History of Crochet Bears

How to Custom Order YourTeddy Bear

Choose the size of the teddy bear
Choose the type of yarn (The yarn page explains the type of yarn used for each size bear)
Choose your color or colors that are under the type of yarn on the yarn page
Then go to the order page and place your order

If you can't decide on the size or color of your bear, click on the Pre-made Bear Catalogue for samples of sizes and colors

History of the Teddy Bear

It is hard to imagine growing up without a teddy bear. He was your protector, your best friend and your confidant. You received a teddy bear gift as a child, and still get them today for every occasion. But how did dear Teddy first win the hearts of children and adults all over the world? Where did he come from?

Reddy Bear Family Though many dispute the origins of our best childhood pal, Teddy's name comes from Theodore Roosevelt who, in 1902, spared the life of the real teddy bear while mediating a border dispute between Louisiana and Mississippi. During his stay, his hosts took Roosevelt on a hunting trip where the game was particularly poor. Another hunter captured a bear and tied it to a tree for Roosevelt to shoot. Roosevelt could not stand the thought of harming his little teddy bear friend and refused to shoot the bear. Not long after this, a cartoon appeared in the Washington Post depicting Roosevelt's mercy and “Teddy's Bear.”

The American public was enthralled with the story of their president and the cartoon was reprinted several times making the President's teddy bear friend a symbol of hope. Not long after the cartoon appeared, novelty storeowners Morris and Rose Michtom created a teddy bear gift in honor of the president. This was the first American version of the cute teddy bear. Unlike previous toy bears, this personalized teddy bear was sitting upright and had a sweet, affectionate expression. The teddy bear friend became an overnight success and was indoctrinated into the American Culture.

Around the same time in Germany, art student Richard Steiff was working for his aunt in her stuffed toy business. While the Michtom's were in America creating the cute teddy bear prototype, Steiff was making his own teddy bear friend for his aunt's business. This stuffed teddy bear was less cuddly looking with a rounded back and elongated snout, but it was also sitting upright and retained an endearing quality reminiscent of the cute teddy bear. Europeans did not seem as enthralled with this teddy bear gift , but an American toy buyer saw the stuffed teddy bear and bought 3,000 of them to bring back to the states.

By this time, Americans were overcome by teddy bear fever. Americans loved the concept of the stuffed teddy bear and he was well on his way to iconic status. Roosevelt used his personalized teddy bear as the mascot for his presidential reelection and a series of children's books called “The Roosevelt Bears.” American composer J.K Bratton further indoctrinated Teddy into our hearts with the much-loved song “The Teddy Bear's Picnic,” which inspired a book, records and teddy bear gifts.

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With the growing popularity came room for experimentation. Now called Teddy Bear by both American and German manufacturers, stuffed teddy bears were being created in a countless array of colors and designs. Personalized teddy bears, teddy bear gifts, stuffed teddy bears, pink teddy bears, blue teddy bears, cute teddy bears in clothes and teddy bears with hats. There was no limit to the marketing of a new and improved teddy bear friend. The competition also became stiff with the popularity of personalized teddy bears and soon multiple toy companies wanted in on the action. The most impressive of these was Gund Manufacturing Corporation who began making teddy bear gifts in abundance. This was one of the few companies to succeed in selling stuffed teddy bears and is still selling them today, one hundred years later.

Through World War I, the stuffed teddy bear continued to reign as America's most loved toy. Mass production had not yet become standard practice and most stuffed teddy bears were high quality and hand made. The war did effect the German export of bears, thus spurring more American companies to crop up for a piece of the teddy bear gift pie.

The demand for teddy bear gifts decreased rapidly during the depression of 1929, when American companies were forced to find cheaper ways to manufacture the personalized teddy bears or risk going out of business. Then in 1939, during World War II, many of the manufacturers and workers were recruited for the war effort, effectively putting the production of cute teddy bears to a halt.

From WWII to the 1970's, the cute teddy bear was forced into mass production. Eastern Asian companies were able to import the teddy bear gifts into the country for far less than Americans could supply them. These bears were cheaper, made of synthetic fibers and of less quality than the original cute teddy bear. At this point, teddy bear popularity went down and the teddy bear friend that had once been so beloved faded into near obscurity.

It wasn't until the 1970's that the personalized teddy bear made his comeback in full force. His rebirth was due to English actor Peter Bull announcing on television his love for his personalized teddy bear. The public agreed and sent over 2000 letters to Bull confessing their love for their teddy bear friends. He then wrote a book entitled “Bear With Me” in which he discussed nothing but his teddy bear friend.

Since that time, the teddy bear friend, or personalized teddy bear, been both a nostalgic reminder of childhood and a collector's item. Appearing in doll shows all over the world and spawning countless websites, the stuffed teddy bears of modern culture still maintain the upright posture and cute teddy bear face of the original.

Today, children and adults alike appreciate a teddy bear gift. There are stores dedicated to create personalized teddy bears for everyone in the family. Coming a long way from the Teddy's Bear, this bear is here to stay.

Butler's Bears are handmade crochet teddy bears guaranteed to become your best friend in the whole wide world. These crochet bears are handmade and you can customize your crochet bear with hundreds of yarn combinations. This stuffed teddy bear is sure to be handed down for generations. The perfect gift, a Butler's Crochet Bear will bring years of joy.

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