Create a Cushion From Recycled Stuffed Animals!

Intro: 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.

STEP 2: Wash & Bleach!

Gather all your stuffed animals, dump 'em in the washing machine for a good wash. I added a small amount of bleach to the water to get rid of any germs. Even if the stuffed animals are from around your house you would be surprised how dirty they can be. Hang 'em up on the line till they're dry and you're ready to start.

STEP 3: Materials

You'll need:
Scissors
Needle & thread (any colour will do)
Pins
Net bag of some kind (I used a laundry net with a broken zipper)
Cushion cover

STEP 4: Disembowel

*Warning!* I do not recommend that you do this step in front of your kids.

Snip a hole in your stuffed animal and pull out the stuffing. I found it was best to cut and pull one animal at a time.

STEP 5: Watch Out For

Watch out for this type of stuffing. It's messy and not worth your time. Toss it.

STEP 6: Stuff It

Stuff your net bag (a laundry net in my case) as you go. The less stuffing you use the softer your creation will be.

STEP 7: Sew

When your net is as full & firm as you'd like it to be, fold the top over, pin it together, & sew it shut.

This is a good time to get your kids help if they're interested in sewing. As you can see, it doesn't matter what the stitches look like. :)

STEP 8:

Add a cushion cover and you're done! Enjoy your new cushion, suitable for bed, couch, or floor.

Comments

[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.

[Bossykrista]

Let's see the results!

[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...

[Bossykrista]

Yesss! I did this with my sister's stuffed unicorns. I just cut a hole in the tushy and sewed in a soft liner inside and stuffed my foot up his chubby butt. So now when I walk his head and legs flop around! My sister was horrified! Hahahaha!

[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.

[Bossykrista]

Hahahaha! I made slippers out of my sister's unicorns. She was SO upset lol. Their heads and legs would flop around while I walked which made it even funnier. Hahahaha !

[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. ;)

[Brooke C]

What a great way to reuse old stuffed animals! We, too, have gotten creative with recreating old stuffed animals. The blog we recently wrote (http://www.momapprovedtoys.com/2017/03/02/recreate-toys-already/) hits on doing a puppet show with stuffed animals.

[partypanda2345]

What do you do with the skins cause I am 11 and I love stuffed animals but their taking over my room so if you take the stuffing out what do with the skins I have an idea u can turn them into balloons fill them with helium and they most likely wont pop and if u r wondering where I got this idea this "artist" use real animal skins to make balloons for something I believe that using stuffed
Animals is less cruel

[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?