Introduction: Make an Enderman Plushie From Minecraft

Hello, in this Instructable I'm going to try to teach you how to create your very own Enderman plushie.

You will also be able to apply these same techniques to create other Minecraft creatures and quite possibly, unforgettable holiday moments.
 
Here is a list of the materials that I used. Surely you can substitute these for other brands, quantities, and types of materials.
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***Unfortunately I discarded the receipt which had the item numbers for the Fuscia and Pink ribbons that I used. Also I already had light pink thread so you will have to match the ribbon colors and thread to the best of your abilities.***

Materials List (most of my items were purchased at Joann Fabrics which always have coupons which you can use to drastically bring down the prices of these items)

>1 Yard - Sew Classic Velour Black (or your choice of black color fabric)
   (http://www.joann.com/sew-classic-velour-many-colors/xprd757817/#)

>Coats & Clark Dual Duty XP General Purpose Thread - 250yds
  -1 Black (color #900)
  -1 Red Rose (color# 3040)
  -1 Light pink thread to match the pink ribbon color.
   (http://www.joann.com/coats-clark-dual-duty-xp-general-purpose-thread-250yds-many-colors/xprd840925/#)

>1 Yard - Pink Ribbon 1 x 1/2" Width 

>1 Yard - Fusia Ribbon 1 x 1/2" Width
  
>Poly-fil Fiber 32 oz 
  (http://www.joann.com/32-oz-polyfil-fiber/zprd_07400203a/)

>Sharpie Metallic Fine Point Markers-Silver 2 pk
  (http://www.joann.com/sharpie-metallic-fine-point-markers-silver-2-pk-/xprd77405/)

Basic Tools List
>Sewing needles
>Sewing pins
>Ruler / Straight Edge / Yardstick
>Scissors
>Masking tape
>Seam ripper

Step 1: Understanding the Fabric Flow and Layout.

Understanding the fabric flow and layout
 The first step to making this Enderman is to consider how all of your dimensions are to be drawn onto the material. If you are using the material I suggested then this step is of great importance. The Velour fabric has somewhat of a pattern to it. If you slide your hand across the material in a back and forth motion it will have different colors and characteristics. One way feels smooth and lighter in color while the other way appears darker and seems to have a sense of resistance.

You want to draw your dimensions on the material so that it flows in a single direction. You want all your pieces to flow from the smooth side downward from head to toe. If you are not careful during this process the final product may end up appearing inconsistent.  

Now that we understand our pattern layout we can proceed to applying it to the back of our material.


Step 2: Understanding the Dimensions and Applying Them!

Understanding the dimensions
 The measurements of the Enderman plushie were derived from it's in-game pixel dimensions divided by two.  

Listed below are the pixel dimensions of the Enderman followed by how many pieces you will need @ said dimensions.

***IMPORTANT***
 Naturally as with any sewing project you are going to leave some extra material on the outside of your work piece. You will need to do this for all 35 pieces. So for example the first measurement below is 4" (H) x 4" (W). Your actual dimensions are going to be  5" (H) x 5" (W). Leaving 1/2" of space on all sides. Savy? 


Head:         Pixels     Inches
Height:        8             4"
Width:          8             4"
Side:            8             4"
> 6 pieces at 4" (H) x 4" (W)

Body:         Pixels     Inches
Height:     10            5"
Width:        8             4"
Side:          4             2"
>Front & Back  -  2 pieces 5" (H) x 4" (W)
  Sides                -  2 pieces 5" (H) x 2" (W)
  Bottom             -  1 piece 2" (H) x 4" (W)


Arms:        Pixels     Inches
Height:      25            12 1/2"
Width:        2              1"
Side:          2              1"
>8 pieces at 12 & 1/2" (H) x 1" (W)

Legs:        Pixels     Inches
Height:     19            9.5"
Width:       2              1"
Side:         2              1"
>8 pieces at 9.5" (H) x 4" (W)


