Plush Toy Bouquets

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Table of Contents

Copyright Notice ........................................................................................................................................... 1 HOW TO ADD PIECES OF CELLOPHANE OR TISSUE PAPER TO THE ARRANGEMENT .................................... 3 TEDDY BEAR BOUQUET ................................................................................................................................. 6 TEDDY BEAR AND CANDY BOUQUET .......................................................................................................... 32 SPONGEBOB BOUQUET............................................................................................................................... 43 SUPPLIERS LIST ............................................................................................................................................ 57 TIPS TO MAKE PLUSH TOY BOUQUETS ....................................................................................................... 58 SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF TOY BOUQUETS ............................................................................................ 71

HOW TO ADD PIECES OF CELLOPHANE OR TISSUE PAPER

TO THE ARRANGEMENT

Practically all candy arrangements are created using cellophane or tissue paper pieces. Take tissue paper or cellophane (the color depends on the main colors of your container and candy wrappers). Cut the tissue paper or cellophane into square pieces.

Take a cellophane or tissue paper piece, pinch it in the middle and with your other hand loosely pull it up into a cone shape.

Take a toothpick or a piece of a bamboo skewer/lollipop stick, put the closed corner of the cello/tissue paper against the blunt end of the skewer and wrap floral tape or Scotch tape around them.

Continue wrapping the tape down the stick until it is completely covered. Fluff the cellophane/tissue paper out.

TEDDY BEAR BOUQUET

Materials needed: three stuffed teddy bears, red and pink cellophane or tissue paper, a big piece of pink organza or tulle, some decorative elements (beads and small ribbon roses), Styrofoam, 16 gauge stem wire, Scotch tape, toothpicks or wooden skewers, pink and red satin ribbon, a hot glue gun with a glue stick, thread and needle, and scissors. Step 1. Prepare the teddy bears you are going to use in your bouquet. In this example, three pink 6”x6” teddy bears were used.

Note: If you choose small plush toys, use 5 or more toys so that the bouquet looks full. Step 2. Take a Styrofoam sheet (or Styrofoam discs) or white polystyrene insulation foam that you can buy at a home improvement store (it is cheaper). Cut out a disc; it should be big enough so that you can secure all of the toys on to it. The disc should also be thick enough to support all the toys sturdily. In this example, the disc is 5.5” in diameter and 2” thick. Note: It you use a 1” thick foam sheet, you will need to cut out two discs and then glue them together. As a result, you will have a 2” thick disc.

Step 3. Wrap the foam piece in red or pink tissue paper, securing it with glue. There are different ways of wrapping. I cut out two circles that are an inch bigger in diameter than the foam disc. Glue one circle to the top of the foam disc, and the other circle to the bottom of the foam disc. Then, glue a strip of tissue paper to the side of the disc. Note: The color of tissue paper depends on the color of toys you are using in your bouquet.

Step 4. The next step is to make a handle for the bouquet. There are several ways to make a handle. a) Take an old magazine and roll it into a tight tube. Secure it with Scotch tape. If you want a shorter handle, cut a strip off of the short side of the magazine before rolling it into a tube.

b) Take a sheet of cardstock or thick paperboard and roll it into a tight tube. Then, secure it with Scotch tape. c) Take several wooden skewers or lollipop sticks and secure them together with Scotch tape. Step 5. Take the foam base and the handle. Cut a hole in the bottom of the foam base with the same diameter as the handle’s diameter. Don’t cut right through though.

Step 6. Using a glue gun, squeeze some glue into the hole. Be generous with the glue. Stick the handle inside the hole and hold it there for a few seconds so that the handle is well secured.

Step 7. Take a teddy bear and 16 gauge stem wire. There are several ways to secure a teddy bear to the foam base. Here is one: Insert a piece of stem wire through the toy as shown in the picture. The wire goes easier through the seam of the toy.

Bend one end of the wire so that it is V-shaped.

Secure the teddy bear in the foam.

When I secured the teddy bear with just one piece of wire, I noticed that the bear moves from side to side. That’s why I inserted another piece of wire into the toy and then into the foam. This way, my teddy bear couldn’t move around. Thus, if you have a bigger toy, you will probably need to use two pieces of stem wire to secure the toy well and avoid it wiggling.

