Get ready to learn all about toy stuffing! First up, follow the links to TIPS about stuffing, TYPES of toy stuffing, and a video of my toy stuffing TECHNIQUES. Then visit the FAQ section, where I’ve gathered all your most common questions, such as, “how much toy stuffing should I buy?” and “what type of toy stuffing is most popular?”

 

 

Read on for toy Stuffing TIPS, TYPES, TECHNIQUES… & FAQs!

 

TIPS – My ‘Top 7’ Toy Stuffing Tips:

I put together a blog post  to answer all the questions I get asked about how to stuff soft toys – with the tips I’ve learnt over the years. “CLICK HERE to read my 7 Super Stuffing Tips”.

 

TYPES of Toy Stuffing:

There are so many different types of toy stuffing that I made a blog post about them all! CLICK HERE to read about different types of toy stuffing.

 

 

TECHNIQUES for Stuffing Toys:

(See me Stuff a soft toy!😁)

You can watch my video demo on stuffing techniques (from the FREE toy-making course, module 1.9). In the Toy Stuffing Techniques Video HERE  you’ll see – how to stuff soft toys / plushies, all my tips and techniques to help you stuff a toy without it being lumpy! PLUS I reveal my best tool for stuffing toys!

🎦Did you find the video helpful?
It’s from the *FREE* toy-making course.

 

The FREE toy-making Course includes everything you need to know about sewing toys –  from how to read a pattern to how to stuff a toy AND includes my easiest pattern – Plattie Platypus!  I share ALL the tips & tricks I’ve learned about sewing soft toys over the last 20+ years in a daily email series packed with photos, diagrams and videos.

(Yes! It’s FREE!)

Join the Course HERE

 

Stuffing F.A.Q.s

 

👉Q 1. How much stuffing is “correct”?

There’s no single right answer, so don’t stress  – you can choose from squishy, cuddly, or firm. The main guideline is that toys should have enough stuffing to create the details and shape of the toy (compared to the toy pattern cover photo), but not so much that the toy looks “bloated.”

Some beginners “under stuff” because they are unsure – if you have areas where there are wrinkles/puckering, add more stuffing.

 

👉Q 2. How much stuffing does a toy take? 💰💸

The answer depends on the pattern (for example, Lamkins Lamb 🐑and Winsome Wolf 🐺 are very different sizes), and how firm you want to stuff the toy. Let’s use polyester stuffing in these examples as it is most common.

Stuffing comes in different measuring units (ounces, grams, pounds) depending on the country, so it can be difficult to visualize how much you need. Think of the size of a standard bed pillow (about 16 oz/450 grams/1 pound). That’s the most general answer in terms of volume that I can give for a single toy.

 

Quick Reference Chart for Different Toy Sizes:

Customer feedback for some common Funky Friends toys:

• 🧸 Melody Memory Bear needs about one pound (16 oz/440 grams), around 1 pillows’ worth of polyfil. 
• 🐑 Lamkins Lamb is smaller than Melody, and takes a little less than a pillow-sized bag of stuffing.
• 🐺 Winsome Wolf is bigger than Melody, and can use about 2 pillows’ worth.  
• 🟤 Plattie Platypus is small and you could make several from one pillow’s worth of stuffing, depending on how firm you want them. 

 

 

👉Q 3. How much stuffing do you need to buy?

If you’re making just one toy…
I suggest getting a little extra, so get a bag of stuffing that would accommodate 2 bed pillows (2 bed pillows=approx 32oz). Then you’ll have extra if you need it (you probably won’t make just 1 toy!😊).
If you plan on multiple toys…
Get a 64oz bag, that’s about 8 pounds. A 10lb box is big, though, so don’t get that unless you have space. Note the measurements of the box before purchasing online.

 

👉 Q 4. How much stuffing do you need for one of the bear patterns, like Melody Memory Bear?🐻

See the answer above for details on why it’s difficult to give an exact answer. If you’re just making one Melody Bear, you’ll likely need about a pound (16oz/450 grams) of stuffing. I’d suggest getting 32oz/900grams, (so you have extra – rather than running short!)

 

👉 Q 5. What is the most popular type of stuffing?

Polyester toy filling is the most popular. See the links to the “types of stuffing” blog post HERE if you want to know about other options, like organic wool.

 

👉 Q 6. What is the most popular brand of stuffing?

Funky Friends Factory fans live all over the world, so listing brands for EVERY country would take a lot of space! I’ll give you one brand example for reference, and ways to look up brands in your region.

In North America:
The most popular brand by far is Fairfield Polyfil. It’s a high quality polyester stuffing that resists clumping. Fairfield also sells higher cost options, which you can find on their website and Fairfield World YouTube channel (check out their videos for helpful descriptions of different types of stuffing).

You can buy Fairfield products in big box stores like Wal-Mart and craft store chains (Michael’s, Jo-Ann Fabrics, etc), which will most likely sell Fairfield in addition to a generic brand.

Outside North America:
There’s greater variety in brand names, so Google should be your first stop to find toy stuffing. Search for “toy stuffing near me” to find local options. Most places only have 1 or 2 stuffing brands available, so don’t be concerned if there’s not a lot of variety.

 

👉Q 7. Where should you buy toy stuffing?

Quilt shops:
❤️PLEASE support your local quilt shop if you can!❤️ Call and ask if they sell toy stuffing. 

Chain stores:
You can look up your local craft store chain online and you’ll be able to find brand names on the craft store website.

For North America store suggestions, read the answer to Q6 above.

For USA and Canada store suggestions, read the answer to Q6 above.

In Australia, the Spotlight chain sells several types of toy stuffing. I live in Australia, so I get the polyester toy stuffing sold at the Spotlight chain. I’ve used Fairfield Polyfil in America and I feel like the Spotlight stuffing is a good equivalent.

In the UK, the Hobbycraft store chain sells both regular and recycled polyester toy stuffing.

If you live in a country like the USA or Germany with an active mohair toy/teddy bear-making community, there may be specialty websites with various stuffing products (like those explained in the “types of stuffing” blog post HERE).

 

A warning about buying bulk stuffing online:

Customer feedback from some Funky Friends toy makers who have bought “no name brand” stuffing in bulk online (such as on Amazon or Ebay) has been that they are often disappointed by the poor quality.

How to avoid poor quality stuffing? Always be sure to check product reviews, especially if you’re buying in bulk online!

 

 

👉Q 8. Is pillow stuffing the same as toy stuffing?

This is difficult to answer because both products vary so widely, but if a pillow has polyester filling, it is in the same general category as polyester toy stuffing. If you can’t find polyester toy stuffing in your area, try purchasing standard size bed pillows with polyester filling. This pillow stuffing may have more clumping issues since it’s not made specifically for toys, so be sure to pull the filling into small pieces, as seen in the Toy Stuffing Techniques Video HERE.

 

That’s it for now on this tour of stuffing fun!

If you have any extra tips you think I should add – please add a comment below! 

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Till next time,

Happy Sewing,
Pauline
xxx