A Teddy Bear Nose

The type of nose you can choose for your teddy bear is limitless. Your creativity can really show through and make the bear your own. Many times, by just looking at the face of a bear, you can identify the artist. A classic example is a "Jo Greeno face" with large eyes, set close together and a nose and mouth like the one shown.

Once you develop a style of nose you like and tend to use over and over, your bears will begin to have a certain ≥look≤ that people will identify with you as the artist.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF NOSES

Plastic Noses

Our plastic noses have a plastic shaft and come with a metal washer that pushes onto the shaft of the nose and does not come back off again. These noses are inserted just like our plastic safety eyes and must be inserted before your bear is stuffed. The ones we carry are brown flocked, making them soft and fuzzy to the tough. These noses are recommended for childrenπs toys because, unlike glass noses, they will not crack and break and the safety washer locks the nose to the fabric so it will not pull out.

Glass and Resin Noses

If your bear is not intended as a toy for a young child, you may want to use a glass or resin nose.

The glass and resin noses come in solid shiny black and are shaped like a real bear nose. They come in assorted sizes and have a wire loop in the back. The resin noses come in black and brown and are also available in a textured finish for an even more realistic look. Using eyefloss, these noses are inserted just like our glass eyes after the bear is stuffed. Because you need to pull the nose in tightly to secure it, be sure to firmly stuff the head, especially the nose area.

Embroidered Noses

Embroidered noses are the most common and most versatile. They are the safest for children and allow the artistπs creativity to flourish. Choosing a style and color is strictly a personal preference.

Nose Yarn

German Pearl Cotton comes in sizes 3(thick), 5, 8 & 12(thin) and ranges from basic black to mixed shades.

Rainbow Nose Yarn comes in 3 ply (thicker) or 1 ply (thinner) and comes in 8 different color mixes.

Stitching Your Bearπs Nose

The possibilities of shape and size are endless. They can be rectangular, triangular, round, heart-shaped, extremely large or tiny. Noses can be stitched either vertically or horizontally, or a layer or so of each. The main things to keep in mind when stitching the nose is to keep your stitches even and parallel with each other and to be sure that both sides of the nose are stitched evenly.

Templates

Using a template can make sewing the nose much less intimidating. Cut a piece of felt (color should match the color of the nose embroidery yarn) the shape and size you would like your nose to be. Using fabric glue, glue the template in place. Stitch over the template for a perfectly shaped nose. Try our ready made assorted size & shape, self-stick nose templates.

Giving Your Bear a Mouth

The type and shape the mouth is, again, is up to you. Some have just an upside down "V" coming right out from under the nose; more commonly, an upside down "Y". Some sculpt the face into a smile with jowls by pulling up tight on the center line and the bottom corners of the mouth. Some quieter bears just don't have a mouth at all.