While I experiment with many different styles of doll eyes, locking safety eyes with washers are my absolute staple for creating durable, professional-looking plush. Because so many makers reach out with questions about how to install safety eyes, I’ve put together this guide to share my favorite tips and tricks for a perfect, secure installation every time.
I offer several different kinds of doll eyes here in my supply shop. Let’s go over the different kinds of safety eyes and how they differ.
Traditional Locking Safety Eyes – These kind of safety eyes are the sometimes most difficult to install, so I’ll be going over exactly how to install them, step by step, below. These safety eyes have a post on the back and come with washers to fit over the post. The post is ridged so that once the washer is pushed into place the washer locks into place. Because of the ridges the washers can sometimes be harder to install. But I like these the very best because the washers fit very snug. There is much less danger of the eye coming loose, falling off, or even ending up in the mouth of a small child.
Safety Eyes With Washers – The majority of safety eyes have a backing post with a washer to hold the eye into place. Some fit snug but are not ridged. These can often easily be pulled off and on. I like to use these for art pieces and toys for older children.
Sew In Eyes – These eyes have no backing or post, but have holes drilled for sewing the eyes to the fabric or felt. These are very similar to a bead, but with the holes sitting closely together at the back.
How To Install Safety Eyes With Pliers
Safety eye washers aren’t always a one-size-fits-all experience. Depending on the size and style, you’ll find that larger washers can often be snapped into place with just a bit of thumb pressure. However, smaller or more rigid washers can be nearly impossible to install by hand! If you hit a snag, a pair of pliers will be your best friend. Ideally, you can use jeweler’s pliers that come with a padded side to protect the plastic eye. If you only have standard hardware pliers around the house, simply wrap one side in duct tape or medical tape. This creates a DIY cushion that gives you the leverage you need without scratching the surface of your doll’s new eyes.
The best way to install locking safety doll eyes are with a small set of pliers.
Some tools and supplies I recommend having on hand:
- pliers
- small set of scissors
- duct tape
- tooth pick or awl
Before making any permanent holes, I always start by lining up my felt head pieces side-by-side. I use a long sewing pin to test out different placements, ensuring the eyes sit at the exact same height and distance from the seams on both sides. This simple step is the best way to guarantee your creature has a perfectly symmetrical, balanced expression once it’s stuffed.
Poke a hole through the felt or fabric where you want to install the eye. The hole is for fitting the eye post. Here I layered both sides of the horse I was sewing, so that the eyes will be installed on the exact same spot on both sides.
Insert the eye post through the hole. Be careful to install the eyes facing opposite of each other.
If you dont happen to own padded jewelers pliers, I have a quick DIY trick!
Tear off a small piece of duct tape and wrap it around the bottom half of the pliers. The reason for doing this is to give some traction to the safety eye while pushing the washer in place, while protecting the eye from being scratched. For even more traction you could even face the sticky part outwards. This will prevent the pliers from slipping at all.
Place the washer over the post and apply pressure downward on the washer while holding the pliers on the eye and washer at the same time.
Once the washer and felt are snug against the back of the eye you can clip the end of the post off. Done!
And there you have it! Now that your creature has its eyes securely in place, it’s truly starting to find its personality. Installing safety eyes can feel a little daunting at first, but with these tricks in your back pocket, you can craft with confidence knowing your new friend is built to last.