Note: Some stuffed toys have thick fur and it is very difficult to pierce the wire through the toy. If this is the case, you can secure the toy to the foam using a different method. I will talk about this method in the project “SpongeBob Bouquet”. Step 8. Secure the teddy bears to the foam base back to back.

Note: If there is a little gap between teddy bears through which you can see the wire attached, don’t worry. You will disguise it with pieces of cellophane or tissue paper later (see step 11).

Step 9. Cover the handle with tissue paper or ribbon (satin ribbon works well). Cut a piece of ribbon. Glue one end at the top of the handle (I used hot glue). Start wrapping ribbon around the handle on an angle, gluing it to the handle in a couple of places as you work your way down.

Note: To prevent cut ribbon from fraying, apply a little bit of clear nail polish to the edge of the ribbon or use a candle. Hold the ribbon as far above the candle as you can while still reaching the heat from the flame. The edges of the ribbon directly above the flame will melt slightly. Be careful, your fingers can get hot. Step 10. Cut red and pink cellophane or tissue paper into squares (6”x6” in this example). The bigger the toys you are using, the bigger the tissue paper squares that you need. Attach cellophane or tissue paper squares to toothpicks or pieces of wooden skewers with Scotch or floral tape. See instructions on how to do this in the beginning of this book.

Step 11. Insert these cello or tissue paper pieces into the foam base. First, put them between the teddy bears and then place them into the side of the foam base. You will need to cover the foam base completely.

Step 12. You can glue some cello or tissue paper pieces to the bottom of the foam base as well. Take a cello or tissue paper square, form a cone with your hands and staple it as shown in the picture below. Hot glue these pieces to the bottom of the foam base.

Step 13. Tie a beautiful bow at the top of the handle. You can use solid colored narrow ribbon.

You can use wide organza or satin ribbon of one or two colors (pink and red in this example).

Note: You can use wired ribbon too as it is easier to shape. It is more expensive though. YOU CAN STOP HERE. YOU HAVE YOUR TOY BOUQUET. OR YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SKIP STEP 13 AND GO TO STEP 14. Step 14. Take a piece of pink organza or tulle (45 inches x 39 inches in this example). You can buy it at Joann fabric and craft store if you live in the USA.

Fold it in half, long side to long side. Wrap it around the bouquet and secure it with a piece of narrow ribbon.

Step 15. I used soft fabric and it kept on sliding down. To prevent this from happening, I secured the top part of fabric from the inside in 4-5 places to the cello pieces with a dab of hot glue (you can also use a small stapler instead of a glue gun). Then, I decorated these places (to hide glue spots or staples) with embellishments described in step 17.

The fabric may slide down the handle of the bouquet as well. To stop this, secure the fabric to the handle from the inside (where you tied a piece of narrow ribbon in step 14) with a little bit of hot glue. Step 16. Tie a bow at the top of the handle.

Step 17. Decorate the top part of the fabric wrap with some embellishments. You can make small bows out of narrow ribbon (5/8” or 16 mm in this example) and then sew or hot glue them to the fabric wrap.

Note: To achieve an interesting visual effect, you can make a fold in a place where you are planning to attach an embellishment, and then glue the embellishment there.

You can secure small ribbon roses to the fabric wrap. You can make them yourself or buy ready-to-use roses.

You can also attach some beads.

The height of this toy bouquet is 20 inches. The width of this bouquet is 11 inches.

TEDDY BEAR AND CANDY BOUQUET

You can arrange a bouquet using only plush toys, or you can add some candy. Here is a modification of the previous Teddy Bear Bouquet. You will need: one teddy bear stuffed toy, Lindt chocolate truffles (in red wrappers), Styrofoam or floral foam, red and pink cellophane or tissue paper, a big piece of pink organza or tulle, some decorative elements (small ribbon roses), 16 gauge stem wire, Scotch tape, toothpicks or wooden skewers, red satin ribbon, a hot glue gun with a glue stick, thread and needle, and scissors. Repeat steps 2 - 7 from the project Teddy Bear Bouquet. I used one medium sized teddy bear for this bouquet.

