Last Minute Stocking Stuffer: Pirate's Eye Patch

Both my children love to play dress up, and one of their favorite "characters" is a pirate. But we've found store bought pirate patches break much too easily. So this year, I decided to make some pirate eye patches. They are quick to stitch up, a perfect stocking stuffer - and you may already have everything needed to make them.

I'll begin by explaining how I made my children's eye patches; then I'll explain an even easier, although not as "finished," way to sew them.

What You'll Need:
about an 1/8 yard of black fabric
about an 1/8 yard of iron on interfacing
white or light colored chalk
about 18 1/2 inches narrow black elastic
thread and sewing machine
sewing pins

How to Do It:
1. Measure your child's head and subtract 1/2 in. or 1 in. to determine the correct length of the elastic. If the eye patch is a surprise, you may have to be stealthy about this! I found 18 1/2 in. was about right for my 6 year old, who is of average size for her age.

2. Download the pirate eye patch pattern and print it out. Cut out the pattern.


3. Lay the pattern on the black fabric, which should be folded in half. Trace the pattern with white or other light colored chalk, being sure to transfer the dart and the dots. Cut out the double layer of fabric.


4. Pin the pattern on a single layer of interfacing; cut out.

5. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of one of the eye patch pieces.

6. Stitch the darts in both eye patch pieces.


7. Place the two fabric pieces right side together and stitch a very scant 1/4 around the entire outer edge, leaving an opening at each dot. One opening should be about the width of your thumb (so the patch is easy to turn right side out). The other opening should be only slightly wider than the width of the elastic.

8. Turn the patch so the right sides face out. Turn under the raw edges at the openings and press into place. Insert one end of the elastic into the larger of the two holes; pin in place. Insert the other end of the elastic in the smaller hole and pin in place. Topstitch all the way around the edge of the eye patch.

Two eye patches took me about 15 minutes to complete.

An Even Easier Way

If you don't mind what the back side of the patch looks like, use the pattern piece to cut 1 layer of black felt for the outside of the eye patch, and one layer of black interfacing. Press the interfacing to the back side of the felt, sew the dart, and stitch the elastic in place at the dots.

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