Teddy Bear Sewing for Fun and Profit

 

At the top of this post you will find some great resources for free Teddy Bear sewing patterns, then we discuss options for turning your hobby into a serious work from home business. Enjoy….

 

My Favorite Free Teddy Bear Sewing Patterns

 

• Sew Bear-y Sweet Pumpkin Teddy

  A pattern to make a Teddy Bear and his pumpkin
  www.sewing.org

• Goldie – A 13 1/2″ Teddy Bear

  A Teddy Bear sewing pattern for a cuddly, huggable teddy made from mohair
  www.teddy-talk.com

• How to Make a Panda Teddy Bear Sewing Pattern

  A pattern for a panda-ish Teddy Bear
  www.allfreecrafts.com

• 6 inch Teddy Bear

  Instructions to make a teeny tiny bear
  www.teddybearandfriends.com

• Howjoyful Teddy Bear

  A tutorial and pattern to make an adorable Teddy Bear
  www.howjoyful.com

 

And here is a pretty nice video with sewing tips to help when making your own Teddy Bears

 

 

Ever Thought of Starting Your Own Teddy Bear Sewing Business?

 

No other home-based business offers the opportunity to enjoy your work while making a profit more than teddy bear sewing. It is very unlikely that anyone dislikes teddy bears. In fact, sales of all stuffed animals including teddy bears reached $1.3 billion in 2006 and continues to grow. You may not have aspirations of building a large corporation selling manufactured teddy bears, but you can easily build a part-time business with teddy bear sewing and selling them at local flea markets and craft shows.

 

Large Teddy Bear Sewing Companies that Grew into Major Corporations

 

Two multi-million dollar companies in the United States that manufacture teddy bears began with one person starting a teddy bear sewing business. Barbara Isenberg wanted a special teddy bear for her little son and made one for him when she couldn’t find what she wanted. That was the start of the North American Bear Company.

 

John Sortino was frustrated by all the foreign-made teddy bears his little son owned and set out to bring the teddy bear back to its origins, the US. John and his wife started a teddy bear sewing business that turned into the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, one of the largest teddy bear manufacturers in the country. You can start a profitable teddy bear sewing business on a smaller scale to make the money you need for extras or to help support the family.

 

What You Need to Get Started

 

First of all, you need a love for sewing and have at least intermediate sewing skills. The business of teddy bear sewing will require love for sewing in order for you to sit and sew for several hours per day. At least intermediate sewing skills are needed to make teddy bears that others will want to buy.

 

Basic supplies needed:

 

• Heavy-duty sewing machine that will easily sew fur and other heavy materials
• Sharp scissors in various sizes
• Various thread colors to match fabrics
• Several patterns of bears
• Bear joints for movable arms and legs

 

Marketing plan

 

You will also need a marketing plan to let others know about your unique craft business. You may want to use business cards and brochures to sell your teddy bears to customers one-on-one. Some crafters throw home parties to introduce their crafts to potential customers who have been invited to the homes of friends and families.

 

Others sell their bears at craft shows and flea markets. Since teddy bears are very easily shipped to other parts of the country or all over the world, many sell them on Ebay or other auction sites and on their own websites.

 

Another fund-raising idea is to donate one of your teddy bears to be auctioned off in charity auctions or as a prize in contests. These two methods gets your name out there as a artisan with a teddy bear sewing business.

 

Become a member of several craft business forums online and place your teddy bear sewing business in your signature as you contribute good advice and support to the forum. You can also be a regular on craft blogs that allow you to comment and place your website URL in the comments section.

 

The idea of a home-based craft business has been presented in this article. Two great teddy bear manufacturers began as home-based businesses and have grown into multi-million dollar corporations. You have been informed of the basic supplies needed to get your craft business off the ground and several ideas for marketing your business. There is other small business information you need to know to start a teddy bear sewing business that can be found very easily on the Internet.