Tops/Bottoms of Arms & Legs (T&B's)
T/B L&A       Pixels     Inches
Height:         1              1"
Width:           1              1"
>8 pieces at 1"(H) x 1" (W)

Applying those dimensions
  Now take out your Metallic Sharpie and yard stick(Triangle is optional). It also helps to have some weights (or random heavy items) to hold down the fabric and yard stick while you are marking the material. That way you can concentrate on creating the straightest line possible without any thing moving around. In addition, do not press down too hard while you are moving your marker across the material as this may cause the fabric to stretch and ruin the alignment. Instead try to simply glide it over the material.

 I strongly urge you to draw an arrow pointing into the direction in which the pattern flows. This will come in handy later when you begin stitching all the pieces together.

This whole process is tedious and time consuming. Take your time and pay attention to the spacing between each piece.

                                                      Did you see the little stealth bomber I accidentally made? :)

Step 3: Cutting Out the Pattern and Crafting Ender Eyes.

Phew! I told you that would take a while. 

Now you can begin cutting the pattern out.

A. Start off by cutting out the pieces into large manageable chunks. Head, Body, Legs, Arms, T&B's.
B. Next start cutting out the individual pieces, making sure to NOT cut off the extra 1/2" extra space between pieces. 
C. Organize all of your pieces. Try to keep all the pieces with the arrows facing one direction. You should have 35 pieces total.
D. Place these pieces somewhere safe until later. 

Crafting Ender eyes.
 In this step we are going to need these dimensions and materials for the eyes of an Enderman.
 
Outer eye:                    Pixels      Inches
Height:                           1                1/2"
Width:                             3               1 1/2"
Between them:             2                1"
From bottom of face:   3               1 1/2"
> 2 piece at 1/2" (H) x 1 1/2" (W)

Pupils:                           Pixels      Inches
Height:                           1               1/2"
Width:                             1               1/2"
> 2 pieces at 1/2" (H) x 1 1/2" (W)

Crafting the outer eye
   Materials

   1 1/2" Light pink ribbon
              Light pink thread
   Since the light pink ribbon is already the perfect width as our dimensions all we need to do is create 1/2" of height. Start by folding about 1/8" to 1/4" of  the upper edge of the ribbon downward. Try to evenly align the left and right sides of the ribbon as much as possible. Once you have done so, run the back of your fingernail or another hard object over the ribbon a few times to try to create a crease. Now use a sewing machine or hand sew the top edge of the ribbon. After you have sewn the top edge fold the ribbon over again and use a ruler to measure exactly 1/2". Use the same technique to complete the outer portion of the eye then cut it away from the rest of the ribbon. Repeat these steps until you have two outer eyes. When finishing be sure to pull the thread into the back of the outer eye and knot it to keep the thread secure as well as obviously giving it a cleaner look. 

Crafting the pupil
   Materials
   1 1/2"Magenta/fuscsia ribbon
              Red Rose thread
   You will use the 1 1/2" Magenta/Fuschia ribbon with Red Rose thread and the same techniques explained above to create two pupils for the Enderman eyes.  

Uniting the eyes
 Take the one pupil part and place it on top of an outer eye part. Use them to create an addition or plus like symbol. Try to center them as much as possible, using a ruler if necessary. Now fold the pupil downward and around to the bottom of the outer eye. Using your preferred sewing method and Red Rose thread, sew around the edges of the pupil to secure it to the outer eye to form a complete Enderman eye. Again make sure to bring the thread to the back of the eye and knot it on the back side. Trim any excess. Use the same technique to complete the second eye. 

Step 4: Attaching the Eyes, Creating a Perfect Fit.

Masking the area around the face.
 In this step you are going to need 3 sewing pins, masking tape, and a ruler to attach the eyes of the Enderman. 

