While there are a lot of clothing options to choose from in the store, you can make Build-A-Bear clothes yourself for a lot less money using any fabrics you want. There are many patterns to choose from for 18-inch dolls, but you can create and sew your own pattern with very little trouble.

Lay your bear on its back over a sheet of printer paper. Starting at the shoulder, trace around each arm, up the armpit, and down to the waist.

Remove the bear and draw a slight scoop on the paper to create the neckline and arm holes. Draw a line across the waist area to form the bottom of the shirt pattern.

Cut out the pattern along your drawn lines. Place the pattern over a piece of fabric and cut out the fabric around the pattern, allowing about ¼-inch extra fabric all the way around. Cut out a second piece of the same fabric using the same pattern.

Pair your two fabric pieces with the outsides facing in and pin along the edges. Sew a ¼-inch seam along the edges of the pattern, leaving open the neck, waist, and arm holes.

Fold each of the open edges over by ½ inch to create a hem. Sew the hem down around the edges of each opening. Turn the shirt right side out and put it on the bear.

Create trousers or a dress for each animal following the same process for tracing the stuffed toy’s actual size to make a pattern and cutting out two pieces of fabric for each pattern. Sew the sides and hem the open edges needed for dressing the animal.