Here is a quick DIY you can make in a few hours with no special skills required! This was inspired by a tutorial by Maqaroon that wasn’t nearly nerdy enough for me, lol.

 

MATERIALS:

• 1 white fuzzy sock
• 1 black fuzzy sock
• 1 grey fuzzy sock
• Sewing needle
• White thread
• Needle felting supplies OR felt OR fabric markers in grey, black and purple
• Toy stuffing

BODY:

1. Cut the grey sock and the black sock above the heal so you have only the straight part where your toe would normally go.

2. Turn the black sock inside out and place it inside the grey sock.

3. Stuff the space between the grey sock and the black sock (don’t stuff IN the black sock)

4. Using a whip stitch, sew the bottom openings of the grey and black socks together, refer to the video for more details.

TOTORO’S EARS:

1. Using the remaining portion of grey sock, cut four arrow shapes. These will become the ears.  Compare the arrows to the body and make sure they’re not too big.

2. Take two of the arrows and sew them together using a whip stitch, don’t sew the bottom shut

3. Stuff the ear.  Repeat this process using the other two arrows for the second ear.

TOTORO’S BELLY:

1. Using the white sock, cut out two ovals.  One oval will be for Totoro’s belly and the other will be for No-Face’s mask.  Set the oval for No-Face aside.

2. Using your needle felting materials (or other material of your choosing), felt the details for Totoro’s belly onto the white oval.  I did three of the V designs on mine.

3. Using a whip stitch, sew the belly to the grey side of the body.  Make sure you only go through the white and grey layers, don’t sew all the way through onto the black side.

TOTORO’S EYES AND NOSE:

1. Using your needle felting materials (or other materials), felt two small black dots onto a scrap of the white sock.

2. Cut the area around the black dots in a circle, these will form the eyes.

3. Using your black wool, felt on Totoro’s on the grey side of the body.

4. Position the eyes and equal distance from both sides of the nose and sew them in place using a whip stitch.

5. Sew on Totoro’s ears on top of the head, parallel with his eyes using a whip stitch.

TOTORO’S ARMS:

1. Using the remaining portion of grey sock, cut out two ovals about half of the size of Totoro’s belly.

2. Sew the circles on either side, flush with the body.

3. When you only have a small opening left, stuff the arms to add a little bulk, then sew the rest of the arm closed.

Flip to the black side

NO-FACE’S MASK:

1. Using your needle felting materials, felt on the details on No-Face’s mask.

2. Sew the mask onto the black side of the plushie, making sure not to sew all the way through to the Totoro side.  Make sure you sew the mask so Totoro’s face, and No-Face’s mask are on the same side.  When you flip it inside out, you shouldn’t have to turn it around to see the other character.