A Cool Aunt Reviews the Klutz Sew Mini Treats Kit

I have a weird confession to make: Anthropomorphized foods creep me out. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m afraid of them — they just make me… uncomfortable. And the cuter the face, the creepier the food. Why are they so happy? Do they want to be eaten? At what point in the cooking process do the ingredients all become one sentient being? Does it … hurt?

The more I think about it, the more questions I have, and the more I regret this train of thought. But like a moth to flame, I found myself drawn to this kit. Maybe it was all the eyes staring out at me from the box, luring me in.

Cracking open the box, I found the contents neatly packed in a resealable plastic envelope. There are 3 sheets of cardstock patterns, 8 colors of embroidery floss, 2 sheets of pre-cut felt circles for eyes, one in black for the eyes, one in pink for the cheeks, 2 needles, stuffing, 12 sheets of felt, and a sturdy, 48-page instruction book.  

The designs aren’t listed with any sort of complexity level, and I like that — it’s not that some weren’t easier than others, but why stigmatize the ones that require a little more attention to the finer details like sprinkles, or chocolate chips, or frosting? I would give them all my full attention if they were real, so I tried to approach each felt representation with an equal amount of enthusiasm.

I started with a donut because it’s the first one in the book, but there are 18 patterns to choose from — and limitless potential for creatively customizing. Each design follows the same basic process:

1. Cut out the pattern pieces

2. Sew on a face

3. Add details

4. Sew the pieces together, leaving an opening for stuffing

5. Stuff

6. Sew closed

Congrats, you’ve done it! Just look how adorable these food friends are! 

If there’s anything cool aunts are, it’s cynical, because, let’s face it, it’s cool to be cynical. So when I picked this up, my first thought was I could probably have gone to a craft store and gotten these materials for at least half the amount of the kit. But also… why? Klutz are craft-kit masters, and they include everything you need right down to their expert know-how. For about $20, the kit contains more than enough material to create an adorable army of anthropomorphic foods, plus patterns, tutorials, and precut eyes and cheeks! Trust me, you do not want to spend the day cutting out a bunch of teeny tiny circles. 

While we’re on the subject of cutting, let’s talk about scissors and safety for a second: Sure, sharp scissors can be dangerous, but you know what’s also dangerous? Trying to hack your way through a piece of fabric with dull scissors. You don’t need anything super sharp, but it should be sharp enough to cut through the fabric with minimal effort.

Is it hard? No. Is it time-consuming? Yes. Cutting out pattern pieces, threading needles, getting stitches even, making tiny little knots. There’s lots to love about this kit based on the value and cute designs alone, but for anyone looking for a sewing lesson — be it a brush up, or an introduction —  this kit is right on point. 

And this kit has the potential for literally hours of crafting. Hours. Look, I’m aware that despite my childish nature, I’m not an actual child, so I can’t gauge the crafting ability of the average 10 year old, but each one of these food critters took me 45 minutes to make, with the more complicated ones taking more than an hour. For an ambitious kid who wants to complete all 18 designs, that’s a lot of crafting! And all for around 20 bucks! 

Has this experience changed the way I feel about foods with faces? No. But these guys are my adorable, wonky, felt food babies, and I love them all. Pick up a kit to create a community of small foodlings to call your own.