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I had a reason for making these and then I maybe took it too far.

After things opened up from the COVID-19 pandemic, I was dying to get out and boogie, especially for my birthday. I used to go to this one club that played 80s and 90s music all night, so I decided to get a VIP booth and invite some close friends. It had been so long since we could do anything like that, I was genuinely excited. Like, Major Magic’s birthday party level excited. And then, instantly, I decided I needed to give my guests something.

I had a bunch of these flocked bears from an estate sale, so I figured I’d turn them into something. This is the humble origin story of the OG Birthday Bear.

Anyone Remember Party Favors as a Kid?

I went the DIY route because I was broke, and I also gave myself about a week, so there was no time to overthink anything. My craft organization is not optimal, but I know where things are and that’s all that matters. I found the bears I bought years ago and thought, this is it. No better time than now.

Compared to what they eventually turned into, these were pretty modest. The balloons do a lot of the heavy lifting, in my opinion.

Birth of the Birthday Bear

Flocked Bear Base (Materials + Setup)

They had been sitting in a drawer waiting for something to happen. My original plan was to just add an eye hook and call it a day, but some of the hats were fragile and crinkled, and that was the doorway into the project.

How I Decorated the Bear Hats (Glitter + Rhinestones)

I made four “special” ones with rhinestone hats and the rest got glitter. The hats needed structure, so I used Mod Podge to stiffen them first, then glittered them. This is also when I started figuring out my way of glittering things so they don’t shed everywhere.

For the four bears, I skipped glitter and used tiny rhinestones instead. The glittered ones still got a few rhinestones, just enough to feel legit.

Adding Faces and Details to Flocked Bears

After the hats, the faces needed help. They were cute, but faded, so I went in with a fine line marker. Two bears didn’t make it because I sneezed. Black ink and white flocking don’t mix.

Their noses and mouths were mostly the same, but the eyes were unpredictable. The ink tends to bleed on flocking, so I leaned into it and gave them all slightly different expressions. Some got dot eyes, some got lashes, some got full kawaii faces. Some were boys and some were girls. I just went with it.

Decorating the Bear Paws (Rhinestone Details)

I didn’t have a lot of time, so I kept this simple. I originally wanted to draw on the paws, but with how much the flocking bleeds, that got vetoed pretty quickly. I used small rhinestones for the feet and even smaller ones for the hands. My logic was, “My feet are bigger than my hands, right?”

I invited 10 people to the party, which was also the capacity. I had a few left over. They’re resting somewhere peacefully.

Why I Still Make Birthday Bears Every Year

These were supposed to be a one-time thing, but when you have a stash of random craft supplies, sometimes they decide when it’s their time. Apparently, these want to exist annually.

I still try to source secondhand, but I know there will be a point where I’ll just have to buy them. I also regret not taking more process photos. I had everything I needed to document it better, I just didn’t think they were worth it at the time.

Now I don’t really care. I’m putting them here so they have a place to exist and so other people can see them. Just wait till you see what they evolved into!