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How to Repair a Stuffed Animal: Replacing Paw Pads

December 17, 2012

Animal Hospital Collage
This post is part of “Animal Hospital: Intensive Care for the Intensely Loved,” an occasional series  in which I show you how to make common repairs on your child’s favorite stuffed animal. See the first post here. From straightforward fixes, like sewing up a burst seam, to more complex repairs, like replacing paw pads and reattaching jointed limbs, my intention is to help you mend and care for the special softies in your family’s life.

I’d like to introduce you Lambie. Here is how he looked when I met him:

Worn out lovey
Lambie is the very best friend and loyal companion to a four-year-old girl in town. And he is a world traveler. Lambie’s mom showed me photos of Lambie in all sorts of exotic locations. Lambie has even been swimming a few times.

All of these exciting adventures left this sweet stuffed animal with no paw pads. Mom had saved four little bean bags that had once been inside Lambie’s paws. Clearly, every part of this toy was precious.

DSC_0001

I set about creating a new set of paw pads for Lambie. To begin with I turned him on his side

DSC_0005
and stretched a paw out on a piece of paper. Then I traced around it’s circumference as though it were stuffed.

DSC_0008
This created a pattern piece for the paw pads. I cut four paw pads from fleece. Although it is hardto tell, Lambie’s paws were originally pink.

DSC_0010
I chose pink fleece as a replacement because eventually it will fade to match the rest of Lambie’s paws.

I put a bean bag back into one paw

DSC_0009
Then I threaded a needle with a doubled strand of extra-strong thread and ladder stitched the paw pad to the end of Lambie’s arm. I repeated the process for the other three limbs.

DSC_0014

DSC_0016

DSC_0029

You might have noticed that Lambie’s ear lining was also worn away. I used the same method to create new ear linings.

DSC_0030

DSC_0032

Lambie had an embroidered nose and mouth that were coming unstitched. I removed the old embroidery floss and created a new nose and mouth from fresh floss in the same light pink.

PicMonkey Collage
To do this, I threaded a needle with an 18 inch length of floss and tied a knot in the end.

1. Insert the needle behind Lambie’s ear

2. Came out on one side of the nose

3 Went back in on the opposite side of the nose, coming out in the center of the nose so that the thread was below the needle

4. Went back in on one side of the mouth

5. Came out on the other side of the mouth

6. Brought the needle through the loop

7. Adjusted the smile

8. Made a small stitch to hold the smile in place

9. And came out on the side of the face (you could also come out behind the ear) and tied a knot.

DSC_0045Here’s Lambie after his surgery. He’s still his quirky, well-loved self, but now he’s ready for many more years of world travel! Go, Lambie, go!

Next time on Animal Hospital: Intensive Care for the Intensely Loved we’ll take a look at a horse with jointed limbs that have become loose and floppy.

—–

I hope this installment was helpful to you and if you have any
particular stories about the loss or repair of a favorite lovey, please
share.

And here’s a video of a long lost beloved lovey begin reunited with its owner. Plush is powerful, my friends.

 

Filed Under: Sew With Me, Softie Sewing Tutorials

« Two Essential Tricks for Sewing Thick Fabrics
Awesome Handmade Toys: Doinky Doodles »

Comments

  1. Kris says

    December 17, 2012 at 3:16 pm

    So I didn’t see any comments here, so I thought I needed to say something for once. I love this series and your blog in general. I find your posts fun and helpful and very useful to someone who has done needlework as a living for a number of years now, but in kind of a sheltered way. I live in western MA, but grew up in Newton and you connect me home, almost. You get me excited about toys, and make me think I might have the tools to survive as an artist. I am excitedly waiting your book to come to make toys for my almost 2 year old. Thank you. (Sometimes you just gotta tell someone they are not shooting into darkness, but are a bright point in many days.)

  2. abbyjane says

    December 17, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    Hi Kris,
    Thank you so much for your kind words. They really do mean a lot to me. Over the last few days I've been dealing with a difficult set of work-related circumstances and your comment has lifted my spirits so much. Thank you.
    Abby

  3. Tim says

    December 17, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    Very moving video.. Shared on my facebook. 🙂

  4. abbyjane says

    December 17, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    I'll admit I cried a little. 

  5. Nicky says

    December 18, 2012 at 11:08 am

    I love this series so much. My stuffed animals meant the world to me when I was little, and in my 20s a stuffed animal can still bring me comfort (when my boyfriend and I started dating he lived in another state; he sent me a stuffed bear that I often slept with until he could come back to the midwest). I love seeing them restored like this. Incredible business idea too.

  6. abbyjane says

    December 19, 2012 at 10:25 am

    Thank you so much, Nicky! I repaired all of the stuffed animals in this series for free, but I can tell you that the parents who brought them to me were so grateful to have them repaired that I think there is certainly a business opportunity there.

  7. Steffanie says

    November 3, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    Can you PLEASE ask her where she bought this lamb at or who makes it??? My daughter has the very same one n it was lost in a snow pile for 4 months when she was 2 n then found….she got it her 1st xmas at 1 month old n will be 9 this week…I’ve been trying to find another one!!!

    • Abby says

      November 4, 2014 at 11:01 am

      Hi Steffanie,
      I’m sorry, but I don’t have the contact information for this person any longer. I would help if I could! I know how heartbreaking it is to lose a special stuffed animal.

  8. Jenn says

    January 21, 2015 at 5:11 pm

    Just found your lovely blog — this post inspired me today to restore the loved-to-death linings of the ears of my son’s favorite bunny. It turned out great and he is so happy. Thank you!

Welcome! I'm Abby Glassenberg and I'm glad you're here. While She Naps is a blog about designing and sewing stuffed animals and running a creative business.
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