Custom Memory Bears
Whether it is grandma’s heirloom fur coat or a beloved husband’s favorite sweatshirt, we can turn it into a custom, memory bear to help commemorate their memory and share with others. We work with any kind of fabric, fur, or material that we can get through a sewing machine. Some materials are harder to work with than others, so our services are divided into a few categories.
Here is a list of some of the memory Bears we make
Memory Bears from Fur
Jointed Memory Bears from Clothing
Wedding Dress Based bears
Patchwork and Necktie Bears
Patchwork and Neck-Tie Memory Bears
Onesie Bears
We also make other soft animals as Memory Keepsakes. Shoot us an email with your requirements.
Pricing
To find complete information about our Memory Bear options for each bear type; add-ons, accessories, and ordering please read this entire page thoroughly and visit our frequently asked questions page as well.
Shipping Information
Shipping is $25 for the first memory bear and $15 per each additional bear.
Memory Bears from Fur or Fabrics
We have been making memory bears from fur coats for decades. We can work with just about any kind of fur or fabrics provided. Please visit our FAQ for more information about types of fur. Dealing with real fur offers some challenges that take time and patience and our price reflects the work and time involved. Faux fur offers its own special challenge because the fibers are thicker, so our price is the same regardless of the type of fur.
Fabric Based Bears
$120 Jointed Fabric Memory Bear 14″
$135 Jointed Fabric Memory Bear 16″
$145 Jointed Fabric Memory Bear 18″
$95 Non-jointed Fabric Memory Bear (20″)
$145 Infant Sleeper Bear (made from size 0-6 months onesie)
Fur Based Bears
Each fur memory bear has jointed arms and legs, acrylic safety-lock eyes, plastic nose and comes with a scarf or satin ribbon. We try to use the lining of the coat for the scarf and accents whenever possible.
$155 (plus shipping) for a 10″-14″ memory bear
$175 (plus shipping) for a 16″ memory bear
$195 (plus shipping) for an 18″ memory bear
Please note: For Mouton, Fox, Raccoon, Coyote and Seal. We cannot make a teddy bear smaller than 16″. Because of the thickness of the hide or density of the long fur, these furs simply do not work for smaller memory bears. We are not currently offering a non-jointed option in fur bears.
Add-Ons
$15 Custom Scarf
$20 to embroider two (2) initials on one foot per bear (Because the foot pad is not that large, we are limited to two (2) initials per foot.)
$20 to embroider initials or name on scarf (I do not have a large, industrial embroidery machine so am limited to a 4″ space but I can put a name on each scarf)
$25 to make a vest
$10 for glasses
Additional Information
How much fur does it take to make a bear?
We can usually get the following (please note this is only a guide)
Standard small shoulder stole = Two 12″-14″ bears
Larger stole or small jacket = Two 14″ bears one 16″” bear
Hip-length jacket/coat = Three to four 12″-14″ bears or two 16″″ bears or one 18″ bear
Full length coat = Six 12″-14″ bears or three 16″- 18″ bears
Each bear has approximately 24 pattern pieces. If a customer needs more bears from a garment, we can sometimes adapt our patterns to make smaller bears. We do not like to work with bears less than 9″ though.
Wedding Dress Bears
$145 Standard Wedding Dress Memory Bear 16″
We make memory bears from wedding dresses. What better way to preserve Mom’s wedding dress and share it with siblings than for everyone to have a custom teddy bear made from it? Or what better way to use the remnants of a wedding dress? We try to use the significant materials from the dress in each teddy bear. We can make the wedding dress bear only, or we can make outfits from the dress for the bears as well.
Pricing
We limit the size of our wedding dress bears to 16″ because most of the fabrics in a wedding dress do not do well in larger teddy bear sizes. Each bear can be made with or without jointed arms and legs, acrylic safety-lock eyes, plastic nose and comes with a ribbon or big bow.
$145 (plus shipping) for a 16″ memory bear
Add-Ons:
$ 20 to embroider two (2) initials on one foot per bear (Because the foot pad is not that large, we are limited to two (2) initials per foot.)
$ 20 to embroider initials or name on scarf (I do not have a large, industrial embroidery machine so am limited to a 4″ space but I can put a name on each scarf)
Additional Information
How many bears can you get from a wedding dress?
It does depend on the style of dress, but we can usually get the following again this is only a guide:
Eight to ten 9″-12″ bears
Six to Eight 14″ bears
Four to five 16″ bears
Each bear has approximately 24 pattern pieces. If a customer wants more bears from a garment, we can sometimes adapt our patterns to make smaller bears. We do not like to work with bears less than 9″ though.
What happens to the extra fabric?
Most of the time, there is not much in the way of extra fabric. Very few people have only wanted one bear from the garment they have sent us, so we are frantically working to get the number of bears they want from the available materials. However, occasionally there is a little left over. Unless the person who sent it specifically requests to have it back, I will discard it. There may be a “return remnants” fee if the remnants are enough to impact the cost of shipping & handling.
Patchwork and Neck-Tie Memory Bears
$165 for a Patchwork or Necktie Memory Bear 16″
pieces of clothing and want a bit of each one captured in a memory bear, we offer a patchwork memory bear. We can use fabric from 6-12 different pieces on these. Since we have to make the patchwork fabric before we even get to cutting and sewing the bear, these do cost considerably more.