First grab one of the six 4" x 4" face pieces you cut out earlier and flip it over so you are looking at the back of the fabric. Starting on one side of the square push your pins through the line. One in each corner and one in the middle.
                                                                
Flip the fabric over with the pins closest to you. Place the ruler on the back side of the pins to make them stand upright. Now that they are all standing straight grab a piece of masking tape, holding it tautly, place the tape as close as possible to the three pins. This should give you a straight and true line.
                                                                            
Repeat on all sides until you have masking tape around the edges of your work piece. 
                                                                                  

Straight line for the eyes
Once again the issue about pattern flow arises. Ensure that the smooth direction of the fabric faces downward or towards you. Flip the fabric to where your looking on the back side with the arrow still pointing towards you, measure 1 1/2" up from the bottom line and make a mark. Do this on both left and right sides so you can achieve a straight and true line. Just as before you are going to push the three sewing pins through the line you just drew, one in each corner and one in the middle. Flip the fabric to the front side of the material and use the ruler to prop up the pins, tautly stretching a piece of masking tape across the front giving you a straight line. Remove the pins.
                                                                                   
Attaching the eyes
Finally you are now able to set the eyes into place. Keeping them straight as possible, sew them onto the fabric using your preferred sewing method with matching light pink thread. Sew a box pattern only around the visible light pink/outer eye area. Avoid sewing into the pupil as the colors will not match. Move the thread to the back side of the fabric and knot it to secure the thread.
                                                                                   
With the eyes in place you are free to remove the masking tape as it is no longer serves a purpose. 

Step 5: You Reap What You Sew!

You reap what you sew!
   Now the fun begins. All the pieces you are going to sew are six sided squares or rectangles. Basically the goal is to create a box with the nice side of the fabric facing the inside and the pattern flowing in a single direction. The process is simple, redundant yet arduous. You apply this same sewing method to all the parts with a few exceptions. 

Sewing the Arms and Legs
Take all the arm/leg pieces and pin and sew them according to the diagram or which ever method you prefer to achieve a hollow box.

Sewing the Head
Take 4 of 6 pieces, pin and sew them according to the diagram or which ever method you prefer to achieve a hollow box.

Sewing the Body
Using both of the 5" x 4" and  both 5" x 2" pieces, pin and sew them according to the diagram or which ever method you prefer to achieve a hollow box

Step 6: Tops and Bottoms

Sewing the T&B's
  Remember the 1" x 1" squares? Well, now you have the pleasure of sewing them to the tops and bottoms of each arm and leg. Considering the limited amount of space I would suggest sewing these on by hand. The bottom of the arm/leg which is also the bottom of the smooth side is going to be sewed all the way around the 1" x 1" section. The top of the arm/leg is only going to only be sewed around half of the 1 " x 1". The green color in the diagram represents what will be sewed during this stage.
 
Trimming and cleaning the edges of the Arms & Legs
  Once you finish with all eight your going to trim about half the length of material off the edges of the arms and legs. After you have trimmed off the excess edges, the material will need to be shaken/cleaned off as it will be shedding lots of material. I would recommend doing this outside or over a carpet where it can easily be vacuumed up because things will get very messy.

Fiber filling the Arms and Legs
Next, take the arms/legs and turn them inside out. They are ready to be stuffed with fiberfill. Generously fill them with fiberfill and use something such as a ruler to help push it down to the bottom. The fiberfill will have a tendency to lump up. If this occurs place the affected area between the palms of your hands and roll it back and forth as if you were trying to warm up your hands. 

                                                          Next we will move onto closing the seams of the arms and legs.

Step 7: Closing the Seams of the Arms & Legs

Closing the seams of the Arms & Legs
   When you feel that a decent amount of material has been placed inside each appendage your going to fold the fabric inward on the top and bottom lips. You want to make this as even as possible. Now we can start the slip stitch. Take your black thread and thread it onto a sewing needle. Knot your thread a few times and place your needle on the inside of the lower right most point of the opening. Push it from the inside and pull it out to the outside. Then you will want to pierce the needle through the upper lip and maneuver the needle back out of the upper lip just slightly away from where you entered. Alternate this up and down until you get to the very end of the seam. Look at the diagram to see how to perform a slip stitch. 

