The Pigeon: Painting and Softie Tutorial (Mo Willems Character)

Since I’m just getting over the stomach flu (that’s twice in two months—yuck!), and I’m having a hard time being motivated to do anything but get my house back into order and spend time with my kids, I’m reposting this from Katy’s (No Big Dill) Once Upon a Thread Series. 

 

 

One of our most favorite authors at my house is Mo Willems.  His books are a delight to read.  We first fell in love with the Pigeon books and now my kids love all of Mo Willems cute little characters.  My kids’ favorite book is actually “The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog”, but “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” was the first we read and what started our adventures with Pigeon.

This funny pigeon is pretty egocentric, and I’d say acts about like a 3 or 4 year old. 

Asking nicely at first, telling you all the reasons why he should get something he wants, and very focused on what he wants.  Heck, he acts like my 8 year old, even! 

The pigeon is also a bit manipulative.  And although that might not sound very appealing, he is just cute and funny.  You can’t help but love him.  And because of that, I can’t imagine Portrait Pigeon and Softie Pigeon liking each other all that much.

First, let’s start with the painting.

The best part about the painting is that it was easy, took me less than an hour from start to finish, and cost me less than $5.00 to make.  So let’s get started!

You’ll need:
-sponge brushes, acrylic paint, a black crayon, THIS printout, and clear contact paper.  Also a canvas panel—mine is 11” x 14” and isn’t the kind with the side—I used a coupon and got a 3-pack for $6.00, so one canvas board for this project at only $2.00 was great.  And save the printout if you are making the softie as well!

The colors of paint I used are canary yellow, wicker white, skintone, light blue, and paradise.

First start by tracing the pigeon and details onto the contact paper.  You could use vinyl if you want, but I think whatever you use, clear is best so you can see what you are doing more.  You don’t need to trace the legs.

Cut out the pigeon, making sure to keep the outside negative space in good condition as well and keep it.

Push the pigeon down, running your fingernail along the edges to make sure it’s down firmly and paint won’t seep through.

I used skintone for the background color.  I kind of wish I had added some white paint and a little brown.

Paint that all on, then peel off the contact paper.

Next place the saved outer negative space around the pigeon once the paint has dried.  You can see where I cut through to cut the pigeon out, at the tip of his tail.

Cover that with a little more contact paper so your paint stays where it should.

Cut out the beak, eye, and white neck ring out of the pigeon you cut out and place back over the white space.

For the pigeon’s color, I used a combination of these three.  Just play around a bit till you think you have it right.  Paint the pigeon, peel off the eye, beak and neck ring.  Let the paint dry.

These are the three paint colors I used for the beak.  Carefully paint the beak, making sure not to go into the blue part.

Once all your paint it dry, take a black crayon and trace around the outside.  Also start drawing in the lines like the picture you printed shows. 

Once you trace the outside, peel off the contact paper and go around again, making some lines thicker and darker…

…until you have this:

I hope you’ll give it a try, even though it’s not sewing of any sort.  I have never painted on canvas besides taping things off, and since you are basically taping things off with contact paper, it will turn out great!  My kids seriously think it’s awesome, and that therefore, I am awesome and super talented because the pigeon looks so alike, ha ha!  But it’s only because it’s so easy!

Next up is the Pigeon Softie.  

You’ll need:

I used a mixture of felt and fleece because it’s what I had on hand.  So grab some light blue felt or fleece, white and black felt, some freezer paper, polyester fiber fill for stuffed animals, and some black leather cord.  Use the same printout that was used for the painting.


Using the freezer paper over the printout, trace the body and white neck band 1/4” larger than what you have on the paper.  Everything else trace normally, except add a bit on the beak portion that connects to the head so you can stick the beak in and sew it on.

Cut the leather cord the same as the legs, adding at least an inch onto each leg.  Use some glue to hold the talons on.  Also cut the leather cord for the neck band.

Iron on the freezer paper so your fabric doesn’t move a lot while cutting.  Just make sure your iron isn’t too hot!

So you’ll have two bodies, two wings, two eyes, one beak, two white bands, and the leather cords you cut out.

Then just start with one side of the bird and start assembling.  Make the eye, sew on the band, eye, and wing.  Sew the leather onto either side of the white band.  Repeat with other side of bird, but make sure that you are doing it the opposite way.

Baste the legs onto the wrong side of the body. 

Trace the bird’s body again onto freezer paper and cut out.  Iron it onto the right side of the bird.  Place the two bird WRONG sides together.

Now sew with black thread carefully next to the freezer paper, leaving a gap for the beak and a gap near the tail to stuff the bird.
Now trim the excess felt or fleece around the pigeon.  When you get to the legs, un-pick the basting stitch and get cut off the excess felt or fleece on either side of the legs. 

Stuff the head and stick the beak in.  Sew closed.  Stuff the rest of the bird and stitch the opening closed. 

Stitch the rest of the circle on the head, and if desired, stitch some black onto the wings.  You’re done!