Pinch my Cheeks ornaments

My husbands family have these cool animals that you pinch their cheeks and a Hershey kiss pops out. His mom showed me how to make them, and since then I've started making more customized ones. They are fairly simple, but do take some time.

Star Trek symbol

 Mario and Avengers

Yoshi

 Toad

Supplies needed: 

-Plastic Canvas

-Yarn (color of choice)

-Large, blunt needle 

-Yarn threader (the cheap metal ones work ok, but I suggest getting one with a plastic handle and thicker metal, or they seem to just break).

Cut out 3 matching squares out of the plastic canvas (they are made with tiny squares, so I usually do 10 squares x 10 squares).

Cut out a workable length of yarn. Thread needle with desired color, only single strand with a small strand hanging out the end to keep from coming out of needle. Remember these will be diamond shape. 

Start in a corner and pull thread through until about 1/2 inch is left. then thread through the next square across at an angle. Continue to thread this way, while wrapping the 1/2 inch inside the stitches on the back. Do the outside edges on 2 sides of 2 of the squares, leave the other square with no edges stitched. Change color as needed if doing a certain design. When you start running out of yarn, push the need through several stitches on the backside and clip off the yarn. Re-thread needle, and push the new strand through several stitches on back and pick up where you left off.

The two pieces with edges done are going to be the top and bottom. The third is for the back. Put the top and back piece together open edges touching. Sew over hand stitch all the way around the two edges. Put the bottom piece together with the back and do the same. This gets a little tricky because you have to bow the canvas to make it work. Then sew a loop on the top and you have a pinch my cheek. Pinch the sides to open the mouth and put a Hershey Kiss inside.

(More detailed photos to come later)