Large Teddy Bears - FAQs
Creating a memory bear from a loved one's clothing can be a heartwarming and meaningful way to remember them. Each memory bear is made from clothing items that belonged to the loved one you're missing. In this post, we'll discuss the best clothing items to use to create a memory bear.
We’ve been creating Memory Bears for several years now and we wanted to give you some tips and ideas so your keepsakes are created using the best clothing items. Of course, if something isn’t covered here, please don’t hesitate to reach out for a consultation.
How many clothing items will I need?
This can vary greatly depending on the sizes and styles of clothing items you have to work with. One single men’s large, long sleeve button down shirt can create one bear. We typically request 4-6 for a good mix of patterns and variety. For children’s sizes we would need closer to 8-10 clothing items to get all the necessary pieces.
What types of clothing items work the best?
Some of the best clothing items to use for these Custom Memory Bears are -
Shirts: Flannels, Button Downs, T-shirts and Polo Shirts are an excellent choice for these Memory Bears, especially if they have a unique pattern or color. Logos, imagery or design elements of the shirts may be able to be incorporated into the bear’s design. You could also use buttons or pockets as accents for the bear's features.
Pants: Thin pants can also be used to make a memory bear. Thin denim jeans, polyester and dress pants can all be a great choice for a unique and cherished keepsake.
Dresses and Skirts: Dresses and skirts can be used to create these special keepsakes. Lace or other decorative accents from the dress or skirt can add some extra special touches to the bear.
Other options: Sweatshirts, sweat pants or thin fleece can also be incorporated into these bears. Depending on the thickness, we may need to use them in very specific places of the bears, but they are an option to consider.
Kids Clothing: Depending on the size of the clothing, we can use kids-sized clothing items. It gets more difficult though, the smaller the sizing goes.
What clothing items should I avoid using?
Unfortunately, not all clothing items will work for these bears. Clothing items to avoid -
Stiff materials - heavy jeans and denim, thick canvas jackets and stiff materials won’t translate to a soft keepsake. These stiff materials are very difficult to sew and to work with and don’t work well for these keepsakes.
Knit materials - sweaters or socks have a bad habit of unraveling. We tend to avoid these items as we want you to have a keepsake that will last through the years.
Thick materials - coats, jackets, quilted materials, and items like this will need to be avoided. Parts of these bears are many layers thick and have tight places to sew making it even more difficult if using thick materials.
Thin materials - If fabrics are too thin, they tend to not hold well when creating these bears. Shear fabrics from scarves or some women’s dress shirts might not be the best choice for these bears as seams will pull apart from the lack of structure in the material.
Deteriorating materials - we understand that some clothing was well loved and used. We try our best to avoid holes and rips to create the best keepsake that can be treasured for many years to come.
Baby Clothing - unfortunately, baby clothing can be too small to be used for these bears. Anything under 12mo sizes, please email us for a consultation.
Beading or heavy ornamentation - Clothing items with beading, sequins or heavy embroidery will need to be approved before we can use them. If beading is glued on, we tend to avoid those areas as the beads tend to fall off over time. We can not sew through beading as these elements will break, therefore careful consideration will need to be taken with placement if these elements are used.
Having a Memory Bear created for you is a wonderful way to honor a loved one and keep their memory close. By using the best clothing items to make your bear, we can create a cherished keepsake that will bring comfort and joy for years to come.
If you have questions whether your clothing items will work or not for these special keepsakes, please don’t hesitate to reach out for a consultation. Feel free to email me here - angela@marangstudios.com
