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Repairing Plush Dog Toys

Posted by Kathleen under Pets
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Disaster strikes!

Remove all of the stuffing from the toy and set aside, wash the outer cover

How to do an overcast stitch

After the out part of the toy is clean, dry, and mostly mended, replace the stuffing

You can get new squeakers online or at most pet stores

Sew the final hole closed with an overcast stitch

This is 5 days after the repair!

Have you ever come home to the murder of a plush dog toy? It’s awful; stuffing everywhere, pieces of squeaker lying on the floor, a fleece corpse in your dog’s mouth. Several things will run through your head. The first to go through mine is “I paid $15 for that pile of stuffing!”

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Repairing a toy that has a few holes ripped in it is not hard to do. (If it is in several thousand pieces you are on your own) You have the chance to make it better than it was before by adding more squeakers and reinforcing the seams. You will be adding less waste to our landfills. AND you save money. What fantastic incentives! Here are a few tips on repairing a plush dog toy:

What you will need:

  • Needle and heavy duty thread
  • Extra stuffing if some has gone missing (aka - snack)
  • Replacement squeakers

How to repair your dog toy:

  1. First remove all of the stuffing from the toy.
  2. If it will hold up in the washing machine, throw it in with your next load. If not, at least give it a hand washing.
  3. When the toy is dry, turn it inside out and stitch closed any small holes. Look for weak spots in the seam and reinforce the area as a preventative measure.
  4. Use a single knotted thread, and work from right to left. Insert the needle from the underside. Pull the thread through to the knot, and insert the needle from the wrong side again. Make small stitches, and sew over previous stitches. (fyi - this is an overcast stitch)
  5. Your stitch is going to look messy, but don’t worry. The more back and forth you do the stronger the seam will be.
  6. Leave one hole open, or part of a hole open. Turn the toy right side out again. Fill the toy with the stuffing and several new squeakers.
  7. Sew the remaining hole closed, using the same technique.

Additional tips:

  • If you’ve got too much thread to work with it’ll just get tangled up! Use shorter pieces, about the length of your arm.
  • Is the toy beyond repair? Try making a Fleece Dog Rope to replace it. It is sturdy and inexpensive to make.
  • The heavier the thread the better. If you have a light thread you will just need to use more of it.

Try not to get discouraged if your puppy rips it up again. Five days after I repaired this plush, Basil ripped a new hole in his crotch. I resewed it (again) and it has been going strong for over 2 weeks now!

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