How to Make a Teddy Bear out of Fabric
Crafting a teddy bear out of fabric is a creative way to display your visual art skills. A homemade stuffed animal makes an ideal gift for toddlers or young children. Employing a cotton fabric as the "skin" of your bear provides soft, smooth and cool surface. A 12-by-12-inch bear, for example, also makes for a toy that is effortlessly handled and carried by a young child. Creating your own stuffed animals also saves you the time and money of an outright purchase. Display your finished product on a bedside table, toy shelf or mantle, once the animal is completed.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- 12-by-24-inch cotton fabric sheet
- Standard chalk
- Fabric scissors
- Paper bear stencil (optional)
- Push pins (multiple)
- 1 1/2-inch felt eyes (2)
- 1-inch felt circle nose
- 4-inch felt crescent
- Sewing machine
- Cotton stuffing
Instructions
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Place a 12-by-24-inch sheet of cotton fabric onto a work surface. Adjust the fabric so one of the 12-inch edges is facing you. Fold the top half of the fabric over the bottom half so the tracing surface is now double-sided. Align the fabric so all edges are flush.
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Draw the outline of your teddy bear onto the center of the top sheet of fabric with standard chalk. Attach a paper teddy bear stencil to the fabric with push pins in the event you do not excel at drawing by hand. Log online and visit the AllCrafts, Sewing Support or FreeApplique website for free stencil patterns. Trace and remove the stencil from the fabric. Cut out the teddy bear from the folded fabric to simultaneously create two identical shapes.
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Draw and cut two 1 1/2-inch felt eyes, one 1-inch felt circle nose and one 4-inch-wide felt crescent. Sew the eyes and nose onto the right side of the first teddy bear shape using a sewing machine and straight stitch. Sew the crescent under the nose to act as a smile using the sewing machine and straight stitch.
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Place the fabric bear sheets atop one another so the right sides face toward center. Sew along the perimeter of the bear using a sewing machine and straight stitch pattern 1/8-inch removed from the edge. Sew until a 2-inch open pocket remains open along the edge of the bear. Turn the bear right side out.
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Insert polyester or cotton stuffing into the pocket until the bear is full. Insert as many long and interconnected pieces of cotton as possible – as opposed to numerous tiny pieces, for example – to prevent excessive lumping whenever the teddy bear is washed at a later date. Sew the pocket opening closed by hand sewing using an overcast stitch.
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Tips & Warnings
A gentle setting on your washing machine will help reduce wear and tear on the bear. Air-dry the bear to prevent distortion of the felt face components.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
