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The Best Gifts for DIY Teddy Bear Makers

It’s that time of year when friends and family are looking for gift ideas for their favorite bear maker.  This year I thought I’d come up with 10 gift ideas for your favorite bear maker with prices ranging from $10 – $500.

1) Quilter’s Plastic Template Sheets:  https://amzn.to/3Flbqs0

Perfect for your teddy bear patterns.  Trace your patterns onto these plastic sheets and cut them out.  Now your teddy bear patterns are practically indestructible!

Quilter's Plastic Template Sheets

 

2) C.S. Osborne Round Point Upholstery Straight Needle Kit:  https://amzn.to/3uI8Sz1

These specialty needles make inserting teddy bear eyes a breeze!

C.S. Osborne Round Point Upholstery Straight Needle Kit

3) 5″ Fiskars Micro Tip Easy Action Shears: https://amzn.to/3YsEuqe

These scissors are so much easier on your hands when you are cutting out your teddy bear parts!

5" Fiskars Micro Tip Easy Action Shears

4) 4″ Gingher Curved Embroidery Scissors:  https://amzn.to/3Wg0wut

These curved embroidery scissors are wonderful when you trim the muzzle on your teddy bears as they curve along with your teddy bear’s muzzle.

4" Gingher Curved Embroidery Scissors

5) eGift Card for DIY teddy bear making kits and patterns: https://teddybearacademy.company.site/products/Gift-card-$25-$200-p425578304

This is a digital gift card for teddy bear making kits and patterns at my own online shop.  After the purchase, you will receive an email with the gift card and instructions on how to use it. The card can be used as payment for any products I have.

eGift Card for DIY teddy bear making kits and patterns

6) Mustache trimmer (battery operated):  https://amzn.to/3HyIZcS

Makes trimming seam allowances a breeze!  Also very helpful when trimming a teddy bear muzzle.

Mustache trimmer (battery operated)

7) Sizzix Stuffing Tool:  https://amzn.to/3hhm1MF

Great tool to aid with stuffing your teddy bears.  This is very similar to the mini cotter pin turner that I use as a stuffing stick.

Sizzix Stuffing Tool

8) Storage box for bear making supplies: https://amzn.to/3WdSkKZ

I use a Plano tackle box to store my teddy bear making tools and supplies.  I keep my teddy bear joint discs, jointing hardware, glass teddy bear eyes, thread, pearl cotton and artificial sinew all together in this box.  It’s great to have all of your basic bear making needs (except the fur) in one place.

Storage box for bear making supplies

9) Gift Membership to Teddy Bear Academy: https://teddybearacademy.company.site/products/Gift-Membership-to-Teddy-Bear-Academy-p419491018

Choose between a 6 or 12 month gift membership to Teddy Bear Academy and your recipient will get unlimited access to the entire library of bear making video courses, free teddy bear patterns and more!  You will receive a gift certificate to print out at home.  The membership will start after the recipient starts the set up process.

Gift Membership to Teddy Bear Academy

10) Janome HD 3000 sewing machine:  https://amzn.to/3FNSzHi

When I started making teddy bears, I used a simple Kenmore sewing machine.  It was a very basic model that was under $200.  It did OK I guess, but I had a hard time with some of the mohairs and furs I used.  A while ago I upgraded my sewing machine to a Viking Romeo sewing machine.  I think they came out in the late 1990’s and have since been discontinued.  If I was buying a new sewing machine today, I would go with the Janome HD 3000.  It’s a good heavy duty sewing machine.  For my basic teddy bear sewing, I prefer a good heavy duty machine.

Janome HD 3000 sewing machine

 

 

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Finding Time to Make Teddy Bears

Are you a beginner when it comes to making teddy bears?  Are you overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin?  Have you made teddy bears before, and would like to again but can’t seem to find the time?

I find that by breaking the different steps of making the bear up into sections, it gives me a natural “break time”.   If you look at bear making as a number of short steps, you will realize that you can work on your teddy bear in short 30 minute segments if you like.  Before you know it, you will have done a number of 30 minute segments and you will have finished your teddy bear!  I also find I get my bears done faster as I don’t procrastinate as much.

Here is how I divide my bear making up.  Some of the steps may be longer than 30 minutes, but you can always break up a step into a few 30 minute segments.

  1. Pattern Preparation (I either glue the pattern pieces onto thin cardboard like a cereal box to make the pattern pieces more sturdy.  You can also trace the pieces onto clear quilter’s template for a longer lasting pattern.)
  2. Figure out what direction the fur lies, mark an arrow on the back of the fabric so you can keep track of it and trace the pattern pieces onto the back of the fabric.
  3. Cut out the pieces
  4. Match &  pin the pieces together to prepare for stitching.
  5. Sew the pieces together.
  6. Apply Aleene’s Stop Fraying to seam openings & let dry.
  7. Turn pieces right side out.
  8. Stuff the head, stitch the nose, close the neck and insert eyes.
  9. Trim the muzzle
  10. Insert the joints into the arms and legs & stuff.  Close seam openings.
  11. Attach the head and limbs to the body.
  12. Stuff the body and close the seam opening.
  13. Add the ears, do finishing touches on face and add a ribbon and you are done!

Would you like help with your bears?  Join Teddy Bear Academy for an all access pass to teddy bear making videos and ask me your bear making questions!  Join here: https://classes.teddybearacademy.co/pages/join-today

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Teddy Bear Christmas Ornament Kits

It’s September and Christmas will be here before you know it!  It’s time to make some Christmas tree ornaments.  What would be cuter than a tree full of teddy bear ornaments?

Just in time, I just got 3 colors of one of my best selling teddy bear ornament kits back in stock.

Free Shipping on these kits to US customers: https://teddybearacademy.company.site/products/Kits-c124658375

International customers please shop via my Etsy shop:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeddyBearAcademy?section_id=17682740

I’d love to see photos of your ornaments when you are done!

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New Little Polar Bear Pattern plus Two New Bear Making Kits

For those of you who love to make their own artist teddy bears, I have released a new pattern and also two new teddy bear making kits.

Storm is the new design.  He’s a little polar bear about 5.75″ tall and is fully jointed.  The sample bear was made from 1/4″ cream colored alpaca.  You can buy the pattern or the full kit here:  https://teddybearacademy.company.site/products/

 

Butterscotch is a miniature teddy bear making kit.  He was made using the Flake pattern.  You can buy the Flake pattern – or the full Butterscotch bear making kit here:  https://teddybearacademy.company.site/products/Butterscotch-5-Miniature-Alpaca-Jointed-Teddy-Bear-Making-KIT-p475219276

Teddy Bear Academy members get 25% off on teddy bear making kits!  The discount code is inside of the Academy here:  https://classes.teddybearacademy.co/communities/Q29tbXVuaXR5LTIyODU3

Not a member?  Join Teddy Bear Academy today and start making adorable teddy bears! https://classes.teddybearacademy.co/pages/join-today

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Miniature Teddy Bear DIY Sewing Kit

You can now make your very own Cherry Cordial – a miniature teddy bear.
International customers can buy it on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/…/diy-sewing-kit-for-miniature-mohair
***Teddy Bear Academy members get a discount on kits!****** Find the Members Only discount code here: https://classes.teddybearacademy.co/…/UG9zdC0zNzg5MjIw/
Join Teddy Bear Academy today and learn how to make this sweet miniature teddy bear: https://classes.teddybearacademy.co/pages/join-today
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How to Hand Sew Your Teddy Bear

Do you have to use a sewing machine when making teddy bears?  No!  You can sew your teddy bear entirely by hand.  Although I usually use a combination of machine sewing and hand sewing to stitch my teddy bears, sometimes I will sew the entire bear by hand.  I find hand sewing to be very relaxing.  It is easy to take along your teddy bear sewing projects on trips when you sew by hand too!

Below is part of the Teddy Bear Ornament class which is available inside of Teddy Bear Academy.  This part will show you how to sew by hand.  Enjoy!

Want more helpful teddy bear making video tutorials?  Join Teddy Bear Academy and get access to ALL of my bear making videos. https://classes.teddybearacademy.co/pages/join-today