Creating Memory Bears with Loved One Clothes

There maybe affiliate links in this blog post which means I make a few pennies when you place an order.

I made a post a while back about these Memory Bears I have been making but lost it on my other website, which I just realized today. I thought I would try it again with the new Demo bear I finished last week. I made this Demo Bear to show the different types of fabric I can use and so that people can hold them at craft fairs. These bears are $40 including shipping in the USA. Order form at the end.

I would love to thank all those on Facebook that have so much great stuff about these bears. I know handling loved ones items is a very special thing, so I try and keep you in the loop the whole time. Since I started making these 3 years ago I have made dozens, one family I made one for every family member with their favorite shirts (it was an honor to be trusted). An other customer send a special blanket to make one and I made sure to send the rest back to her. Each bear is fully lined with a light fabric to save the other clothing from stretching or ripping.

To make a bear I need 2 pieces of clothing (or any other item the is big enough to get the bear parts), as you can see they can be made from anything really. This demo bear is made from 2 old tee shirts, 1 kids coat, 1 old shirt, silky fabric from a dress, 2 jackets, scrap velvety fabric, 1 old curtain, muslin, a linen shirt, and a scrap piece of fabric. I tried to use as many fabric as I could. Funny enough I love that it’s so miss matched, lol.

I am really conscious about using the best part of the clothing for placement, see photo below. The bow is also made out of the clothing if there is enough, if not I will use a matching piece of fabric from my stash. I use the buttons from one of the shirts and hand embroider the nose and mouth on.