DIY: Make a Teddy Bear Backpack!

Turn your old childhood friend/stuffed animal into a back-pack in an afternoon. This is a perfect backpack and awesome misuse craft of a fun teddy bear!

Great project at back-to-school time, although this backpack isn't made for carrying around books. This teddy bear backpack is adorable, plushie and loveable--plus, a big pocket for treasures or essential items. This is a great way to trick a toddler into carrying around all the gear they need: toys, binky, tissue, wipes, diapers...

1 adorable stuffed animal or teddy bear

6x16 inch piece of cotton fabric

3-4 inches Hook and Loop closure (Velcro)

Two 12 inch pieces of black webbing for straps

Sewing machine, Scissors, Needle and thread

Hot glue/gun

Begin by cutting a 5" slit across the back of the teddy bear. Stitch up the center back seam again, since the main seam was just cut.

Then pull out the stuffing in the belly of the stuffed teddy bear. Mine's from Build-a-Bear, so the little heart came out too.

Next, fold your fabric in half with the right sides together. Sew a big elongated half circle.

Then trim around the edges of the pocket.

Fold the top edge down and hem around the opening.

Put your hand inside the pocket and stuff it inside the opening on the teddy bear.

Get out that hot glue gun to glue the pocket in place.

Put some glue on the underside of the hem, fold the fabric over the plush fur and use a clothespin to hold it tight until it cools. Glue and fold just an inch of pocket at a time, making sure it sticks through the layers of fur.

Next add some hot glue to the velcro strip.

Press it on one side of the pocket and hold until the glue cools.

Then add glue to the backside strip of the velcro. Then press the other side of the pocket on glue.

Let it cool completely before pulling the velcro layers apart.

Then open it up! It's a fully lined pocket, so no fluff will escape. It is the size of my hand, so there is room for lots of essentials for little kids.

Now add some backpack straps. Cut 2 pieces of webbing, about 12 inches long. Use a needle and thread to handstitch the straps on the teddy bear shoulders and right at the top of the leg...bum area. Make sure the straps are aligned and not twisted before stitching.

Now the backpack is finished! I hot glued the little Build-a-Bear heart on the strap.

It's an adorable backpack ready to fill with fun! Let your kids fill their stuffie pack with little action figures, snacks, little notebooks, binky--you name it!

It's cute and now useful! Get oversized stuffed animals for older kids! Even teenagers would love a bag like this...I know because I have teenagers!

And it's just so cute! Doesn't take long to turn an old childhood friend into a wearable pocket!

Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? What was it? Do you still have it?

Check out my blog Doodlecraft for more daily awesomeness!!!

Please vote for me in the BACKPACK contest--I'll be your best friend!