Step 8. Prepare Lindt chocolate truffle balls in red wrappers, wooden skewers, red cellophane or tissue paper, narrow Scotch or floral tape, and wire cutters. Cut cellophane or tissue paper into 4” x 4” squares. Note: You can use any Valentines themed candy, for example, KitKat snack size candy bars.

Step 9. a) Cut wooden skewers into small pieces with wire cutters. Using Scotch or floral tape, secure chocolate balls to pieces of wooden skewers. Cut a piece of Scotch tape or floral tape (pull on it slightly to make it tacky). Take a chocolate piece and twist the loose part of the candy wrapper tight. Place the twisted end of the wrapper alongside the wooden skewer. Then put the tape around them. Tightly build up the tape at the base of the candy and then work down the stick.

b) Take a piece of cellophane or tissue paper and carefully poke the stick through the center. Alternatively, fold the cellophane square in half, fold it in half again across the first fold and cut the tip off of the corner. You will end up with a small hole in the center of your unfolded cellophane or tissue paper piece.

Pull the cellophane or tissue paper into a cone shape and secure it to the stick with a piece of narrow Scotch or floral tape.

Step 10. Insert ‘candy flowers’ along the top edge of the foam disc, spreading them out evenly.

Step 11. Cut red and pink cellophane or tissue paper into squares (4”x4” in this example).

Attach the cellophane or tissue paper squares to toothpicks or pieces of wooden skewers with Scotch tape or floral tape.

Step 12. Insert these cello or tissue paper pieces into the foam between the ‘candy flowers’ and behind the teddy bear. You should not see the top of the foam base.

Step 13. In this step, you can go two ways. 1) Make more ‘candy flowers and insert them all around the side of the foam base. Then, fill in the gaps between the ‘candy flowers’ with pieces of cellophane or tissue paper.

2) Cover the side of the foam base with cello or tissue paper, but don’t use more candy. If you are on a tight budget, choose the second option as you will need less candy. Repeat steps 14 – 17 from the project Teddy Bear Bouquet.

Variation of the bouquet

If you use a white teddy bear with a red heart, Raffaello candy pieces or KitKat snack size candy bars will go well with the white teddy bear.

SPONGEBOB BOUQUET

You will need: a SpongeBob plush toy, Butterfinger fun size candy bars, Styrofoam or floral foam, yellow cellophane or tissue paper, a big piece of yellow organza or tulle, some decorative elements (faux pearl plastic beads and/or small ribbon bows), 16 gauge stem wire, Scotch tape, toothpicks or wooden skewers, yellow and brown ribbon, a hot glue gun with a glue stick, thread and needle, and scissors. Repeat steps 2 - 6 from the project Teddy Bear Bouquet In this example, the foam disc is 4.5” in diameter and 2” thick.

Step 7. Secure the SpongeBob toy on to the foam. a) Prepare 16 gauge stem wire and yellow tissue paper or crepe paper. Cut a narrow strip (if you use crepe paper, cut the strips in the direction that the paper stretches so you can stretch the strips). Wrap a piece of stem wire with this paper strip, applying a dab of hot glue where you start and again where you finish.

b) Bend the wire into a V-shape or U-shape.

c) With a needle and thread, secure the wire to the back of the SpongeBob toy in 3 places.

d) Secure the SpongeBob toy to the foam.

Step 8. Prepare Butterfinger fun size candy bars. (You can use any candy pieces that have yellow wrappers). Using a low temperature glue gun and a glue stick, squeeze glue on to a piece of a skewer where a candy bar will be attached. Attach the stick to the back of the candy bar. Hold it there for a few seconds to let the glue cool until the candy piece is secure. Then, apply clear packing tape over it. Note: For a more professional look, you can glue the stick under the flap on the back of the candy bar to hide it.

Step 9. Insert candy pieces along the top edge of the foam disc, spreading them out evenly.

Step 10. Cut yellow cellophane or tissue paper into squares (5”x5” in this example). Attach cellophane or tissue paper squares to toothpicks or pieces of wooden skewers with Scotch or floral tape.

