Miniature Baby Clothes Memory Bear

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I have previously written about how, five months ago, I lost my husband. My sons are only 2 and 4 so they don’t understand much other than Daddy isn’t coming home. Trying to talk to children about death, especially that of a parent, is heartbreaking.

Trust me on this one.

In the aftermath of what happened, a woman who my grandmother teaches to knit, offered to make memory bears for my boys using some of my late husband’s clothes. It was such a beautiful and heartfelt gesture and something that meant the world to me and my boys. Now, even though my husband won’t be back, my boys can still feel close to him.

A sentimental memory bear doesn’t have to be for someone who has passed away. It doesn’t have to be difficult either.

Creating A Miniature Baby Clothes Memory Bear

I tend to get sentimental about my sons’ old baby clothes which is why I thought making a miniature memory bear with some of their old receiving blankets would be a great idea. It also works great with sleepers or onesies.

Here is what you will need:

Upcycled clothing item (receiving blanket, onesie, piece of clothing)
Thread
Ribbon
Poly fill
Black buttons
Sewing machine
Bear pattern

You will want to begin by downloading the pattern for the bear HERE. You will actually want to print two copies of the pattern. Cut the pattern pieces out and lay them out on the fabric that you want to use.

I traced the pattern pieces using a special fabric marker that disappears with water.

You will want to break out the sewing machine at this point! Since I had lighter-colored fabric, I chose white thread. You will begin by sewing the front two pieces of the bear from the top of the forehead down to the bottom of the belly. Make sure that you backstitch at the top and the bottom. Sew between the two dots on the pattern.

For the back two pieces you will want to sew from the back of the head to the bottom of the bum, leaving an opening in the middle of the back. Again, sew between the dots.

Now you will want to sew the rest of the bear together. Put the front and the back pieces so that the right sides are facing each other. Sew around the edges, leaving a 1/4″ seam.

After you have sewn around all of the edges, you will now want to turn the bear right-side out. Pull the fabric through the hole in the back until the correct side is facing out.

Now it is time to stuff the bear!

Using poly fill, stuff the stuffing into the bear’s ears. Once you have stuffed the ears, sew a straight line across the ear. Refer to the location of the dotted line on the bear pattern. This is where you will sew.

You will do this not only for the ears, but also the arms and legs. After doing this, you will then stuff the rest of the body.

Stitch the back of the bear up by hand in order to close up the hole.

I then sewed buttons on for the eyes and used black thread for the nose. You can also use thread for the eyes if you don’t want to use buttons.

To finish the bear, use some thin ribbon to tie around the neck. Pull it tight enough to form the neck. Knot the ribbon and then tie the ribbon into a bow.

Now you are done and have an adorable keepsake bear! These are ideal to make out of T-shirts, baby clothes, or any other fabric. They would also be ideal to make and put in Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.

No matter what your child’s special teddy bear is, it is important to take care of it and keep it smelling fresh and clean. That’s why I turn to Snuggle® fabric softener — after all their mascot is a very snuggly bear!

Using Snuggle® allows me to add long-lasting fresh scents at a noticeable value to the leading brand. Snuggle® helps to not only keep our clothes (and teddy bears!) feeling soft and smelling great, but also allows us to create more snuggle-up moments.

In addition to Snuggle® Blue Sparkle® liquid fabric softener, there are two brand new Snuggle® products — Snuggle® PLUS SuperFresh™ and Snuggle® Exhilarations® Cherry Blossom & Rosewood™.

As if great-smelling laundry wasn’t enough, Snuggle® is celebrating National Teddy Bear Day on September 9 by donating 5,000 bears to children in need. Through the #ShareABear campaign, Snuggle® wants to brighten days and help make the world a softer place.

You can pick up Snuggle® Blue Sparkle®, Snuggle® PLUS SuperFresh™, and Snuggle® Exhilarations® Cherry Blossom & Rosewood™ at major retailers, including Walmart.