Teddy Bears in Museums

Teddy bears are now in museums due to their history of how they came about. If you love teddy bears or know someone that does try heading out to one of these museums. The world’s very first Teddy Bear Museum was in Petersfield, Hampshire, England back in 1984. Judy Sparrow opened it up with her own collection of teddy bears.

The Dorset Teddy Bear Museum in Dorset is opened 7 days a week beginning at 9:30 a.m. This museum has teddy bears around every corner, from the very old to the latest and greatest. Look back through time as you watch your favorite fictional bears come to life right before your eyes. Watch out as you turn the corner, there are even life sized teddy bears to keep you company. You can even walk into the house of “Mr. Edward” bear and sit with his family. The gift shop has everything you could possibly want from character teddy bears to one of a kind.

England wasn’t the only place in the world that has teddy bear museums, but that is where the first museum popped up. Jeju Teddy Bear Museum opened its doors in 2001, this place has all types of different teddy bears inside and all types of information on them. There’s a café for those parents that need a drink while carting their children around, two galleries, beautiful gardens and a gift shop.

The Dancing Bear Folk Center is the largest teddy bears museum in the western United States. It is located in Thermopolis, Wyoming and is ready for you to come and explore its teddy bears. If you ever get out to Vermont don’t forget to stop at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. They’ve got so many teddy bears you won’t want to go home without one. Take a tour of the factory while you’re there too.

There is also the Teddy Bear House Bed and Breakfast in Anchorage, Alaska where teddy bears are displayed in every room of the house. The cost is $45 a night per person and that includes breakfast. Try making some very bearable memories and start seeking out those teddy bears.

Crocheted Teddy Bears

Crocheted teddy bears are some of the least expensive teddy bears, if you make them yourself. Yarn is relatively cheap compared to other materials when it comes to making teddy bears. Anyone can learn to crochet, patterns can be downloaded free on the internet, add some yarn, a crochet hook, and your ready to make a teddy bear. Over the years parents who found themselves strapped for money at Christmas, Birthdays, or other Holidays, would crochet teddy bears for their children. The teddy bears were a gift the children appreciated and the parents felt better knowing their children had a present on the special holiday. Today the internet is full of web sites offering crochet patterns for teddy bears. Several teddy bear artist include crocheted teddy bears in their offerings.

Since the teddy bear began, teddy bear artists have used their imagination to create teddy bears from cloth, yarn, plaster, plastic, glass, and metal. The crocheted teddy bear can be even more precious to a child when it is created with love.

If you want to make your own crocheted teddy bears, the sites below offer, or have links to sites where you can download patterns.

The web site, http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa032997.htm, has a few crochet patterns to choose from. An adorable pattern for a teddy bear in bunny clothes is available, as well as, a bear angel ornament, Chenile bear and Little Bear. The site has many crochet patterns. Visit, http://www.home.inreach.com/marthac/teddy.html, and you will find crochet patterns for teddy bears and clothes for teddy bears. At the internet site, http://www.knowledgehound.com/topics/dolls.htm#bears, you will find teddy bear patterns. The site, http://www.mielkesfarm.com/teddy_pat.htm, has a pattern for an sweet 4", crocheted teddy bear.

Sites offering crochet patterns in general, will usually have a pattern or two for teddy bears. If you are not into crocheting your own bear but would like to have, or give, a crocheted bear. The following websites make and sell crocheted teddy bears.

A teddy bear artist specializing in making crocheted teddy bears has a pair of adorable, soft, cuddly, teddy bears for sale at: http://members.aol.com/iicouchpotatoes/crochetteddybears.html.Professional crocheter, Laurie Jean Karluk, makes and sells croceted clothes for teddy bears at her site, http://www.ljkbears.com/.The site, http://www.aokcorral.com/uniqueteddybear.htm, offers unique crocheted teddy bears, including Holiday teddy bears. Links to sites offering crocheted teddy bears can be found at: http://www.craftsitedirectory.com/teddybears/.

Teddy bears have traditionally been our best friend. The teddy bear protects us from the monster under the bed, comforts us when we aren't feeling well, never tells our secrets, knows all of our faults and loves us anyway, is a constant companion, and a participant in all of our adventures. It is a proven fact that teddy bears given to a sick, hurt, or abused children will help them heal. Perhaps just the act of having a warm friend close chases away a feeling of loneliness or helplessness.

No matter what your teddy bear is made of, the fact is, he may be the best friend you will ever have.

Have you hugged your teddy bear today?

The Care Bears!

