Tutorial Day: Teddy Bear Charms

Ever since I was a little girl, I've been a big fan of teddy bears. Brown bears, black bears, polar bears, panda bears, gray bears, mutated bears a shade of bubble gum pink that just doesn't happen in nature. I love them all. And in lolita I very much love the idea of wearing bears. They have a sweetness that invokes innocence and nostalgia but with their antique-ish charm can still have a mature air about them.

I'm not, however, a fan of bear charms. They just feel very cold to me. Nobody wants to hug a bear of metal. It's a killer robot bear. Just stay away from it.

This presented a problem when I wanted a bear necklace to compliment my christmas dress. Or it did until I wandered into the doll house section of my local craft store for tiny tea cups. They had the cutest little bears just the right size for jewelry making.

I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy.

To make your own teddy bear pendant you will need a needle, a miniature bear, matching or thin thread, a folded bail and sissors. You may also want some ribbon. My bear came with dark red ribbon, but since it matched Squishy's I wanted to change it. If you decide to switch the ribbon it's easiest to remove the old one first.

Thread your needle and then stick it directly under the seam at the top of your bear's head. If you space the entry and exit too far apart then the thread will be visible from the front anf make our pendant look a little sloppy.  Make sure to leave a long tail instead of knotting the thread near the end.

Now thread the bail front side first. them loop the thread the same way you stitched the first time. Pull both ends tight and repeat several times until the bail is secure.

Knot the threads several times at the back of your bear's heads.

Cut the thread close to your knot. Close enough that no strings are visible but not so close that the knot is cut.

Add the new ribbon and ta-da! Miss Squishy.

So cute!