We’re in the home stretch of our Handmade Gifts for Boys series, and Stacey and I are having so much fun! My boys don’t play with dolls too much, but they do love to play with their stuffed animals. A couple years ago, the three older boys were gifted some Build-a-Bears, so I thought it would be great to give them some new clothes for dressing their beloved bears! And for those of you who might want to make one for your own littles, I have a free jacket pattern for you, designed to fit 16″ teddy bears.
Supplies
- Non-stretchy fabric for jacket (less than 1/4 yard)
- Buttons or snaps
- Typical sewing supplies
Click here to download the free Buddy Bear Jacket pattern in my shop
1. Cut out the pattern pieces. Lay the front pieces onto the back piece, right sides together. Your front pieces will overlap. Sew the shoulders and the sides together. *I prefer to sew my sleeves set-in, but if you prefer to do them flat, skip sewing the sides together until you have attached your sleeves.
2. Fold the sleeve, right sides together. Sew along the bottom edge. Repeat with the second sleeve.
3. Pin the sleeve into the armhole and sew.
4. Fold the edges of the front pieces over 1/4in. and press.
5. Fold the pressed edge over 1/2in. and topstitch.
6. Place the two collar pieces right sides together. Sew along the curved edge.
7. Turn right side out and press.
8. Sew one edge onto the neckline of the jacket.
9. Fold the other side of the collar down, fold the raw edge over 1/4 in. Press and pin in place.
10. Hem the sleeves and the jacket bottom by folding the raw edge under 1/4in (press) and then folding over 1/2in. and topstitching. Attach snaps or buttons and buttonholes.
And how cute does this little guy look?!
The snaps make for easy dressing for little ones, but if you chose to use buttons, make sure they’re sewed securely onto the jacket, for safety reasons.
For the pants, I used my Bottoms Up Pants pattern in the newborn size, taking 2.5in off the length.
My boys are going to love having another outfit for their bears … and I’ll probably have to sew up a couple more outfits before Christmas, though, so everyone is happy.
And the baby approves. And luckily, he’s a guaranteed secret keeper for now. ;)
Don’t forget to download your FREE Buddy Bear Jacket pattern!
More Stuffed Animal Patterns
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