A Bear to Keep for Years: Top 6 Teddy Bear Sewing Patterns

A shop teddy is easy to buy and just as easy to forget in a toy bin. The bear that stays on a shelf for twenty years is usually the one someone sewed, often from a fabric that meant something: a grandfather’s flannel shirt, a first winter coat, a favorite baby sleeper. A good teddy bear sewing pattern gives that fabric a shape, whether you want a big plush bear for a child’s room or a small felt one to hang on the tree.

I narrowed the field to six bears and grouped them by kind: two fabric plush bears whose listings mention resizing, a memory bear meant for mixed or saved fabrics, and three small felt bears sewn by hand. After the cards, I explain what each kind requires, how to cut a memory bear from clothes, how to handle plush fabric and stuffing, and which eyes are safe for bears meant for young children.

Plush, Memory or Felt: Six Teddy Bear Sewing Patterns

Crochet and knitted bears, embroidery files and seamless bear prints filled most of the search results and were left out, along with bear placemats. The two bears already in my stuffed animal roundup are not repeated here.

TL;DR: Six bears in three kinds: two fabric plush bears (about 17 in and 9 in tall) whose listings mention resizing, a memory bear for mixed fabrics, and three small felt bears sewn by hand for Christmas, winter and Halloween.

• Teddy Bear Plush Pattern + Resizing – Best resizable bear
• Bear Plush Pattern – Best easy shape
• Teddy Bear, Memory Bear Pattern – Best memory bear
• Felt Christmas Bear – Sewing Pattern PDF – Best for a Christmas tree
• Whiter Bear Felt Pattern, Arctic Animal – Best polar bear
• Felt Voodoo Bear Sewing Pattern – Best for a Halloween shelf

Quick Comparison

Three Kinds of Bear, Three Ways of Sewing

All six of these teddy bears belong to one of three groups. A memory bear is simply a homemade teddy bear with a story in its fabric.

• Fabric plush bears are sewn right sides together, usually on a machine, then turned, stuffed and closed by hand. Both plush listings here mention resizing, so the same file can make a smaller or a larger bear.
• Memory bears use the same construction, but the fabric comes from clothes that belonged to someone: shirts, sweaters, baby clothes. The pattern matters less than how you plan the pieces.
• Felt bears are cut to their final shape and stitched edge to edge by hand, because felt does not fray. They are small, need no machine and suit the tree, a garland or a shelf.

Cutting a Memory Bear from Saved Clothes

Check what kind of fabric your memory bear pattern expects. Some are drafted for wovens such as a button-up shirt, others for knits such as a T-shirt or a baby bodysuit, and the two behave very differently. A stretchy knit can be steadied with a lightweight fusible interfacing on the wrong side before cutting, so the bear keeps the shape of the pattern instead of growing as you stuff it.

Lay all the paper pieces on the garments before cutting anything. Place a pocket, a logo or a favorite print where it will show, such as the tummy or the ears, and use plainer parts of the clothes for the back. A single child-size garment may not be enough fabric, so a second or third piece of clothing can fill in the arms, legs or paw pads.

Plush Fabric, Seams and Firm Stuffing

Minky, faux fur and other pile fabrics have a direction: the fibers lie smoothly one way. Lay the templates so the grain arrows follow that direction, usually with the pile running down the bear from head to feet, and cut pile fabric in a single layer. Trace on the back, where the marks will not show.

Use a shorter stitch on the tight curves of ears, paws and the head, and before turning, clip the inward curves and notch or trim the outward ones so they lie smooth. Stuff in small handfuls, firmly at the neck, which otherwise lets the head flop, and close the opening with a ladder stitch. If you enlarge or shrink a plush bear pattern, remember that any seam allowance printed on it changes size too.

Eyes, Buttons and Safety for Little Children

Buttons, beads and glass eyes can come loose and are a choking hazard for babies and toddlers. For any bear going to a child under three, embroider the eyes and nose with floss instead. Keep soft toys, a memory bear included, out of an infant’s crib while the baby sleeps. The voodoo bear and the plush bear with glass cabochon eyes are best kept as decorations for older kids and adults.

Teddy Bear Sewing Questions

Can I sew a teddy bear without a sewing machine?

Yes. The three felt bears here are designed for hand sewing. A fabric plush bear can also be sewn by hand with a small backstitch, which is slower but strong enough for a toy.

How is a memory bear different from a regular teddy?

Mostly its purpose and its fabric. A memory bear is usually sewn from clothing that belonged to someone, often after a loss or from outgrown baby clothes, and kept as a keepsake. The construction can be much like any fabric bear, though some patterns are drafted for wovens or knits and plan where a pocket or print will sit.

Are jointed teddy bears harder to sew?

They take more steps. Traditional jointed bears turn at the neck, arms and legs on hardboard discs held with cotter pins or bolts, fitted while the bear is stuffed. None of the six patterns here uses disc joints, so they are a simpler place to start.

Matching the Bear to the Person

Match the pattern to how the bear will be used. For a family keepsake, choose the memory bear and spend your time on the fabric plan. For a child’s room, choose a plush teddy bear sewing pattern and give it an embroidered face without detachable parts. For a tree, an advent calendar or a Halloween shelf, one of the small felt bears is enough. If the recipient prefers bunnies, lambs or lions, my stuffed animal sewing patterns have more choices.

You May Also Like

• Lambs, Lions and Teddy Bears: 9 Best Stuffed Animal Sewing Patterns
• Rag Dolls, Animal Dolls and a Doll Case: 9 Best Doll Sewing Patterns
• For the Cat Lover in the House, the 10 Best Cat Sewing Patterns

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.