the opening closed. You're done!

To promote good oral hygiene habits, encourage the Tooth Fairy to leave items such as flavored dental floss or a whimsical toothbrush in your child’s tooth pillow, in addition to money or other gifts.