Rattle! Jingle! Squeak! Getting Crafty to Make a Deaf Baby’s Toys Quieter

As we rummaged through our toy box for possible Ling toys, we found the cutest little monkey for EEE.

The only problem was, he rattled.

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Based on our instructor's guidance, we didn't want our Ling toys to make any sound.

So, here's how I removed the rattle!

Materials

• Plush toy
• Seam ripper or small sharp scissors
• Needle (for hand sewing, meaning it has a hole in the dull end)
• Thread

While a seam ripper and matching-colored thread are nice to use, they're not necessary.

This project works just as well with a free hotel sewing kit, and some sharp beauty scissors.

1 ~ Locate the Rattle (or Squeaker, or Jingle Bell)

Plastic inserts make plush toys rattle, squeak, or jingle.

They look like this:

The first step was to feel around the monkey, squishing it, to find the location of the rattle insert.

I found the rattle piece basically smack dab in the middle of his head.

2 ~ Identify A Good Seam

Next, I looked for an ideal seam to open it.

Ideally --

1. Near the rattle piece
2. A relatively straight line (sharp curves are tricky)
3. Simple two pieces sewn together - no ribbons, tags, or limbs in the seam

I found the perfect seam along the back of the monkey's head.

3 ~ Open the Seam

Next I opened up the seam, large enough to get the noise element out.

I hooked the seam ripper under the thread of the seam, and cut the thread.

I worked my way down the seam opening each stitch, until I had a hole that the rattle piece could fit through.

4 ~ Gently Reach in and Grab the Noise Piece

Moving the polyfill gently to the side, I dug around, grabbed the rattle piece, and maneuvered it over to the open seam.

In doing so, I discovered it was covered with a mesh netting.

5 ~ Remove the Noise Piece

I pulled the rattle piece out of the toy, careful not to put too much pressure on the edges of the seam. Pressure could make the seam continue to open up further than I wanted it to.

Then, I cut the mesh netting with my tiny scissors, liberating the rattle piece!

6 ~ Thread the Needle and Sew up the Seam

I threaded my needle and sewed the seam back up. I did this using a classic toy-closing stitch, called a ladder stitch (I like the tutorial here).

It just involves going back and forth from one piece of fabric, across the opening, over to the other piece, and back again, over and over.

My needlework wasn't that pretty, but it got the job done.

7 ~ Knot the Thread, and Tada!

Knotting my thread, I was delighted to have the ideal Ling toy! 

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Not A Sewing Fan?

Sewing is one of my hobbies, so LSL sewing projects aren't a big stretch of my time and energy.

It's totally understandable if you aren't thrilled about a sewing project at the moment!

If you'd love to have this Ling toy modification, a friend who sews might enjoy spending an afternoon helping you out!