Teddy Bear Making
A Third Age Crafts feature
by our Interests, Hobbies & Pastimes Editor

Teddy Bear Making is a craft that has been around a considerable amount of time. Like so many other crafts, it is also one that has recently seen a dramatic increase in interest in these ‘back to basics’ times in which we live.

Teddy Bear Making as a hobby would obviously suit someone with existing sewing skills. That having been said, there is no reason whatsoever why someone with no prior knowledge of sewing could not only enjoy this hobby, but also be successful at it.

A Teddy Bear Making Kit would seem the obvious starting point for anyone new to the craft of making teddy bears. Such kits supply everything you need and no more. So there’s no wastage, you know for certain you will have everything you need to make your first Teddy, and you keep expenditure to the minimum until you know for certain that Teddy Bear Making is definitely for you.

The Teddy Bear Making Book: Step-by-step Instructions for Lots of Terrific Teds is written by renowned Teddy Bear makers Brian and Donna Gibbs who specialise in producing kits for heirloom-quality, fully-jointed bears. They have produced four previous titles on making teddy bears.

In this book Brian and Donna  have created a fabulous collection of bears designed to develop soft toy making skills. The teddy bear is everyone’s favourite soft toy, and makes the perfect gift for friends and family whatever the occasion from births to birthdays. What could be more special than a handmade bear? Follow the illustrated step-by-step instructions in each chapter and discover how easy teddy-bear making can be from the simple to make Plush Bear in Chapter I that’s cut from just two pieces of fabric, through to the classic fully jointed Heirloom Bear in Chapter II. With a dozen adorable designs to choose from, this book is ideal for both the beginner and for those looking to enhance soft-toy making skills.

One independent reviewer said of this book:
“Yes, they have done it again – Brian and Donna Gibbs have written yet another excellent and easy-to-follow book on bear making!

This beautifully photographed manual is both very appealing and very easy to follow – my 14 year old daughter is keen to start making the plush bear and says that it looks really easy as each step is accompanied by a clear photograph.

The book progresses through the various levels of bear-making gradually by introducing an additional skill in each chapter, such as the introduction of more defined features or of felt footpads, thus giving the bearmaker more confidence and therefore able to produce a more advanced bear each time if desired. There is also a clear and simple photographic guide to the techniques at the beginning of the book which simplifies the process even more.

My favourite has to be the gorgeous brown four-pawed Grizzly Bear or his friend the Polar Bear, closely followed by the adorably cheeky Shaggy Bear and the fully jointed traditional Heirloom Bear but there are so many to choose from – in fact one for everyone’s taste.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone wanting to make a bear as I think it will persuade you to create a cuddly and it is the Gibbs’ best book to date! Well done!”

For those in their Third Age who would like to learn Teddy Bear Making, Teddy Bear Making Courses are available in most areas.