Easy Felt Teddy Bear Sewing Craft (with Pattern!)

There are so many fancy, new-fangled things that make motherhood easier now.  I really wish some of them had been around when I was raising kids.

But, sometimes simple is good too.

In the old days, women of my mom’s generation made quilts, sweaters and booties for each new baby that arrived.  That beautiful tradition has sadly gone mostly by the wayside.  It’s just so easy to push a few buttons on Amazon and order something instead.  I miss the days of homemade gifts.

So, I created this easy bear project to make some simple toys for my newest grandchild. I’m serious when I say that you can whip these up in less time than it takes to watch a rerun of your favorite TV show.  Plus, I had all the supplies at home.

Here’s all you need:

• felt
• a needle
• embroidery floss
• scissors
• double sided tape
• poly-fill stuffing

Instructions:

Print out our patterns (or, draw your own).  Put some double-sided tape onto the back of the pattern pieces and place them on a piece of felt.  Cut around the pattern pieces (you can reposition the patterns 2-3 times before replacing the tape).

Download the PDF pattern here!

When you’ve cut out the three pieces, thread your needle with black embroidery floss (I used two strands for the embroidered features).  Holding the nose piece in position, satin-stitch a triangle nose and back-stitch the mouth.  Make two French knots for the eyes and tie off the black thread.

Change the color of thread (using only a single ply) and sew around the edges of the nose piece.

Choose a new color and sew simple design stitches on the bear’s tummy.

Pin your two body pieces together, right sides facing out.

Using either a blanket stitch or a simple overcast stitch, sew the body together.  Make sure to stuff the bear as you go and then sew the opening shut.

That’s it!  As you can see, my sweet granddaughter is loving her bears.

NOTES:

• For a different look, cut an oval out of felt and sew it to the front of your bear like a tummy. Stuff it before you close it.
• Change the mood of your bear by adding eyebrows or changing the shape of the mouth.
• Be creative with your tummy stitching. Here, I used a zig-zag stitch.
• Match your floss to your felt or use contrasting colors so your stitches show, giving it a folk art appearance.
• I made bears using cheap craft felt and wool felt. Both worked equally well.
• Draw your own bear shape and use silly colors of felt and thread.
• Cut a triangle of fabric and tie it on like a bandana.
• If you’re not giving your bears to a baby, use buttons for eyes or tie a ribbon around the bear’s neck.
• I made my bears tiny for little hands, but you could enlarge the pattern and make bigger bears.

Although this is a great project to do with kids, I have to say that it was also peaceful for me to sit and sew these by myself. Whether you use this as a homeschool project or choose to sew them yourself, I hope you enjoy making them as much as I did!

Share your results with us.  We’d love to see them!

Pin this for a fun rainy-day activity!