Sunday, December 20, 2009

Homemade Bears are a Hit!

The last few weeks we have been listening to an old 1938 radio show called The Cinnamon Bear. I downloaded it from Homeschoolradioshows.comThe kids have loved it. I printed out the coloring book for each of them and they have colored each picture while they listen to the different episodes over and over again.

While at the library last week they had a display with books about homemade gifts kids can make. One of them was about making homemade teddy bears. I picked it up and brought it home. Sophie found the book in the library bag and started begging to make a bear of her own. She said it was going to be her own Cinnamon Bear.

I went to my stash of fabric got out some brown fleece that is left over from a costume or something I made ages ago. She traced the pattern from the book and cut it out. I then showed her how to pin the pattern onto the fabric and then she cut it out too. She loved getting to stitch up the sides and stuff it. We picked out some buttons for eyes and even one heart shaped one for decoration. The whole project took less than an hour or so and she has a bear that she made and stitched up herself.

The boys of course couldn't go without a "Cinnamon bear" too so I quickly cut out and stitched theirs up for them. They weren't interested in sewing them themselves but they did stuff them and pick out the buttons.

These little bears have been a hit. The boys carry them around in their pockets and they all have used them in countless little stories and play throughout the last day. It is amazing what a little fabric and thread will do. Who needs expensive toys!



This was only the small bear pattern included in the book. Sophie dreams of making the bigger teddy, 16", which is much more complicated. I am sure it won't be a quick and easy project. There are also clothes patterns included so you can make vests, pants and even shoes for your big bear. We will see if this happens! For now the kids are happy acting out the adventures of the Cinnamon Bear with the ones we made.

2 comments:

Bibliophile said...

The bears look really nice! It's great to see the children involved in making something like these. I used to listen to the radio before we had television, and it lets your imagination take all kinds of fancies.

Kodelle said...

How fun!