How to Make a Designer Inspired Sheep

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I love these cute sheep figures but not so much the price tag… why not make my own?

A fluffy sheep-shaped stool with black legs is placed in a corner, set against a backdrop of a floral-patterned wall with illustrated trees, flowers, and a butterfly. The room has light wooden flooring.

Story time: I LOVE quirky unexpected objects as decor but finding ones are easier said than done. A few years ago, I noticed cute fluffy pretty much life sized sheep popping up in interiors and I immediately knew I wanted one. Alas, these sheep were hundreds if not thousands of dollars which is not in the budget over here. I saw one sheep that felt kind of basic in its shape and thought that it was *maybe* something I could make with scrap wood and a few clever embellishments!

Step 1. Make the Body

I knew my kids would climb on this thing so the shape of the body had to be sturdy enough for a person to sit on…. I used a bucket to create a basic arch that I then cut out from leftover plywood.

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A person is using a yellow bucket as a stencil to draw a semicircle on a wooden surface. The bucket has "LET'S DO THIS" printed on it in white letters. The background shows a workshop with various tools and equipment.

A circular saw rests on a wooden surface next to two square pieces of wood with penciled semi-circle markings. The scene suggests preparations for cutting curved shapes from the wood.

In order to layer these to look like a sheep’s body, I used pieces of 2×4 glued and screwed in place to essentially create spacers.

A wooden board with four square wooden blocks attached using glue is placed on a workbench. Various woodworking tools, such as clamps, a tape measure, and glue, are scattered around it.

Once each ‘slice’ of the sheep was assembled, I put them all together to make the body. I made the pieces at either end a bit smaller to create the rounded backend and front end of the sheep.

Wooden structure with multiple vertical and horizontal curved panels, resembling a series of arches. The background shows a workshop with various tools and equipment.

Last step for the body was to add a pair of 1x4s that I cut at an angle to be the head and neck. Stay with me… once these shape is padded and upholstered, it will be more sheep like. At least that’s what I told myself because at this point of the project I wasn’t sure what I had gotten myself into!

A wooden structure is being built on a workbench using plywood pieces clamped together. Various tools and materials are scattered around, including a saw and a green toolbox. A window shows trees and a vehicle outside.

Step 2: Padding and Upholstery

First thing I did was wrap the body with a leftover cotton sheet I had in my stash. This doesnt need to be need or clean AT ALL because it’s going to be covered with foam and fabric.

A fabric-covered, curved form with wooden supports extends from it, placed on a table. Nearby are a staple gun and scissors. In the background, there are wooden cabinets and a purple chair.

Next I used some leftover upholstery foam to wrap the sheep’s body. I stapled it in place underneath as shown below.

A person wearing a turquoise beanie is standing at a table, wrapping a large foam object with white fabric. Scissors and a staple gun are on the table, and artwork is displayed in the background.

The last layer that you can see me starting to add above is some batting. I also started to play around with the rough shape of the head… I made a prototype out of paper to get the right proportions and then I transferred that pattern to the black fabric.

A work in progress of a soft, rounded white object topped with a conical paper structure, possibly resembling a sheep or animal. It rests on a table in a bright room, surrounded by various crafting supplies.

A large white fluffy object with a smaller black section on top rests on a worktable. A stapler and foam pieces are nearby. The background features colorful art supplies and a partially visible canvas.

I looked around for the right material to use for the sheep’s wool and ultimately landed on an old flokati rug we weren’t using anymore. It ended up being perfect because it had a woven base layer (rather than rubber or something thicker) so it was easy to sew in place with an upholstery needle.

Close-up of a furry, off-white textile with a single blue knitting needle inserted in the middle. In the background, a blurred office setting with drawer units. The texture of the textile is shaggy and layered.

The finishing touch was to give my sheep some legs. I found these ones on Amazon and painted them black. Because the underside of the sheep’s body is solid plywood, these were easy to screw in place.