Traditional stuffed toys are soft toys made by cutting fabric into shaped pieces, sewing them together, and stuffing them with cotton wool, straw, kapok, or wool. The oldest continuous soft-toy traditions predate the modern mass-market teddy bear by decades or centuries. Traditional plush pieces are usually made from mohair, wool felt, natural cotton, or leather rather than synthetic fibres.
Where the modern industrial stuffed toy is made in cut-and-sew production lines, traditional stuffed toys are hand-assembled by named workshops with their own patterns, stuffing techniques and finishing methods. Many pieces are jointed — arms and legs move independently — using a traditional cotter-pin or thread joint. The pieces are heavier, denser, and more expressive than their factory counterparts.
Explore this craft by country
Each country page describes how this tradition is practised there — its own names, materials, workshops and living makers.