Create a cushion from recycled stuffed animals!

Is your house overflowing with stuffed animals that your kids have outgrown or forgotten?
Here's one way to recycle them.

Step 1: Collect

Collect stuffed animals that your kids no longer use, are too worn or that they're happy to recycle. (please don't use their favourite ones!)
We have way more in the house than I can handle so came up with this idea of how to use the ones they're no longer interested in.
My girls now give me toys they're no longer interested in so I can turn them into something new!
If you don't have kids then check your local secondhand stores, & flea markets, as some shops and people give these away.
My girls have these given to them almost every time we go to a flea market, or second hand store, as well as gifts on birthdays, Christmas, etc.

Comments

[Screamo]

yes! MWAHAHAH!!! EVIL! SNIP SNIP SNIP! CUT OF HELLO KITTYS HEAD! HAHAH!!! SNIP SNIP! TAKEOUT THEIR INTESTINES!!! YOU ARE PURE EVIL! I LOVE EVIL.

[Mplinnc]

aww...
you would want to cut up a little kitty toy?

Yes=U r a sick sick human
No= Nice person

[anniela]

I agree with Faynilla, the stuffed animals in the picture looked like they were in good condition and less waste would have been generated overall if they had been donated. Maybe a better source of stuffing/polyfill would be old pillows? You can easily wash them too and there are tons of old pillows.

[RetroLeatherHatter]

When I  saw your Instruct, I thought of the cushion cover made from the "pelts" of your recycled stuffies!

[porcupinemamma]

so, in a nutshell, are you removing the stuffing from the toys, and recycling it into pillow forms and making new pillows?

[komecake]

  This makes me wish I would have kept all of my old stuffed animals and used their stuffing for the pillows I'm going to be making my mom. -__-

[Faynilla]

aside from washign them, you can place them in the freezer, or deep freeze in a plastic bag. after a day or two all the germs are gone, and they will smell fresh.

its a "greener" way to sanitize. but if they are not yours originally, washing them just sounds better.

[Faynilla]

the only suggestion i have is if the animals are in good condition, it would probably be better to donate them to a shelter or something. there are lots of unfortunate children out there and they would be happy with even a well loved stuffed animal.

but i do like this idea as apposed to throwing them away. I dont care much for wasting!

[Nymph]

Any suggestions on how this instructable can be improved?

[Goodhart]

Sorry for commenting so late.....I just came upon this. You are pretty detailed with your instructable, so the only improvement I would suggest is, maybe finding a use for the unstuffed animal shells; like maybe making a backpack or something with them (lamp base? Room deodorizer holder? etc)

[ecuadoriana]

Try this link for using up your old stuffed animals:

http://urbanbeast.com/home.html

hilarious, creepy, cool!!!

[Disposal Alternatives]

:(

[uguy]

Disembowel, arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh! How could you?

[inkstainedheart]

I've done it--I used the "skin" to make a Tigger rug. My little sister (it was her plushie) thought it was hilarious.

[Nymph]

All the stuffed animals I used for this project were not my daughters old favorites so it was more like getting rid of garbage. ;)

[canida]

Nice idea! I second jeff-o's suggestion to reuse the animals as well. Perhaps not a coat, but surely the bigger ones could turn into fuzzy slippers with only minor modifications?

[Nymph]

Fuzzy slippers, hmm, what a great idea! Maybe I should try this one...

[jeff-o]

Can I use the pelts to make a new fur coat? ;)

[Nymph]

LOL! You could try I guess. I only had very small animals, and as I don't have much sewing experience that's a little outta my league. I'd love to see someone try though!

[fatalfall11]

lol

[domestic_engineer]

I once saw a couch upholstered with teddy bear pelts. I'd love to see someone make that. I think i might just make a teddy bear pelt coat.