Teddy bears are the most popular stuffed toy, and have been for over 100 years. You can find them in every department or specialty store you visit. Character teddy bears are a very popular addition to the teddy bear family. These bears are usually collectable.

Care Bears are teddy bears that started out in books and animation. The official Care Bear site, www.care-bears.com, has games, stories and facts about all of the Care Bears. Here are a few facts about The Care Bears.

Bashful Heart Bear: He is a very cute, slightly shy, little guy. He is the bear who shows you that you don't have to talk a lot to be nice. His tummy symbol tells his story. It is a heart timidly hidden behind a cloud. MOTTO: You learn a lot by listening!

Bedtime Bear: Bedtime Bear stays up at night. He helps people get a good night's sleep and makes certain they have sweet dreams. He's a great buddy for a goodnight hug. His symbol is a crescent moon symbol that represents what he is about, a sleepy-faced moon. MOTTO: Sleep is what I do best!

Champ Care Bear: Is a sports star. He is great at every sport, but he's better at sharing the prize of sports fitness, friendship and learning to be your best. He teaches good sportsmanship. His golden trophy symbol shows you are always a winner when you practice good sportsmanship. Motto: Playing fair makes the game more fun for everyone!

Cheer Bear: Helps others see the brighter side of life. She will even cheer to make someone happier. She is wears a symbol of hope and happiness- a rainbow, representing hope.

Daydream Bear: Shows how important your imagination is. She also knows it is important to pay attention. Her symbol is a heart-shaped planet surrounded by stars. She is imaginative, inspiring, and funny. MOTTO: A daydream a day keeps the frowns away.

Do-Your-Best Bear: Dreams big and never gives up. He helps others do their best at anything they do. He is very up-beat and is the first to say 'Great job'! MOTTO: You feel your best when you do your best.

Friend Bear: Will be your best buddy bear. She is caring, loves to play, and is a lot of fun to be with. She teaches how to be a great friend. Her symbol of two smiling flowers symbolize the joy of friendship. MOTTO: Have I got a friend for you-me!

Funshine Bear: Is the clown of all Care Bears. He is funny and knows how to have fun. His symbol is a smiling sun reminding others to enjoy each day. MOTTO: The fun starts here!

Good Luck Bear: Loves to share his luck with everyone. This Care Bear always has a smile on his face. His symbol is a four leaf clover symbolizes the luck he carries with him. MOTTO: Lucky for you I'm here!

There are more Care Bears with plenty to teach you. You can find out all about them at: www.care-bears.com.

Teddy Bears, Teddy Bears, Everywhere!

Wherever you are and wherever you look, you are sure to spot a teddy bear. In towns and cities, homes and offices, on buses, trains, or airplanes, you are sure to find a teddy bear somewhere in attendance. The teddy bear is over 100 years old and climbing. He wears many costumes and goes by many different names but he can not escape the fact that he, indeed, is a teddy bear.

The teddy bear was born in 1902 when shopkeeper, Morris Michton, asked his wife, Rose, to make 2 stuffed bears to put in his shop window. At this same time, President Theodore Roosevelt, was in Mississippi to settle a border dispute between Louisiana and Mississippi. Having some free time, he decided to go on a hunting trip. Members of his hunting party found a small, black bear cub and tied the animal to a tree for him to shoot. When President Roosevelt saw the small, pathetic animal, he refused to shoot it and had it set free.

The following day, cartoonist Clifford Berryman, drew a cartoon depicting the President refusing to shoot the bear cub. The caption read: 'Drawing The Line In Mississippi'. This cartoon sparked the interest of Michton and the nation. Morris Michton contacted President Roosevelt to ask if he could name the stuffed bear, 'Teddy', the President agreed, and the Teddy Bear was born. The nation was captivated by the story, the stuffed bear grew in popularity, and is still the most popular stuffed toy to this day.

Teddy bears come in many sizes. They range from tiny teddy bears 1 inch tall, to giant teddy bears over six-foot in height. One thing they all have in common is their soft huggable appeal. It is very easy to find teddy bears of all types, in all sizes, everywhere you look. Teddy bears have evolved over the years. There are many teddy bear artist who create teddy bears reflecting a personality of their own. While the body of the bear may be similar to another bear in the collection, the countenance and the face reflect a very different bear, indeed. Teddy bear artists can spend hours working on the face of a bear. The result is a one-of-a-kind bear with a look and personality all his own.

Teddy bears are a very collectible commodity. Many teddy bear collectors have sites on the internet to show off their adopted families. Some of them have teddy bears in every room and around the grounds. Other teddy bear collectors have modest collections of very special bears.

