COURSE CODE: HE 328

Module 1

2nd Semester, S.Y. 2020-2021

Introduction
Stuffed toys are known by many names including plush toys, plushies, snuggies,
stuffies, snuggley animals and stuffed animals, but whatever you call them,
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chances are you've owned one, or many, throughout your life. Plushies are the
holy grail of toys given to young children as presents, used as security and
comfort devices, and are beloved much more than almost any other type of toy.
Today, the stuffed toy can be found at every price range, with stuffed animals,
monsters, aliens, and even household objects all available from toy shops
around the world.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module be able to
 State and Explain the history and Origin of stuffed toy making
 Identify the different tools and materials needed in order to make a
stuffed toy
 Appreciate the way of making stuffed toy by utilizing the materials
economically in making it.
 Make patterns/designs

History of Stuffed Toy Making

Ancient Rome & Egypt

The Ancient World produced the first plush

toys. In Ancient Rome, children of privilege
often played with expensive wood carvings
of animals. Poorer families could not afford
such luxuries, so they would make ragdolls
from straw and leftover bits of fabric for the
children to play with. Ancient Egyptian
children also created and played with
ragdolls filled with straw, beans, cotton, or
wool.
 The Victorian Era

In 1880, German seamstress Margarete Steiff began creating stuffed elephants

to sell as pincushions. But when local children played with them as toys, she
developed the modern era's first stuffed animals. Steiff started her own company
and manufactured a variety of stuffed animals based on her own designs, selling
dogs, cats, pigs, and many others.
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The Modern Era

A turning point in the creation of stuffed animals came in 1902, when President Theodore
Roosevelt went on a now-legendary hunting trip in which he decided not to kill a bear cub
he encountered. Newspapers relayed the story to their audiences, including shopkeeper
Morris Michtom. Michtom was already selling Steiff-inspired plush toys in his shop, so he
decided to make a stuffed bear in honor of the President. That bear's name? The teddy
bear.

Popularity
Stuffed toys started out small, and were often a toy for either the very privileged or the
poor who could make them themselves with rags and fabric scraps. However, during the
early 1900s, mass production allowed Teddy Bears to make their way into nearly every
home, becoming a childhood staple alongside a variety of other stuffed toys created by
companies like Gund and Mattel. But, after World War II, during the post war baby boom,
the market for toys soared, making way for new brands including the Wallace Berry
Company (Later to become Applause) who manufactured licensed Disney, Warner Bros,
and Jim Henson toys, the Mary Meyer Corporation, Commonwealth of PA, Jerry Elsner,
Mattel, and many more.
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Stuffed toys as we know them hit the market during the 1980s, as companies added
fictional characters from movies and cartoons to the repertoire of plush toys. Brands like
Mattel brought Winnie the Poo and Sesame Street to life, while American Greetings
introduced My Pet Monster, Strawberry Shortcake, and the Care Bears. During the
1990s, stuffed toys became a collectible with brands like TY dominating the market,
selling bears and other figures in every color and style. Others like Build a Bear
commercialized the desire for custom toys, and most of the world has never looked
back.
Today, stuffed toys are produced everywhere, are a staple at zoos, a must have for
children, and a fun and lovable experience for people of all ages. They're also one of the
most sold toys, and are popular for everyone from babies to adults, and for good reason.
Even if by some chance you've never owned a stuffed animal, they're hard not to love.
 BASIC TOOLS AND MATERIALS IN MAKING STUFFED TOY

• Needle: Stainless steel needle with a sharp end one side and a loophole for the thread to insert.

• Cotton Sewing Thread: Sewing thread used in stitching purpose.

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• Cardboard Cutout: Measurement markings made by cardboard.

• Chalk: A marking material used in drawing the outline of the cutout.

• Fur Cloth: A cloth material having a fur texture used in making soft toys.

• A Pair of Scissors: A stainless steel scissors used for cutting the cloth and threads.

• Plastic Doll Eyes: Doll eyes button used as an eyes for the dolls.

• Doll Nose Button: Doll nose button used as a nose for the doll, which comes like nut and screw.

• Plastic (synthetic) Fibre Cotton: A cotton like fibre used in stuffing the doll.
 References

https://connect2local.com/l/574599/c/607261/the-history-of-stuffed-animals
https://www.license-2-play.com/wholesale-toys/read-news/history-of-stuffed-toys/
http://www.dsource.in/resource/doll-making-vellore/tools-and-raw-materials
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