You’ll use 1 sock for the body, legs, and head, and the other sock for the arms, tail, face, and ears. Going for the iconic sock monkey style? Buy Rockford Red Heel Socks, which have a distinctive red heel.

You can eyeball this line or draw a guideline using a ruler and fabric marker if you’d like a perfectly straight line.

Don’t stitch completely around the inside of the monkey’s legs or you won’t be able to stuff it! You can use any type of stitch you like—running stitch, straight stitch, zigzag stitch, or your favorite.

You can buy polyfill from fabric supply stores, craft stores, or get it online. Don’t have polyfill? Don’t worry! You could use cotton balls or small strips of fabric instead. Your sock monkey may be a little lumpy, but it will have character.

If you’re new to sewing, a simple whip stitch, where you go back and forth across the fabric, is completely fine. If you’re a little more experienced, do a slip stitch, where you work the needle through the very edge of the fabric, to get an almost invisible seam.

For a really cute monkey, tie a ribbon around the neck. You’ll probably want to do this over the elastic so it’s extra secure.

The heel of the sock to make the mouth 2 long strips for the arms A long strip for the tail 2 small curved shapes for the ears

Again, feel free to use any type of stitch for sewing the arms or any part of the monkey.

You won’t be stuffing the ears so you don’t need to leave an opening.

There’s no need to sew the stuffed pieces shut since you’ll be stitching them to the monkey and that will close them.

Keep your stitches tight and close together so the tail and arms stay in place.

Want to give your monkey a little more personality? Before you attach the mouth piece, make a thick line of stitches across the mouth so it looks like the line between lips.

Check that the ears are aligned before you stitch them in place.

If you don’t have black buttons, it’s no big deal. Just use whatever buttons you have on hand. For a sillier look, stick large googly eyes onto the head instead of using buttons. You’ll probably want to add fabric glue to the backs so they don’t fall off.

Dress your monkey for winter with a cute scarf or mittens. Taking the monkey to a sleepover? Pop fun PJs on it before you go.