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How to Build a Stuffed Bear

Shops that specialize in helping you build a stuffed animal from scratch can be found in malls and shopping centers across the country, but you don't need to spend a lot of money to make a stuffed bear for someone special. If you have some leftover fabric, stuffing and rudimentary sewing skills, even an amateur seamstress can tackle this project.

Things You'll Need

Fabric
Pattern
Fabric pencil
Sewing shears
Pins
Needle
Sewing machine
Thread
Cotton batting

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a fabric for your stuffed bear. You can use any material you like; however, for an authentic feel, select a fabric like mohair that will have that "furry" feeling.
- 2
  Create a pattern for your stuffed bear. You can download and print free patterns from websites like AllCrafts, I Love Teddies and South African Bears (see Resources). These patterns look like outlines of a bear. If you're artistically inclined, you can try your hand at drawing a pattern of your own. If the pattern you like isn't big enough, Martha Stewart Living magazine suggests enlarging it using a copy machine.
- 3
  Trace the pattern onto the back of your fabric using a fabric pencil. The craft website "Make It And Love It" says to leave enough room on the edges of your pattern for a 1/4- to 1/2-inch seam allowance. You will need to repeat this step on a second piece of fabric; one piece will be used for the stuffed bear's front, the other for its back. If your bear pattern is not symmetrical, create a second pattern that is the mirror opposite for the second piece of fabric.
- 4
  Cut along the lines created by the fabric pencil using a pair of sewing shears.
- 5
  Line up the two pieces of fabric, turning the furry sides of the fabric in so they're facing one another (leaving the "back" of the fabric -- the non-furry side -- facing outward).
- 6
  Draw a seam allowance along the border of the fabric, leaving about a 1/4- to 1/2-inch along the edges for a seam allowance.
- 7
  Pin the two pieces of fabric together along the seam allowance line.
- 8
  Use a needle and thread (or a sewing machine) to sew along the line drawn in Step 6. Depending on the thickness of your fabric, you may need to use a larger needle. Do not sew around the entire border; instead, leave a small (2- to 3-inch) gap at the base of the bear.
- 9
  Turn your stuffed bear right-side out, so the furry sides are now facing outward.
- 10
  Stuff cotton batting through the open hole. Stuff as much as you'd like into the bear until its body is as firm or soft as you want.
- 11
  Stitch the opening used to insert the batting closed with a needle and thread. Trim any stray thread hanging off the bear.

Stuffed Animals