To make dolls and stuffed animals yourself, you need to start by getting the necessary tools and supplies. In this article, I will tell you my favourite places (none of them are sponsoring me) to buy fabric, thread, elements, etc. Do not hesitate to watch the video at the bottom of the page, in which I gathered good finds.

Buttinette: original fabrics, very beautiful, soft, and at a reasonable price. It is the first shop I visit when shopping for plush making supplies. If you are looking for faux animal skins (giraffe, leopard, cow, etc.), this is the right place! I made the teddy bear’s paws with high quality faux suede from that store. However, the long-haired furs I have tried were not as soft as I wished. The fabric and thread sets are affordable and a must. There, you can also find very useful tools and wide range of stuffings. The shipping costs are a little bit high, so I would recommend to buy in bulk to get free shipping.

MaPetiteMercerie: a wide variety of very soft high-quality fabrics (Oeko-Tex® certified). The fabric is sold per 10 cm by 150cm, which allows you to order the desired quantity, and the price is very affordable. It is perfect for small creations, especially if you do not wish to have remnants that you may not want to reuse. I made the Halloween pumpkins with two pieces of fabric from that store: one orange and the other meadow green. The ‘Délice’ furs are some of my favourites! The customer service is very responsive. This is a very good store for furs and jersey fabrics.

GlassEyesOnLine: there is no better online store to order glass eyes. It is a small family-owned business based in the United States, who specialises in handcrafted facial elements for stuffed animals and dolls. They also sell snouts and joints, but I have only tried the eyes so far. You can buy them individually or by pairs. The quality is exceptional, especially for the glistening ones. They are perfect if you want your stuffed animal to have eyes that shine. The store also sells elements specifically made for stuffed cats, koalas, or even dinosaurs! They deliver worldwide.

eBay, Etsy, Amazon, and AliExpress are all platforms where independent sellers are gathered. This means you can find anything, and at various prices, but usually cheaper than anywhere else because there is no intermediary between you and the manufacturer. On the first two platforms, I buy very good embroidery patches (see photo gallery). However, be careful not to be mislead, especially on Etsy, because many occidental sellers offer the same articles you can find on AliExpress, but at 5 times the price. As for AliExpress, you can find a lot of very good deals there! If you are looking for long-haired faux fur, that is where you should order it. I used one for the fur of my teddy bear, for which I made a tutorial. The website offers excellent quality short-haired, corduroy, or even raised fabrics. There are also supplies to make beautiful wigs for dolls, tools, accessories to make your own pom-pom balls, joints to articulate your creations, etc. Many brands of DIY kits are available on Amazon. My advice would be to always read customer reviews carefully (especially those with photos and natural light).

Specialised stores are often small, but their range of products is that much more interesting and, despite what you might think, they are usually less expensive than bigger non-specialised stores. They offer a wide range of supplies for all kinds of hobbies, as well as informed advice. Lastly, I would recommend non-specialised stores as well. You can find good deals in stores that sell a little bit of everything. They often have a dedicated aisle for crafts, with mini kits or haberdashery. It is mostly about finding the interesting little “extras” that will be a nice addition to your toolkit.

Here below a video in which I gathered good finds.

Ideas – tedDIYbear

WHERE TO FIND AFFORDABLE PLUSH MAKING SUPPLIES

BASIC TOOLS FOR THE MAKING OF STUFFED ANIMALS