Here you want to hold the appendage in one hand while pulling the thread and needle with the other. Doing this will pull the lips together and seal the hole. Now you are free to knot the thread in what ever manner you feel suits you best. I personally just try to find the last stitch I made and knot it to that.

Only 3 more appendages to go. ;)

Step 8: Finishing the Head and Body

Finishing the Head
  Now that the appendages are all finished you can focus on finishing up the head and body.

   Start by taking the last two pieces that belong to the head. These pieces will obviously need to be attached to the top and bottom of the head to complete the box. I personally preferred to have the smooth side of the pattern flowing backwards to the back of the head. Stitch the last who pieces in place.  
   
   Now you have a head that is stitched together inside out. Do not be alarmed it was done this way for a reason. Using scissors or a seam ripper, cut a hole along the bottom of the head. The bottom of the head is the side where the eyes are the closest. Use the attached picture get a idea of how long your cut should be. 

   Now you have an Enderman head that is ready to be stuffed. Fill the head with fiberfill generously. When you feel that enough material is filled you have to use the slip stitch to close the seam. Achievement complete! You finished the body. Set it aside.  

Finishing the Body
   Next take the last piece that belongs to the body which is a 4" x 2" piece. Pin it to the bottom of the body. The bottom of the body is the bottom of the smooth side. The pattern flow of the bottom piece does not matter much because it's on the bottom side of the plushie. However I personally wanted the smooth side to flow from the front of the plushie towards the back. Once you have it in place, stitch it. Now the body is complete and now we can move on to preparing the body for the reception of the head. 

Masking the body
  Remember the trick with the three sewing pins? It's time to bring those items back out and because I have OCD and love straight lines. :) This time we are going to implement this technique on the open end of the body. Work this magic all the way around until you have a masking tape ring 1/2" down from the top of the open end of the body. 

  Now fold the material inward towards the inside of the body. You are going to fold it in until the top of the open end just barely shows the material. Next you are going to attach the head to the body. 
  



Step 9: Uniting the Head and Body

Uniting the head and body
  Finally it is all starting to come together. In this step you will need a couple of pins to hold the body along the bottom of the head.
Now take the Enderman's body and try to align it up against the head's profile. Pin one side first and then pin the opposite side. Start the slip stitch on the left side of the Enderman's face and work your way around to the right side. You are not going to sew the back of neck shut as this will serve as a way for you to fill the body with fiber. Also you may have to use more than one seam to complete this step. I like to pull the stitch tight about every 1 1/2" to 2".

Filler up!
   Once completing the unification begin to fill the body with fiber. When you feel that there is enough material on the inside of the body use a slip stitch to close the back of the neck. You can now remove the masking tape off of the body as it has served its purpose. 

 

Step 10: Attaching the Limbs. in the Home Stitch!

 You are in the home stitch!  
  All you have left to do is to attach the limbs. Once again you are going to ye ole slip stitch to attach all of the limbs to the body. 
 
The Legs

  The legs are going to be attached to the bottom on the outer most sides aligning them directly center of the side profile. You will need to stitch these all the way around the very top of the legs. If you prefer you could stitch them only on the front giving them a hinging effect however I stitched them all the way around. Once your done its time to attach the arms. 

The Arms
   The arms are only going to be stitched along the upper inner most point of the arm. Basically right where an arm pit would lie. Stitch both arms in place and then move onto the final step.


Step 11: Next Step?..... . .. .

Hold your Enderman up in the air and wait for the treasure chest theme from Zelda to play!

DUN DUN DUN DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Now all you have to do is try to keep him(or her) away from dark colored cola's( they love the stuff), presents, and never, under any circumstances, look them in the eyes!