Where do teddy bears go when they have had all the love they can handle without falling apart? A teddy bear museum, of course. The Teddy Bear Museum of Naples, Florida, has over 4,000 teddy bears on display. Over 40,000 visitors from around the world, visit the museum yearly.

Whatever your teddy bear passion, you will find the teddy bear, or bears, you may find most adoptable without much effort.

Teddy Bear Collections

The web site, www.bearhollow.net, belongs to a teddy bear collector. They have adopted, and share their home with quite a few furry friends. They would like to show you where these 'adopted children' make themselves comfortable around the house and grounds.

You will find links to the kitchen, the family room, the library, the office, the bear room, the living room, the dining room, the powder room, the garage, the picnic area, the guest room, the stairway, the lily pond, the sun room, the laundry room, the hallway and two bear hollow rooms. Wow, with a family like that I wonder how much the honey bill is!

The web address, http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Nook/8514/, will lead you to The Beary Blue Bear Nook. A site owned by Trish a woman of 37 who loves collecting bears. She will show you her collection, and offer you links to sites where you can find kits and accessories to make your own teddy bear. She also has links to teddy bear artists, and the World of Miniatures page will link you to miniature artists.

Lorie's Bear Shelf is a site owned by teddy bear collector, Lorie Barnhill, you can get there by going to: http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/greenlawn/994/. Lori will show you her collection of over 200 bears.

Some teddy bear artists sell teddy bear collections. That is to say, they sell certain groups of similar teddy bears they have designed to go together. Others sell unique, one of a kind teddy bears just right for you to start your own collection.

One site, www.designsbyterri.com offers adorable, miniature teddy bears. 23/4 inch-tall Domino is a bent knee bear made from off white and black medium pile non-shiny upholstery velvet. He is cotter pin and disk jointed and is stuffed with polyfil. Domino comes with a reproduction, die cast, taxi pedal car.

A site owned by Elizabeth Mowatt, www.tailoredteddies.com, offers one-of-a-kind, hand sewn teddy bears. Each bear is numbered and signed on the paw by the maker. Each bear has it's own unique accessories. Another great site is, www.tbears.de. Owned by Karin Jehle this site offers bears with their own personality. Karin spends hours creating each bears face. Valdemar, a 13 inch tall teddy bear made from shining white faux fur. His eyes are alive; with upper and lower eye lids. Valdemar wears soft, brown leather trousers.

Karin also makes miniature, crocheted teddy bears. Thomas, a 4 inch crocheted bear and Minty, a 3.3 inch crocheted bear, go together perfectly. They both sport soft leather pants of different colors. Red Fred, is a red crocheted bear, 3 inches tall.

You may begin your collection with regular size, miniature, figurines or giant, stuffed teddy bears. Maybe you want a collection that has a little bit of every-bear in it.

The choice is yours. Remember, the sooner you get started adopting your extended family, the faster you will become an adoptive parent to as many teddy bears as your heart will hold.

There are hundreds of sites offering unique and one of a kind teddy bears and teddy bear collections.

The Teddy Bear, A Master Of Disguise

While teddy bears come with their own furry coat, some of them prefer to dress in different costumes to show off the many facets of their personalities. They are available for adoption in stores, gift shops and on internet sites.

One of the best disguised teddy bear is Turkey Day Teddy. He can be found at:

http://www.auntbonniesgiftbaskets.com/bearholiday.htm. Other teddy bears on this site with disguises of their own are, Happy Birthday Bear, Angel Bear, Santa Bear Teddy, Halloween Witch Bear, Halloween Pumpkin Bear, 4th of July Teddy, Easter Bunny Teddy, St. Patty's Bear, St. Valentines Bear, and New Year's Teddy. Each of these wonderful bears sell for $21.95.

A site offering a vast array of teddy bears in disguise, is: http://www.vtone.com/teddybearsholiday.htm. They have Biker Bears, a Patriot Collection, and a Military Collection, to name a few. The site also offers holiday teddy bears and is a great place for those who love dressed teddy bears.

A great site with bears dressed in costume for the holidays would be: http://abgb.stores.yahoo.net/holtedbear.html. Hope, is a bear dressed in a pilgrim outfit, her counterpart, Jacob, is also a 12" bear dressed in pilgrim costume. Valentine teddy bear, arrives carrying a bracelet asking, ' Will You Be Mine?' His costume says, 'I Love You. Cupid bear, is a great choice to send your significant other. Other bears available are, Mr. & Mrs. Clause, Irish Bears, Bears in bunny disguises for Easter, a Graduation bear and a birthday bear in a clown outfit.

