How to sew a Toy Blood Pressure Cuff

Last week I showed you my felt medical kit, but I felt there was something missing from the kit. Just about every time I go to the doctor’s, I have my blood pressure taken. A toy blood pressure cuff was definitely needed.

I sized it so that the strap would fit around my arm as well as the kids’ arms. I knew I would end up being a patient too. Unfortunately, it’s not quite big enough to fit around Daddy’s arm – oops!

Here’s how I made it:

Supplies

Scrap of white felt (4.5cm square)
Scrap of grey felt (4.5cm square, plus 1.5x12cm strip)
1 sheet of blue felt
1 sheet of black felt
1 Balloon
Small amount of polyfill
Matching thread – white, grey, blue, black
8cm strip of hook and loop tape (Velcro)

Instructions

1. Cut out the following pieces from the felt

• Circle with diameter of 4.5cm from white felt
• Circle with diameter of 4.5cm from grey felt
• 1.5x12cm strip of grey felt
• 4 rectangles of blue felt 6x18cm
• 2 strips of 2cm wide black felt, the length of the sheet (approximately 30cm)
• Slightly inflate the balloon, and trace a balloon shape out of black felt. Cut two pieces (see photo below)

  

  2. Roll the two long black strips into a cylinder. Pin in place and hand-stitch the cylinder into closed along the raw edge of felt:

3. Repeat for the second piece of black felt to create two long tubes:

4. Embroider small dashes for the gauge markings on the white felt:

Don’t worry if the back looks messy – it will be hidden.

5. Sew the grey strip around the outside of the grey circle, as shown in the picture below, and then sew the two ends of the strip together (trimming if there’s any excess felt):

6. Sew about the white circle to the other edge of the grey strip, leaving a gap of about an inch (2.5cm).

7. Firmly stuff with polyfill:

8. Place the end of one of the black tubes into the opening, and sew shut:

9. Place the two balloon-shaped pieces on top of each other and sew approximately 3/4 of the way around:

10. Add the balloon:

11. And sew the rest of the way around, but don’t sew across the small end yet:

12. Poke the end of the other tube of black felt into the end of the balloon piece, and sew in place:

13. Sew two pieces of blue felt strip together along the short edge to create one long skinny rectangle.

14. Repeat for the other two pieces of blue felt.

15. Sew a 4cm piece of hook tape of the Velcro along the one edge of the blue strips, parallel to the short edge.

16. Sew an 8cm piece of loop tape of the Velcro along the opposite edge of the other blue strip, this time running parallel to the long side (this makes the cuff adjustable)

17. Sew the two blue pieces together (with the Velcro strips on the outside!) with a blanket stitch around the outside. Poke the other ends of the black tubes into the centre of one side and sew into the seam as you go.

And now you can have lots of fun measuring your kids’ blood pressure!

See my Felt Medical Kit here, and sign up to the Cook Clean Craft Newsletter to receive more craft tutorials like this direct to your inbox.