Upcycled Teddy Bear Tutorial

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Sewing tutorials are some of my favorite and most well-loved posts, but generally sewing projects take a long time, so I don’t share them too often. What’s great about this Upcycled Teddy Bear project is that you can create something special and meaningful to your family in about an hour using materials you already have in your home. It would make a great sewing tutorial for a beginner or a fun project for a grandmother to make for each of her grandchildren.

Materials:

• Old clothing items
• Coordinating thread
• Polyester filling
• 3 random buttons

Equipment:

• Printer
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Needle

Directions:

Begin by selecting your clothing items. I chose an old sweater that I no longer wore and a baby outfit that belonged to my son. Sometimes it’s difficult to part with old clothing because of our emotional attachments, but by up cycling them into something new, you bring life to items that may otherwise sit in a box in your attic.

Next, wash your clothing with Snuggle® Ultra Blue Sparkle fabric conditioner and blue iris bliss® Snuggle Scent Boosters®. Follow the instructions on the packages for snuggly soft, beautifully scented materials for your upcycled teddy bear project.  Remember to loosely pack clothing in the washer when using Snuggle Scent Boosters® to ensure all garments receive a long-lasting scent boost. Snuggle® Ultra Blue Sparkle fabric conditioner and blue iris loosely pack clothing in the washer when using Snuggle Scent Boosters to ensure all garments receive a long-lasting scent boost bliss Snuggle Scent Boosters® are better together just like families are better together!

Next, print the Teddy Bear Template on to white computer paper. Pin the pattern to the clothing item that will be used for the body portion of the teddy bear. I pinned it through both layers of my sweater so that I could cut the exact same pattern into both fabrics. Then I cut out the smaller pieces (paws, feet, ears, face, and belly) from the other fabric. Pin the smaller pieces to one layer of your teddy bear and sew in place using a zigzag stitch.

Next, pin the outer sides of your teddy bear facing inward and sew all the way around using a straight stitch. Remember to leave a small opening to stuff your bear. This particular sweater fabric is very stretchy (I recommend selecting a stiffer fabric), so I had to sew it very carefully.

I wanted this bear to have the Snuggly Softness® of the Snuggle® bear. I have fond memories of my sister absolutely loving that sweet, cuddly white bear in commercials from the 1980s. I love to connect my childhood memories with my children’s lives now, which was the inspiration for this tutorial. Stuff your bear well and sew up the open end.

Complete the bear by hand-sewing button eyes and a button nose… and here is my completed Upcycled Teddy Bear! He fits perfectly with some of our other favorite stuffed animals, like the red and green bear to his right (made from Lydia’s baby clothes). If you look closely, my bear has several flaws, which I think is sorta the beautiful part of making toys for your children. They are uniquely special because they are handmade by you with love.

And I will tell you that someone snuggled his new teddy bear all night long, even when he climbed into bed with me at 5 am this morning. I hope this is a special toy that he will always treasure. (I *may* still have a baby blanket my mom’s friend crocheted for me when I was born safely stored in my closet).

Head to Sam’s Club where you can purchase Snuggle® Ultra Blue Sparkle fabric conditioner and blue iris bliss® Snuggle Scent Boosters®. Find great savings on featured Snuggle® laundry conditioners in this month’s March Instant Savings Book at Sam’s Club. Check your Instant Savings Book for exclusive savings.

How do you make a Snifference™ when cuddling with your kids?