How I made a custom Build-a-Bear

By Allen 🦇 (with other headmates help)

hover over images for captions/extra notes

So at the start of Feburary 2024, I got the urge to make a mock Build-a-Bear because sometimes, Rea wants to be a mama to the plushies and the idea of having one of Ree's sona made everyone really excited. I kept looking around online for a free pattern or anything close to Build-a-Bear proportions and failed to find any, leaving me to take it upon myself to make one, and if all went accordingly, provide the pattern online for free if it looked good. Well, I don't think I can do that but I can atleast share how I went about the process. The process of getting this mock Build-a-Bear pattern was purely by trial and error because I refuse to disect any of our friends to trace their patterns or do proper math. Due to this, I had to eye it and guesstimate as I went, and it came out silly but charming.

Most of my process I actually recorded as video, and proceeded to loose footage of some parts (because I was so embarrassed about the outcome). So I'm compiling what I have left over.

I began the process of making the pattern by laying out the skin of my Build-a-Bear Frog (flipped inside out so i could see the seams more clearly) and roughly tracing around it's body and marking where neck/arm and such started and ended. Basically outlining him and filling in the gaps in how the pattern would work. This comes with having some sort of basic knowledge of patterning so your brain fills in the gaps.

the first patterns scanned in from tracing the frog

After creating this very rough eye'd pattern, I scanned it into my computer and digitialized it, ironing in the asymmetry by making it symmetrical and such as I went.

so many fucking files and editing. i started to give up

By doing this digitilization, I was now able to start making protoypes to really figure out the pattern before speeding to the final product. This was my first time every doing prototypes and to be honest, I hated it because I didn't realize until the 3rd prototype head that I was gonna run out of material for the actual Ree plush. I could have used alot more protoypes to make this plush look cuter, but I didn't have enough material to play around with. We made this plush with what we had leftover from our fursuit head of 2020.

head #2. this head i needled sculpted to see if it'd rememdy the issue with the shape

this was the final protoype whos pattern we settled with

Prototyping is essentially trial and error with the pattern. After sewing together what I initially had and seeing how it formed in 3D, I'd adjust it, draw over the prototype and try to figure out how to improve it. My entire process of making this plush was a chaotic trial and error because I don't like math. Anyways, yeah I kept trying out things until I felt like something would atleast translate to 3D nicely and just went for it.

pattern adjusted to fit ree's markings and such

Sewing together the bear was striaghtforward. If you sew, then you know how it goes. I do NOT use a machine to sew. I have one that I bought during the pandemic. I don't know how to use it. Every time i try, I get the urge to throw it out the window. I love tech, but I am not literate with tools unless I can man handle them. I can't tame the machines so I like to be the machine. Anyways, The main issue was making sure I followed Ree's specific pattern as I'd be sewing together fabrics to create her markings. I think what really hurts with this plush is that i sewed the dark markings onto the WRONG side. I don't know how I goofed. But because I sewed the markings on the wrong side, the plush feels off. Sewing took about a day or two with breaks and stuff. The closer I got to finishing, the more I procrasinated, but she got done.

Ree the pup. A build-a-bear size plush able to fit into clothing and squishy enough for hugs. Making this taught me ALOT as I had to hone in on needle sculpting, and it was my first time messing around with embroiderying details. I kind of regret doing embroidery for the eyes but hey, it works for now. I can still edit the plush later and give her safety eyes or something. Nonethless, the plush is loved by Ree and that was the goal. I'm happy despite all my fussing with it and look forward to make others in the future. Hopefully with a more comprehensive explanation of the process...