Repairing Stuffed Animals
Repairing a stuffed animal can sometimes make him as good as new
Over time many stuffed animals can lose pieces, become stained, or rip at the seams and need to be repaired. This is normal, considering that many children will carry their favorite stuffed animal with them everywhere they go. Luckily most of these things can be easily fixed using things that are probably around your house.
Stuffed animals will commonly lose eyes, buttons, and ribbons that are attached to them. If you have the original piece that has fallen off it can usually be easily repaired by either gluing or sewing it back on. If the piece has been lost you can probably find a suitable replacement at a craft or hobby store. Make sure that small pieces are attached extremely well so there is no risk of it being pulled off and swallowed by a child. Also make sure if you use glue to let it dry fully before giving it to your kids to play with. Using non-toxic glue is also a good safety measure.
It is very easy to stain a stuffed animal that is constantly being carried around by a child. One way to make sure that stuffed animals do not get permanently stained is to wash them every once in a while in a washing machine. To make sure that this does not damage your stuffed animal, first put the stuffed animal inside of a pillow case and use the most gentle setting on your washer. You can treat specific stains with a small amount of detergent before washing, but remember that bleach will wash the color out of most stuffed animals. After washing you can either place them in the dryer on the lowest setting or hang them on a clothes line and let them drip dry. Be careful when using a dryer as this has the possibility of ripping the seams. Make sure that the animal is completely dry before giving it to children, as wet fabrics can mold and cause potential health problems.
If your stuffed animal has lost an arm or a leg or ripped at a seam you can usually fix this with simple sewing techniques. If any stuffing has fallen out of the hole that has been created you should replace it before sewing it back together to help ensure that your end result will be closer to the original. Carefully sew the pieces back together, making sure to stitch it tight enough that it will not come apart in the same place.
Repairing stuffed animals using these techniques can help you keep them in good condition for longer, which means that you and your children can enjoy them for many years to come.