Pricing
These bears are approximately 16″ tall. Each bear has jointed arms and legs, acrylic safety-lock eyes, plastic nose and comes with a scarf or satin ribbon.
$165 (plus shipping) for a 16″ patchwork or necktie memory bear
Add-Ons:
$18 to embroider two (2) initials on one foot per bear (Because the foot pad is not that large, we are limited to two (2) initials per foot.)
$18 to embroider initials or name on scarf (I do not have a large, industrial embroidery machine so am limited to a 4″ space but I can put a name on each scarf)
Additional Information
Important! – It is important to know that memory bears made from matured fur cannot be considered toys. Although we do things to re-enforce the fur and make it stable, old fur is not overly sturdy and it simply will not hold up to rough child play and will make it unsafe. In addition, the premium glass eyes are NOT child safe. They are blown glass on the end of a wire. Although they are securely attached to the bear, a child pulling and twisting them can break them off and they can become a choking hazard.
Jointed Memory Bears from Clothing
We can use your loved one’s clothing to make a memory bear. Our jointed memory bear can be made from just about any type of clothing including shirt, pants, robe, jacket, blanket, pajamas or any garment you have in mind (except wedding dresses, they are a special category). Each memory bear has jointed arms and legs so it can sit independently. We use strong, acrylic safety-lock eyes and plastic noses. We also offer a number of accessories or “upgrades”.
Pricing
Jointed 14″ memory bear= $120 (plus shipping)
Jointed 16″ memory bear= $135 (plus shipping)
Jointed 18″ memory bear= $145 (plus shipping)
Add-Ons
$15 Custom Scarf
$20 to embroider two (2) initials on one foot per bear (Because the foot pad is not that large, we are limited to two (2) initials per foot.)
$20 to embroider initials or name on scarf (I do not have a large, industrial embroidery machine so am limited to a 4″ space but I can put a name on each scarf)
$20 to make a vest
$10 for glasses
Additional Information
Important! – The premium glass eyes are NOT child safe. They are blown glass on the end of a wire. Although they are securely attached to the bear, a child pulling and twisting them can break them off and they can become a choking hazard.
How much fabric does it take to make a bear?
We can usually get the following:
Standard men’s shirt = Two 12″-14″ bears or one 16-18″ bear
Standard woman’s blouse = Two 12″-14″ bears or one 16″ bear
Standard pair of pants = Two 12″-14″ bears or one 16″ bear
Full length bath robe = Four to six 14″ bears, Two to three 16-18″ bears, two 20-24″ bears
Each jointed bear has approximately 24 pattern pieces. If someone wants more bears from a garment, I can sometimes adapt my patterns to make smaller bears. I don’t like to work with bears less than 9″ though.
I have a couple of shirts from my late husband and would like bears for each of my grandchildren. How can you use them to create five bears the same?
We can use quilting and patchwork techniques that incorporate the different fabrics into each bear.
Onesie Bears
A snuggie customised teddy Bear. The smaller sleepers (0-6mos) work best. In order to keep the original arms and legs as much as possible, we end up having to add a contrast fabric. You can send another garment for us to work with, or we will add some of our own fabric at no additional cost. The onesie / sleeper bears run around 14-16″ tall. We currently only offer one size range. These bears are extremely time consuming, but absolutely adorable. We can save a little time in the process when making additional bears, so we do offer a discount for additional bears.
Pricing
Our commemorative bear is 16″. Each bear has jointed arms and legs, acrylic safety-lock eyes, plastic nose and comes with a scarf or satin ribbon.
Onesie/sleeper Bear (0-6 months size onesie) = $145 (plus shipping)
Add-Ons:
$20 to embroider two (2) initials on one foot per bear (Because the foot pad is not that large, we are limited to two (2) initials per foot.)
$20 to embroider initials or name on scarf (I do not have a large, industrial embroidery machine so am limited to a 4″ space but I can put a name on each scarf)
Memory Soft Animals
For people who are not interested in bears or have a different animal in mind . . . I have hundreds of patterns from over 20+ years of sewing. We can make a cat, a bunny, a dog or some other animal, let me know what you are looking for. If we do not have a picture of one that we have made, we can email pictures from the patterns we have available. We have even creating our own patterns for animal characters described in stories.
Pricing
Prices vary based on the complexity and size of the animal. I do have patterns for some specific breeds of dogs but dog breeds that have a specific color may not work without the right garment to work with. The more difficult the animal to make, the higher the price. Here are the prices for some of the animals’ people order the most:
16″ Bunny $120 in fabric $145 in fur
Dog: Generic $120 in fabric $145 in fur
Scotty Dog $130 in fabric $155 in fur
Labrador Pup $130 in fabric $155 in fur
Cat: Generic $120 in fabric $145 in fur
Curling Cat $135 in fabric $165 in fur
Crazy Cat $120 in fabric (not available in fur)
Lamb: $120 in fabric $145 in fur
Monkey: two-toned $140 in fabric $165 in fur
Simple $120 in fabric $145 in fur
Pony: $135 in fabric $185 in fur
Dragon: $150 in fabric $185 in fur
Dinosaur: $145 in fabric, $185 in fur