Step 11. Insert these cello or tissue paper pieces in the foam between the candy pieces and behind the SpongeBob. You should not see the top of the foam base.

Step 12. Cover the side of the foam base with cello or tissue paper pieces.

You can glue some cello or tissue paper pieces to the bottom of the foam base as well. Take a cello or tissue paper square, form a cone with your hands and staple it as shown in the picture below. Hot glue these pieces to the bottom of the foam base.

Step 13. Do not forget to cover the handle with yellow tissue paper or yellow / brown ribbon (satin ribbon works well). Repeat steps 14 – 17 from the project Teddy Bear Bouquet. You can wrap the bouquet in two pieces of fabric: light yellow and dark yellow. Or, you can wrap the bouquet in yellow organza or tulle, and then make and secure a trim out of a different shade of yellow or brown or blue (goes well with Butterfinger candy bar wrappers). The height of this toy bouquet is 15 inches. The width of this bouquet is 9 inches.

(In this example, 1/2” narrow satin ribbon was used).

As you see, you can make a bouquet with any stuffed toy. When you decide on a toy, choose candy pieces or fun size candy bars whose wrappers go well with the color of the toy. Then, buy tissue paper / cellophane of an appropriate color. Finally, buy ribbon and embellishments that will go well with the color scheme of your bouquet. These toy and candy bouquets don’t stand by themselves. For an additional fee, you can include a clear vase that is not visible under the wrap of the bouquet.

(In this example, the height of the vase is 8 inches; the diameter is 2 inches).

SUPPLIERS LIST

You can buy small teddy bears and other stuffed animals for a reasonable price on the following sites: 1) http://factorydirectcraft.com 2) http://www.orientaltrading.com If you know of some other great resources, please email me and I will update this list.

TIPS TO MAKE PLUSH TOY BOUQUETS

Tip 1. If you use small or medium sized plush toys, a bouquet looks good with 3, 5, or more toys. 4” or 5” small stuffed animals are great for toy bouquets. Tip 2. Before wrapping a toy bouquet or candy bouquet in organza or tulle, you can wrap the bouquet in stiff crepe paper. It will make a good base for your bouquet. a) Cut a piece of crepe paper and glue its ends together to create a cylinder; the

diameter should be the same as the diameter of the bouquet. Stretch the top and bottom edge of the cylinder wrap so it looks “wavy.”

b) Put the bouquet inside the crepe paper wrap; wrap curling ribbon around the handle of the bouquet to secure the wrap. For more security, you can even apply a little bit of hot glue inside the wrap so that it will not slide down the handle of the bouquet. Bend the top of the crepe paper wrap out and downwards a little.

Tip 3. You can position toys back to back like in the Teddy Bear Bouquet in the beginning of the book. You can arrange toys with their feet to the center. In this bouquet, they wrap the bouquet in strong crepe paper. Then, they wrap it in orange organza. After that, they make a trim out of another piece of orange organza. They did not use cello or tissue paper in this bouquet.

(This Graduation toy bouquet was found on this site - http://www.thegiftboutique.com.au)

You can secure a bigger plush toy in the center and small toys all around it.

View from top

View from side

(This Graduation toy bouquet was found at: http://www.thegiftboutique.com.au)

Tip 4. If you use small toys ( 3 inch or 4 inch plush toys), you can make a festive bouquet with 10 - 20 toys.

Tip 5. You can wrap your bouquet in organza with faux fur trim.

Tip 6. For an elegant touch, you can add ribbon roses or silk roses to your bouquet.

In the elegant pink toy bouquet below, silk flowers are used. The author of this bouquet wrapped it in pink organza. With another piece of pink organza, she made a trim. She gathered and secured the trim in several places, dividing it into segments. She attached faux pearl beads in those places.

Tip 7. You can arrange toy bouquets in baskets.

SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF TOY BOUQUETS

If you want to quickly and easily learn how to make CANDY BOUQUETS either to start your own business or just to be able to make amazing memorable gifts for any occasion, check out my valuable “illustrated” step-by-step guides "How to make beautiful candy bouquets for fun and profit" and "Candy bouquet designs"