Dark Cream Mini Bear Velvet

Dark cream mini velvet with a short (1mm) dense pile. This fabric is ideal for making miniature bears or use it as footpad fabric for a larger bear. Also suitable to make teddy bear clothes and accessories, and for dollhouse upholstery and carpets.

The Uses of  Mini Bear Velvet Fabric

The first commercial teddy bears were made from mohair but it might surprise you to know that there wasn’t always a special fabric for toy making. The first teddy bear manufacturers were tailors, and they made toys from fabric off-cuts. Mohair coat fabric, woven wool, leather scraps, and upholstery velvet were all used to make soft toys. It was only when Steiff switched from a being tailoring company to a teddy bear manufacturer that they adapted their fabric mill to exclusively make the type of mohair fabric we know and love today .

Woven mohair fabric with a very short pile such as our 3,5mm mini bear mohair is suitable for small teddy bears but if you prefer a smoother look or you want to make really tiny teddy bears, mini bear velvet is a lovely alternative. If you like to make teddies in the 5cm to 15cm range, you will find that mini bear fabric has many advantages:

• The fabric is smooth, helping to define your teddy bear’s shape.
• Mini bear velvet has a sturdy cotton backing which does not fray at all. You can use it to sew even the tiniest teddies without worrying whether the weams will hold.
• Because velvet is tlow-friction, it is easy to turn the parts right side out after sewing. A hemostat is an invaluable tool for turning mini bear parts and stuffing into tight corners. In fact, if you don’t have one yet, you should add it to your order now.

The usefulness of mini bear velvet fabric doesn’t stop with teddy bear making though. You can also use it for footpads and paw pads on larger teddies, and make teddy bear clothing with it. Visit our Mini Bear Velvet page to see the full range of colours.

How Much Fabric do You Need to Make a Miniature Bear?

One square of mini bear velvet is usually enough to make a 15cm teddy bear, or two smaller bears. The squares measure approximately 22 x 25cm. Please allow for slight variances due to the width of different fabrics roll and the fact that the squares are cut by hand.

Good to Know About Mini Velvet

• Mini bear velvet is surface washable. This means that if your teddy becomes soiled, you can wipe it with a damp cloth to clean it.
• The velvet fabric also takes colour well; if you’re adventurous, you can dye your mini bear fabric with commercial fabric dye, food colouring, or plant dyes.
• You can use watercolour pencils or fabric markers to shade or draw on the fabric to enhance your teddy’s appearance.

Make Miniature Teddy Bears Like a Pro

Miniature teddy bears are Megan’s specialty. The smaller the bear, the greater the love! Visit her blog for inspiration and free tutorials to make minature teddy bears and their accessories.