BEARS FOR KIDS

As hard as it may be for some of us to work and toil for hours creating the perfect special bear to then hand it over to a slobbering, drooling, grabbing, fur-pulling, teething baby, sometimes you just have to give up the bear! And, no matter what this messy child does to your beautiful creation, it would be appreciated by his or her mother if the bear didn't injure her child in any way. Here are a few suggestions on how to alter your wonderful adult companions to be suitable for the much more brutal younger crowd.

FUR

If you are using anything other than Schulte® mohair, (which, of course, you all know better!) always check the fur by pulling on it to be sure it is securely woven into the backing. We wouldn't want any of those little darlings to get a mouth full of fur when they chomp down on your lovely bear!

JOINTS

The best recommendation for a teddy bear for an infant would be no joints at all. A soft, cuddly bear with nothing hard inside would be the most soothing and friendly.

If your incredibly progressive infant tells you that he absolutely must have a jointed teddy, go with plastic safety joints. Plastic safety joints contain no small parts that would pose a choking hazard; they will not come loose and are fully washable. For the bear artist, there are a couple of down sides to safety joints. First, because they will not come apart, you must be absolutely sure your joint placement is correct the first time. You cannot remove them and try again. Plastic safety joints consist of a round plastic disc with a hole in the center and another plastic disc with a shaft. The disc with the hole is pressed down onto the shaft and clicked down onto a series of notches on the shaft. The second downside to this method is that if you press the joint together and stop too soon, the limbs will be too loose (allowing them to spin). You must then carefully consider whether or not to squeeze down and click past the next notch since it very well could tighten the limb too much and there is no way to back up the previous notch.

For children that are a bit older, hardboard discs with bolts and locknuts are just fine (and preferred by bear artists). Although they are not washable, they are strong and durable. If the bear should need repair in the future, these joints are easily undone with the proper tools. Be sure when fastening the locknut onto the bolt that the end of the bolt comes through the plastic of the locknut. This is what secures the joint so that it will not come undone unless you intentionally unscrew it.

I don't recommend cotter pin jointing for any bear that will be played with regularly. They are much more prone to coming loose and breaking than the other methods mentioned.

STUFFING

For babies, soft polyester fiberfill or cotton batting is the best choice. Non-flammable, non-toxic, washable fabric scraps also work fine. If you are making a larger bear for a small child, be sure to stuff it firmly. A large softly stuffed bear can become a suffocation hazard. Plastic pellets (like in beanie animals) are not safe for small children, but older children (who know better than to snack on them) love the squishy feel. Glass and metal pellets are wonderful for adding weight and character to artist bears, but not recommended for children.

NOISEMAKERS

Kids love to make noise and they love toys that make noise. Be sure before inserting a noisemaker into a bear for a small child that the sound does not scare the heck out of him. We would not want him to develop a life long fear of teddy bears because his first teddy let out a moan so terrifying to him that he spit up his dinner!

When inserting a noisemaker for a small child's bear, try and put it deep inside the belly and not in a paw or ear that can be easily opened up and accessed by the infant. The growlers and hardboard squeakers that Edinburgh carries are sealed tightly and safely concealed in the tummy of the bear. I don't use the flat plastic squeakers for kids since there is a small metal piece that the sound flows through that may come loose and they are usually inserted in the paw of the bear.

Music boxes are a wonderful option for a keepsake bear. Be sure that the music box has a safety key that prevents it from being removed once it is screwed in.

Remember, if it took you half the night to put your child to sleep, don't tuck him in with a bear that has a growler!

EYES and NOSES

The face is the first part of the bear that a child will try to eat. The first stuffed animal I ever made had his eyes bitten right off by my teething toddler.

The most child-safe faces would be those that are drawn, decaled or embroidered. Create a unique facial expression with features created by using multi colored pearl cotton. Use short, tight stitches that little fingers can't get caught underneath or pull loose. Nose templates and shapes make embroidering the nose much easier by giving the artist a stitching guide.

Another option for kids is to use plastic safety eyes and noses. The plastic will not break like glass eyes might and the metal safety washer fastener makes the eye much more secure than one that is sewn in.

IN GENERAL, common sense is the key. Avoid anything small enough for a child to choke on. Avoid scarves and ribbons or anything long enough that could come off and get around a baby's neck. Even loose threads can get wrapped around chubby little fingers and cut off circulation. Simple is best.

This article is not intended to state the laws regarding child safety, only my own common sense observations as a teddy bear artist and mother of three. If you are going to sell your bears as toys intended for children, find out what your local statutes are regarding choking hazards, flammability, toxicity, labeling your bears etc. before putting them out there.

Have fun and remember, teddy bears are not just for grown-ups!