A Sounds bag, or Sensory bag - particularly useful for a child just learning to talk:
Below the jump, I will share links that I have found while doing my own research.
Note Craftsy / Bluprint links may now be defunct - I will try and find other links.
First, the caveats. I have not tested all of these ideas. But I do know that you should be careful when making toys for children. Home-made toys should never be used unsupervised, as they will not have undergone the usual vigorous safety testing applied to toys you buy in the shop. For example, they may not be fire safe. You should also be very careful with designs that use small magnets. (Personally I wouldn't use them at all for small children.) If children swallow magnets, this can be VERY dangerous, in that the magnets can cause obstruction, or can close up vital pathways in the intestines, for example.) Felt is an incredibly easy to use material for making toys and quiet books, but it isn't a great idea to let it get sucked (as babies are wont to do) - most types are not washable. And be careful with stuffing and filling material, especially if it may be able to escape. One great design uses polystyrene balls inside - I would NOT give this to a small child who could eat or inhale the balls. Watch out for any attachments, as to whether a child could get tangled, or put a loose piece in its mouth. I take no responsibility for what you do - you just need to think, and be sensible. Thank you for listening!
At the end, I'll give you further links for even more ideas. But first, I'll start with specific types of toy. There is some repetition on different sites, but web sites sometimes come and go. I haven't, by and large, included any stuffed animals. There are plenty of tutorials for these on Pinterest and You Tube, it would seem superfluous for me to add to that.
Balls, rattles and cot toys
Patchwork ball by Handmadiya. Soft ball from hexagons and pentagons. It doesn't say on the site how many you need, but it's 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons - I've researched it!. There are five hexagons round each pentagon, and round each hexagon, it's alternate hexagons and pentagons. This also makes the classic football (soccer ball), so you could give a toddler his or her first (soft) football! You can (as I have done) download some templates from the internet. You need to make sure the sides are the same length. I may get round to doing my own tutorial eventually.
| Fabric ball, three different sizes. You could insert a squeaker, or bell, which you can buy on the internet. I've found that bells are best included in something like an empty Kinder egg, or the stuffing can muffle the bell sound. Possibly the easiest fabric ball I have found, made of pentagons, from While She Naps.  Baby blocks, with rattle inserts, from While She Naps. Stacking blocks, |
Another crinkle toy, which might double as a teething ring if you choose the wooden ring carefully.
A free teddy bear pattern I've used, from Verbena Simple Living. I used it to make a teddy bear head rattle for a play gym - didn't get round to making the body, and as the kids got older, they thought its just having a head was a bit weird! But they were happy to bash it as babies.
This link is for a nice idea for a stacking toy, (Link not working. There is something similar available on Etsy for £7.25, or you can get it free from SewMag, to which you have to register).
A caterpillar tutorial is available from Sew Mag (a bit slow to load). This isn't the pattern I used, I made my own many years ago, but a very similar idea to mine,shown below:
This one from Abby Glassenberg Design through Craftsy is not free, but a lovely idea - a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly!
For a slightly older child, a fishing game from Tipjunkie.
Again, for an older child, this I spy fabric matching game from Cottage Mama. A great idea for making matching game with 20 fabric squares (10 pairs)
If you want girlie stuff, there are several versions of a doll carry cot or basket. This one from Juniperberry. is a straight basket, without a hood. This design, from Dana of Made Every Day, is NOT free, but it does have a hood, and looks very cute, so it's definitely worth a look.
I made my own, but it was more fiddly than I expected! Here's my design for a carrycot, including my template, which is of course free.
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For more ideas on how to make play mats and play gyms cheaply and simply, look at my posts.
Toddler Backpacks
My favourite toddler backpack pattern is this one from Indietutes. (Probably because it's so easy!) I make it with double-sided ready quilted fabric, and the link to the blog post for mine is here. The first one I made, that is written up in the post, started life as a Sounds bag, for which easy access was the most important feature. However, once it started to be used to transport toys, especially out of the home, I added a zip so it could be closed, so as to keep the toys in it. Here's another one zipped up.
However, if you want an alternative, try this from Soldeira. It's a Spanish web site but the important parts are also in English.
Teepees
A teepee is a wonderful thing for small children. I made this one while the oldest was just learning to crawl. Now all four of my grandchildren still play in it, with ages ranging from 5 down to 15 months. So we have certainly got some use out of it, both in the garden and inside the house.
Mine was made pretty much following this pattern and tutorial from Pink Toes and Power Tools. This makes a Teepee with a 5 foot sq footprint. We used green garden stakes to form the frame. My post on how I made mine is here.
A teepee is a wonderful thing for small children. I made this one while the oldest was just learning to crawl. Now all four of my grandchildren still play in it, with ages ranging from 5 down to 15 months. So we have certainly got some use out of it, both in the garden and inside the house.
teepee is
Baby Swings
OK, just another reminder about safety. I take no responsibility here - these are just ideas you may like - use them if you wish. I haven't, so far.
A baby swing / bouncer type thing from Sassy Housewife
And this, from A Beautiful Mess, appears to be virtually identical.
Finally - you're going to need somewhere to put all this stuff, right? So how about......
Nursery Storage
These are some ideas I've collected.
Collapsible Patchwork Storage boxes from Sew Desu Ne
A diaper stacker - but could be used for other things
And another one, ditto, from The Crafting Nook
Storage Buckets from Melly Sews
Or, you could buy a cheap mesh hanging organiser from IKEA and sew some fabric to make it prettier / personalise it!
Or you could make a themed bag to hold loose toys together. Here's one idea, for Mr Potato Head bits, but you could try others. I've found great Superheroes material, which would make a great tote for holding superheroes and accessories. Stitch a couple of fat quarters together, add some handles, and you're done!
Then look these other web sites for even more ideas!
All Free Sewing
DIY & Crafts
Happy Hooligans
So Sew Easy
Threadistry
Sewpin.
Peekaboo
Sewpin
And here is a lovely idea I found originally on Facebook. It's for a play kitchen, (Link no longer works, try the others below). It is based on a cover for a dining chair. This picture is from a Hungarian web site called the Plum Quilting Blog. As far as I can see, the instructions work
Craft Ideas 2 live 4
Gamazbik
Kids Play Groundset
I've also seen a smiliar idea for a capentrer's work bench.
Some very cute baby rattles by Stitched By Crystal for Make-it, Love-it - a bunny, a cat and a mouse.
Another interesting idea for baby rattles, made from socks! By Craftuts.