Montessori Grasping Ball Sewing Pattern

You’ve probably already seen this funny-looking ball on social media and wondered what it was for. As an engineer, I’ve also wondered how to make one. This ball is well-known to parents who follow the Montessori method. It’s also sometimes called an Amish ball. I think it’s an excellent toy, both pretty and useful.

Pretty, because I love its geometric shapes, and useful, because it helps babies develop their fine motor skills.

Making it is actually much simpler than it looks. Follow me for this step-by-step tutorial and learn how to make this great toy.
This project is also an excellent opportunity to learn how to sew, and in particular how to sew small curves until you’ve mastered the technique. You can then practice—and perfect—the very useful ladder stitch technique for closing a seam invisibly.