Tutorial: “Soot Sprites”

by Rae Blackledge

I decided to dress up as Totoro for our employee Halloween party this year, of course, I needed to add in a little handmade touch to my costume.

Our Faux Fur Pom Poms were the perfect answer to add in a whimsical extra touch from the film. A few minutes of crafting let me create a handful of Soot Sprites, a must have for any Totoro costume.

Needed Supplies:

• Premier® Yarns Pom Pom – Large in POM-02 Panther
• 2” x 3” piece of white felt
• Small black buttons
• Scissors
• Tacky Glue
• Optional – 2-hole bar pin backs

 Directions:

• Cut an elongated oval out of the felt for the first eye.

• Place the first eye back on the felt and cut around it for the second eye.

• Lay them out so they are mirror images of each other.

• Fold and cut a small slit in each eye for the back of the button to poke through. Before cutting it’s a good idea to play with the placement of where you want your buttons to sit, this is where your sprite will get his expression from. 

• Insert the buttons through the slits.

• Place your Pom Pom with the attached ties against the table. Spread open the fur to get a smooth spot where you want your eyes to attach.

• Place a generous amount of tacky glue to the back of the eye, centered on the back of the button.

• Press the eye onto the Pom Pom.

• Repeat for the 2^nd Let the Pom Pom sit undisturbed for about an hour to allow the glue to set up.

Optional – attach pin to Pom Pom so you can pin it onto a costume.

• Use the 2 ties that come attached at the bottom of the Pom Pom to attach a 2-hold bar pin back. Thread a tie through each hole and knot several times. Cut off leaving ties about an inch long.