How to Sew a Fabric Marble Maze

These fabric marble mazes are the perfect screen-free, quiet toy for kids, and they happen to be a great way to use up bits of fleece or minky fabric. Each maze has a marble sandwiched between the two layers that you push through the maze with your fingers.

Since there are no pieces to lose, these are just the thing to keep your kids entertained during a long wait or car ride.

Add a loop, and you can even roll them up, and tuck them in a bag, when they aren’t in use.

If you have a kiddo whose’s on the spectrum, or who has attention deficit or sensory issues, these marble mazes also double as sensory toys. Playing with them has a calming effect, and promotes focus.

These mazes are machine washable, too. Just throw them in the wash with the rest of your laundry, whenever they need to be cleaned.

Consider sewing up a bunch of these marble mazes, and making them your go-to gift whenever one of your kids get invited to a birthday party.

How to Sew a Fabric Marble Maze

What You’ll Need

(2) 7″ x 11″ pieces of fabric
Thread
Scissors
An air or water soluble marker
A sewing machine (This is the machine that I have)
A marble
A hair tie (optional)

Fleece or minky fabric works especially well for this project because it feels nice and snuggly in your hands when you’re playing with the maze, but any type of fabric will work. I used fleece for the backside of my mazes, and cotton for the top.

What You Do:

Stack the fabric, with right sides facing together, and pin.

If you want your maze to have a loop for rolling, pin a hair tie between the two layers, mid-way down one of the sides. Make sure it’s facing in, not out. You shouldn’t be able to see it sticking out the side.

Then, sew a 1/4″ seam around the outside edge, leaving a few inches open for turning. I recommend double stitching the seam, so it’ll be extra sturdy.

Turn the fabric right side out.

Then, insert a marble through the opening that you left in the seam, and double-stitch it shut.

Use an air or water soluble marker to draw a maze on the top of your fabric. Keep an inch between the rows and openings, so there will be plenty of room for the marble to move through the maze. Your design can be as simple, or as complex as you’d like it to be.

If you need ideas, scroll down to the bottom of this post. I created a beginner, intermediate and advanced maze design.

Want to Design Your Own Maze?

Google “one-inch square grid paper;” then, print off a piece, and use it to map out your maze. Since the finished size of the maze is 6″ x 9,” you’ll need to come up with a design that’s six squares by nine squares. Another option is to Google “free maze patterns”, and use one of the Creative Commons designs that pops up.

Finish your maze by stitching along the lines that you drew. Since the maze needs to be able to stand up to frequent use and rough play, triple stitch your lines. This project is ideal for using up odds and ends bobbins.

Here’s the beginner’s maze that I made.