Meet Benedict Bear! He's a sweetly rumpled bear with a party hat and a juice box. He'd make a great birthday gift for a friend - or a cute decoration to use at every party celebration in your family.

Why a juice box? I was casting around for party accessory ideas and I asked Jo what she could remember from all the birthday parties she’s been to. Her immediate answer? Juice boxes!  What a funny answer! But I realized that we never buy juice boxes for everyday, and neither do any of her friends. They’re a special event kind of thing! So Benedict gets a juice box. :-)

You Get. . .

• A digital pattern delivered by email. (If you're not sure what a PDF pattern is, you'll find more info here.) Print the pattern pages directly onto freezer paper or Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy!
• Full-sized pattern pieces for Benedict, his coat, pants, party hat, and juice box. No need to enlarge anything!
• A 17-page pattern loaded with full-color step-by-step photos and very clear instructions. You’ll never feel lost or wonder if you’re doing things right.
• Links to videos teaching you all the techniques you need to know to complete the project. You can totally make this!

Size

8 inches tall.

Difficulty

Easy! Much easier than it looks, and totally appropriate for beginners. It uses simple stitches and the pattern includes links to videos showing you how to do all of them. Benedict the bear softie pattern is really perfect for portable work – or handwork while you watch TV. 

You'll need. . .

• 1 sheet of felt for Benedict (I used Tahitian Sunset plus a tiny scrap of Black for his nose. You can buy the lovely wool-blend felt I use here.)
• 1 sheet of felt for his coat (I used Evergreen)
• smaller pieces of felt for the pants, juice box, and hat (I used Enchanted Forest, Yellow, and Strawberry Dream)
• embroidery thread to match the felt (I used DMC #3858, 310, 500, 444, 326, white, and 2 skeins of 320)
• 2 4.5mm safety eyes
• polyfill stuffing (I like Soft Touch Poly­fil Supreme Fiberfill)
• 4 3/8″ clear buttons for joints
• 3 3/8" black buttons for coat
• 1 1/2" piece of 16 gauge white-coated wire
• 8 American pennies (or similar size coin or washer)

You might also want. . .

• freezer paper (optional, but recommended)
• Sulky Sticky Fabri­-solvy (AKA The Magical Embroidery Stuff – optional, but recommended)
• size #8 embroidery needle
• Thread Magic