In this comparison, I picked six well-known imaging tools and compared their features, ease of use and performance. However, there is nothing wrong with checking new tools from time to time. I picked them up throughout the years and they do their job. Most tools I use during my investigation are used without a second thought. This is a comparison I wanted to do for a long time, I have always wondered if there would be a noticeable performance difference between the tools. In this post, I will compare six forensic imagers. When creating a forensic image you always try to pick the best tool for the job. Can be a good use for leftovers you don’t want to spin although, toys may smell of sheep, which some love and others hate.There are a few good imaging tools out here. Prepared spinning fiber has similar properties to commercial toy stuffing.
Pro tip: Make sure the stuffing is at least as washable as the yarn on the outside. It can be a great way to use up unknittable scraps, but it’s hard to poke into the right place. That said, most toy stuffing is acrylic so the yarn is more likely to be an issue.Īlways a last resort for me! For small objects, like mini Christmas tree ornaments, a few meters of yarn can be enough to give it some shape. Pro tip: Hypoallergenic pillows are a good source of hypoallergenic stuffing. Artificial fibres are preferable to feathers, unless you’re making a cushion. I strongly recommend washing the pillow before cutting it open if you want the stuffing clean. The contents might need a wash though, and older toys may not have stuffing that meets modern safety standards, if that’s a concern.Īnother bit of upcycling. It might seem a bit heartless to chop up ted, but if you’ve got a stuffed toy that’s really no longer useful, you can reclaim its stuffing. Pro tip: Also not recommended for small children or animals, for the obvious reasons. Stuff small areas with other materials, and use these found objects to fill up the bulky middle.
They’re best for the centre of larger objects though, as they tend to have awkward corners. Pro tip: Plastic bag stuffing is not recommended for toys for small children or animals, as if they manage to tear open the toy, they’ll discover a whole collection of choking and/or suffocation hazards to play with.īubble wrap, packing peanuts, bits of foam… all the things companies send you along with whatever you ordered can be used to fill up an ornament. However, the object will crackle if squeezed. The stuffing will be lightweight and washable. Cut off any lumpy bits, and chop the bags up into manageable pieces. The really thin ones from supermarkets are best. Bear in mind that newspaper ink does spread itself around – you don’t want to put a dark fingerprint on a white snowman. Printer paper or letter paper is clean and white, but tends to be too thick to be effective.Ī frugal alternative to tissue paper, with many of the same problems. Brightly coloured tissue paper can show through pale yarns, and is notorious for spreading dye around if it gets at all wet. Stuff the object quite densely, as otherwise it can be difficult to reshape it if it gets squashed. Not machine washable, but a lightweight solution for ornaments. The material tends to be thicker, so you’ll probably want to cut the material into small pieces before using it as stuffing. Pro tip: Chop the tights up to stuff small areas or smooth out lumps.Īgain, these should be clean.
They’re machine washable, the dye doesn’t leak (not after a billion washes) and it’s a good way to upcycle ones with a ladder in. They should be clean, obviously, and you’ll probably want to cut the elastic hem off the top. Nylons work great, but woolly ones will do too. I may be the only knitter who has accidentally donated their bag of toy stuffing to a charity shop the day they were trying to finish gifts and move house (we were moving house, I feel that’s explanation enough for the madness) but I doubt I’m the only one who has had that last-minute-gift panic and cast around for something else to use. Run out of stuffing for a toy or ornament? Created an amigurumi cutie or maybe you've sewn a pin cushion but are running short on stuffing, Elizabeth Bagwell suggests some creative stuffing solutions. New selection may affect price, shipping options and product availability