DIY Sewing Tutorial: Fabric April Fools’ Fish

April Fools’! Today, we’re teaching you how to sew little fabric fish with this fun and easy tutorial a playful way to surprise your kids by hiding them all over the house. It’s also a great idea to keep little ones busy during school breaks or rainy days!

Let’s face it: drawing paper fish is so last year! Now we’re thinking eco-friendly, creative, and resourceful even in our sewing corner. Grab your fabric scraps and let’s stitch up a whole shoal of silly fish this April 1st!

What You'll Need

This quick and easy sewing project is perfect for beginners, but also fun for more experienced sewists who want to get creative or teach kids how to sew.

Your prettiest fabric scraps
A bit of stuffing (or you can use fabric leftovers)
A sewing machine
Fabric scissors
Our cute fish template to print (you can even color it in!)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Print and Cut the Template

Download the fish pattern, print it on A4 paper, and cut it out.

2. Trace and Cut Your Fabric

Use the fish template to trace the shape onto your fabric scraps with a pencil or tailor’s chalk.
You need two fabric fish shapes per finished fish, so don’t mix up your fins!

3. Sew the Fish Body

Pair two fish shapes wrong sides together, pin them, and sew all around the edges but leave a 5 cm opening to stuff it later.

4. Add Stuffing

Give your little fish some shape by stuffing it through the opening.
Use either soft filling or leftover fabric scraps.

5. Close the Fish

Sew the opening shut with a small straight stitch or a hidden hand stitch.

Bonus: Make a Whole School of Fish!

No need to wait for a fishing rod just a needle and thread will do
Once you’ve sewn your first fish, make more to create a colorful collection to scatter around for your April Fools’ prank.