Repurposing Children’s Items Series: Ways to Repurpose Stuffed Animals

If you have children, then you have stuffed animals! Plain and simple, you can not seem to avoid stuffed animals taking over your house when you have little ones. They get them as gifts, they get them as prizes, they beg you to buy them every time you hit up the toy section at the store. And therefore, it is likely that you have now acquired enough stuffed animals to fill a trash bag, or two! If you are up to your ears in stuffed animals, you might be wondering what else you can possibly do with them. Of course you can donate them to children’s agencies or sell them at a yard sale, but chances are you will still have some left over. No worries! Take a look below at the many ways to repurpose stuffed animals!

Ways to repurpose stuffed animals

Believe it or not, there are quite a few fun and frugal kids activities you can do with your old stuffed animals. So don’t toss them just yet. Instead, take a peek at these ways to repurpose stuffed animals! Who knew you could do so much with these furry little critters?

Before you begin, gather your stuffed animals and give them a good wash. A quick machine wash will do the job. Make note of any that have lose buttons or eyes. Those could pose choking hazards and should go ahead and be removed. Once you have taken these steps, you are ready to begin.

Ways to Repurpose Stuffed Animals:

1. Make a puppet.
Turn your stuffed animal into  fun and practical puppet! You will need a stuffed animal, old glove, and pair of scissors. Ready? Here is how!

  • Locate the bottom or back seam of the stuffed animal opposite the head.
  • Rip open the stitches by pushing the pointed end of your scissors into the seam and cutting through each thread.
  • Remove the cut threads by pulling them all out by hand.
  • Trim any threads that are still attached with your scissors
  • Open the seam and pull out enough stuffing so that a hand can be inserted into the stuffed animal tummy and limbs.
  • Push the glove into the cavity of the stuffed animal and align the fingers and thumb where you want to have control of the stuffed animal puppet, making sure to align the cuff of the glove with the bottom edge of the opening in the stuffed animal.
  • Sew the glove cuff and the stuffed animal opening together and tie off the thread. Weave in the end of the thread and trim.

That’s it! You are now ready to put on one awesome puppet show!

2. Make a child’s purse.
This is so easy even a beginner can do it! You will need a stuffed animal, scissors, a needle and thread, and a long piece of ribbon or fabric.

  • Cut open the back of your stuffed animal. A stuffed animal that rests on four legs seems to work best as opposed to one that sits upright.
  • Remove the stuffing so it is hallow.
  • Clean up the cut edges using your needle and thread. Just fold over and slight bit and secure with thread.
  • Take your ribbon or length of fabric and cut into two straps.
  • Sew the end of each strap to the back of the animal to create straps.

That’s it! Your child can now store all of their change and treasures in their handy (and cute) new purse! So simple!

3.  Make a no sew stuffed animal scarf.
For this whimsical project, you will need a length of felt or old scarf, scissors, small stuffed animal (a beanie baby works best) and some hot glue.

  • Use your scissors to cut your beanie animal cleanly and evenly in half.
  • Remove the stuffing so it is totally empty.
  • Take your animal halves and apply glue to attach it to your scarf.
  • Apply the head end to one end of the scarf and one end to the tail end of the scarf.
  • Be generous with your glue so it adheres well.
  • Allow to dry for a few hours before wearing.

You are all set! You can now where your whimsical scarf which is sure to be unique compared to most scarves you see! How easy as that?

As you can see, there are several ways to repurpose stuffed animals and turn them into something fun and purposeful! So gather them up and start crafting! Not only will you enjoy turning these old objects into something new, but your children will enjoy these fun new objects as well!

Happy crafting and repurposing! Don’t forget to check out Ways to Repurpose Baby Wipes Containers and Ways to Reuse Children’s Books!

Do you have any great ideas for ways to repurpose stuffed animals?

10 thoughts on “Repurposing Children’s Items Series: Ways to Repurpose Stuffed Animals”

  1. I know it may sound cruel but we use our stuffed animals to stuff bean bag like chairs for the kids to sit on. Luckily the brand we purchased has a mesh cover so the animals can still “breathe”. But my daughter would love if I turned one of her animals into a purse. Great ideas!

  2. you must have invaded my mind..I just bagged up a bunch of stuffed animals…I am going to have to take a few out to try out these ideas! Thanks!

  3. This is such a great idea! We have so many stuffed animals in my house that have seen better days but hated to throw them away!

Leave a Reply to Stefani Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *