Build Your Own Teddy Bear - A Timeless Gift

Keeping kids occupied isn't always easy. Most of us don't want our kids raised by the television or video games, we want to come up with more interactive and wholesome activities that teach our children to be more creative, dynamic individuals. Both little boys and little girls need these kinds of activities, but today we're going to explain an activity specifically (though not primarily) for little girls. One great pastime involves that old favorite, the teddy bear. You can create your own workshop for designing and dressing up a teddy bear, (or any other stuffed animal if your child has another favorite).

You can take several tacks for this project, and you can either use an existing toy from your little girl's collection, or you can buy a brand new one. This works best if you get a new toy that is "naked" and not already covered in accessories or clothing. First thing you'll need to do is get the teddy bear you're transforming, and some potential accessories, these can include some of your child's old clothes, a pair of scissors, ribbons, and clothing tape. Now that you've got that ready, lay the groundwork. Get some white sheets of paper and crayons. This will allow you to create blueprints for the bear. Start by drawing the bear itself and then dress it up as if it's your model. Be creative and use your imagination. You could draw a fun beach outfit with a hat and sunglasses, or maybe make it in to a winter bear, with a hat, scarf, gloves and coat. The possibilities are near endless. Use the accessories you already have and consider carefully what they can be made into.

If you need a further example, just take a look at what my daughter and I created one afternoon. This was in the middle of winter, and she wanted to make sure that Snuggles, her favorite plush dog, would be warm and ready for the cold nights ahead. So the first thing we did was make a couple of drawings until we came up with one that was perfect. Then we dressed him up. We had some old baby socks of hers, and so we used them to create four "booties" for his paws. Some of these were too big for Snuggles, but we made it work by using some pretty matching ribbon to make sure that they were tied on tight. Next, we used an old t-shirt of hers, cut it into a square, and sewed some ribbon on the edges. This created a nice blanket for Snuggles, which we wrapped around his shoulders so that he got to be "super dog". This way we made sure the blanket wouldn't get lost, and Snuggles would get to stay warm!

Next, we decided to create a night cap so that he was all ready for bed. This was the most difficult of all our accessories to create. Originally we had planned to use one of my shower caps, but it turned out they were all too big for her stuffed puppy's head. So instead we improvised. We cut the top of one of her dad's white socks, and used some ribbon to make a pom pom on the top. So it looked like he was wearing a real winter cap! Snuggles was one stylish (and warm) stuffed dog! This was really a great activity to keep my daughter busy on a cold winter day, and we created some great memories!

So as you can see, this could be a great activity for you and your little girl too. It's also a perfect indoor hobby, for those unpleasant rainy or snowy days outdoors. This is a great way spruce up an old toy, or a fun and creative way to create a new toy!

By: Corina Volegna

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