How to Stitch Up a Stuffed Animal

Stuffed animals go everywhere with their owners.

A stuffed animal is a child's best friend. It goes everywhere with its owner. Outside, on car trips, to the doctor or dentist, and even sometimes the bathtub. With the constant transportation and play sessions, the plush fabric of the stuffed animal can become worn and seams tear, causing the much-squeezed stuffing to come out. With the attachments children form with their stuffed counterparts, replacement usually isn't an option. Learning how to repair a child's stuffed animal can be the difference between a happy and sad child.

Things You'll Need

• Stuffing
• Needle
• Thread
• Scissors
• Super glue

Instructions

1. Locate the site of the rip or tear. Replace any stuffing so the stuffed animal is easy and comfortable to squeeze, but not flabby or over-hard.

2. Thread your needle. The closer this thread is to matching the site of the incision, the more it will blend in.

3. Knot the end of your thread several times and push the needle and thread through from the inside of the tear. This hides the knot and extra thread from view, making a cleaner stitch.

4. Pinch the fabric together so the edges of the tear meet up. Push your needle away from you through the two layers of fabric and pull the excess thread through.

5. Bring the needle back toward you above the seam, and push the needle back through the two layers roughly 1/8-inch down the seam in the same way you did before. This wraps the tear in thread, much like a spiral notebook.

6. Continue stitching 1/8-inch stitches down the length of the seam until you reach the end. Make one last loop in the thread, and weave your needle through it, pulling it tight. This creates a knot in the end of the stitch.

7. Drip a drop of super glue on the knot to make sure it stays tied. Normally when sewing this isn't necessary, but with the rigorous use a stuffed animal gets, it's a good idea to reinforce the knot.

Tips & Warnings

• Mono-filament thread will blend in with any color of fabric and is generally stronger than standard sewing thread.

References

• Fiber Images: Hand Sewing Stitches

Resources

• Coats and Clark: Hand Sewing