For a wonderful experience visit, http://shop.vermontteddybear.com/. There you will find many wonderful dressed bears for your adoption approval.

At, http://plushteddybears.com/product.php/bpb/75220.html, you will find many dressed bears from famous teddy bear makers.

Send a dressed bear for any occasion at, www.giftsbearsetc.com. This site offers many unique gift baskets that include teddy bears.

The site, www.offerasmile.com, offers various specialty teddy bears for sale. If, after seeing the bears on this site, you still can't find that special bear, you can make costumes and disguises for any bear with sewing, knitting and crocheting patterns. These sites are plentiful on the internet.

You may want to choose a bear of distinction and dress them yourself. Whether you choose to make the costumes yourself or purchase what your bear will wear, you might want to check out these sites.

www.buildabear.com is an excellent site to choose a bear and dress it as you like right down to the shoes. Go to the site to find the nearest Build-A-Bear Workshop near you.

At, www.tbears.de, you will find the most unique one of a kind, and limited edition bears I have ever seen. This teddy bear artist spends hours on each bear's face to give them a real personality. This site is a must for teddy bear enthusiasts. Hurry, these teddies sell like hotcakes.

There are some pretty unique bears on, www.designsbyterri.com. These are miniature teddy bears and one of them, Domino, comes with his own die cast pedal car.

Whether you decide to buy an already dressed teddy or do it yourself, I'm sure you will find the perfect teddy bear at one, or more, of these sites.

Teddy Bear Patterns And Materials

Teddy bear artists are responsible for some unique and interesting teddy bears. A number of these artists are willing to share a few patterns with the public. You will find teddy bear patterns, or links to patterns, on the sites below. A number of these patterns are free. You can also purchase kits to make your own bear, not to mention, materials and accessories to make your teddy complete.

You will find teddy bear patterns, kits designed by Chris Cotton, as well as teddy bear making supplies here, Easy and Fun Teddy Bear Patterns.

At, http://www.christiebears.co.uk/acatalog/Patterns.html, you will find pattern packs. Each pack includes, pattern, joint nuts and bolts, and 1 pair of black, glass eyes. You may browse the materials and accessories for bear making. Miniature bear patterns are also available. When you visit, http://www.judilynndesigns.com/Rumbles.html, you can purchase teddy bear patterns with a complete materials list for $10. A great site to find teddy bear patterns, kits and teddy bear making materials is, http://www.admiral-bears.com/. Teddy bear kits are available on, http://www.bearmania.com.au/bearkitn.htm.

This Australian based site offers unique and wonderful bears. Kits to make your own teddy bear include, all materials needed to make the bear, except the stuffing. Also included, are various other articles to make each specific bear. Pattern sizes range from 4" to 24" teddy bears. Links to various sites featuring teddy bears, teddy bear patterns, teddy bear kits and materials to make teddy bears, can be found here, http://www.teddybearsden.com/art-dir/index.html. Would you like to make a knitted teddy bear like the bear seen in Mr. Bean videos? You can do so by visiting,

http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/toys/beanbear.htm. Here you will find a pattern and material list for this amusing, big eyed teddy bear.

Needle Felting is a new way to make teddy bears and other soft toys without stitching or stuffing. This is accomplished by poking carded wool fiber many times over with a special, barbed, needle so that it felts together. As you felt the wool you are able to turn and mold it into any shape you desire. The result is a firm toy that is solid wool. You can learn about this technique by visiting, http://www.bearycheap.com/info/felting1.html.

At, http://www.crochetnmore.com/Becky'sLittleBearPattern.htm, You will find a tiny teddy bear pattern designed especially for babies. The finished bear size is 4.5 to 5 inches. This is a crocheted bear. Another crocheted teddy bear pattern can be found at: http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa110897.htm?once=true. If you love miniature teddy bears, you will find an adorable, 3" bear by visiting: http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/tbear.html. If you want to make a pilgrim outfit for your teddy bear, http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa112297.htm, has a great pattern with instructions and materials list. Learn to make a teddy bear at: http://www.fuzzybee.com.au/fuzzbears/make_a_teddybear.htm. Looking for teddy bear and felting supplies? Then, http://www.woodlandteddies.co.uk/, is the place for you.

This site has very unique patterns for teddy bears and stuffed toys. http://www.funkyfriendsfactory.com/?gclid=CITwr5XW3ooCFSM9UAodlFyzcA.

You should find everything you need on the above sites to make your own teddy bear. You may want to try some of the craft sites to see what they have to offer along the line of teddy bear making supplies.