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How to Join a Crochet Arm on a Teddy Bear

Making a beloved teddy bear whole again is a precious task. Yet stitching the new arm on is a delicate operation. If it's not done with the proper tools and care, stuffing can pop out and the seam can tear, leaving teddy vulnerable again. How to join a crocheted arm depends on whether the bear is also crocheted or made of woven fabric or fur instead.

Things You'll Need

For a crocheted (or knitted) bear:
Ball-point hand-sewing needle
Yarn in the bear's color
Ball-point pins
Scissors
For a fabric bear:
Sharp-point hand-sewing needle
Thread in the bear's color
Straight pins
Scissors
For a fur bear:
Needle for leather or canvas
Thick thread in the bear's color
Straight pins
Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Choose your needles and pins based on the fabric of the bear, and not the crocheted arm. Sharp pins and needles cut the stitches as they poke into the fabric and can cause the crocheted stitches to fall apart. But ball-point pins and needles can damage nonknit fabrics. So if the bear is made of woven fabric such as felt or wool, use sharp-point pins and needles. Just be careful to put the pin or needle between the crocheted stitches rather than through them.
- 2
  Fold under the edges of the armhole and pin them in place. Insert the arm's upper edge into the armhole. Pin the crocheted edge of the top of the arm to the inside of the armhole. Make sure the arm and hand are positioned properly when it is pinned.
- 3
  Pin the bottom point of the arm's crocheted edge to the uderarm of the bear, at the side seam if there is one. Then pin the front of the arm and the back of the arm, taking care not to stretch the crocheted stitches. If the arm does not fit exactly into the armhole, go to Step 4. If the fit is good as is, skip Step 4.
- 4
  Make gathering stitches in the edge of the fabric that is bigger. Gently pull the thread from both ends to gather the material slightly. (Pulling only from one end can pull the stitches out.) Sometimes just a slight puckering is all that is needed to ease the fit. Pin the front and back of the arm to the armhole.
- 5
  Repeat Steps 2 and 3 with the other arm if you are stitching on two crocheted arms. The bear will look better if the arms are identical, regardless what the fabric is for the rest of the bear.
- 6
  Choose the right needle and yarn or thread for the bear's fabric. Thread the needle and pull about 6 inches through the needle's eye. Leaving about 12 inches of thread or yarn on the other side of the needle, cut and knot this end.
- 7
  Remove one pin and insert the needle between the arm and the bear. Bring the needle up through the bear's folded-under edge so the knot will be hidden inside. Push the needle out at the armhole edge. Catch in a stitch in the crocheted arm and pull the thread or yarn until the knot catches.
- 8
  Continue stitching this way, making small stitches close together. Be sure to catch in both the armhole fabric and the arm with each stitch. Make a knot every one-fourth of the way around the arm to keep the entire seam from unraveling if one part of the seam breaks.
- 9
  Finish stitching the arm by knotting the thread or yarn inside the seam so it cannot be seen. Stitch the other arm the same way.

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