Reviving a Friend

Sunday is International Teddy Bear Picnic Day. I don't have a teddy bear... I did, once upon a time, but he evaporated one day in the wash and was no more. 

My kids were into Webkinz when they were little, and would decide that I needed my own stuffed critter every once in awhile. One of my little stuffed buddies is Schnurgle. 

Schnurgle is a little koala with a huge attitude. He's visited with hundreds of preschoolers, been with me through multiple hospital visits, and is very much a tiny fluffy part of our family. And over the past dozen or so years, he's become rather bedraggled. With a hole in his neck, his stuffing compacted to where he was only half-stuffed, and his fur beyond recognition he looked nothing at all like he did when he was new. I ran across a random video on Pinterest claiming that a simple metal dog brush could reinvigorate matted stuffed animal fur, and decided to give it a try.  

It took me several hours of vigorous brushing, restuffing, and stitching. With my arthritis this took three days, but sure enough my little stuffed friend is now soft and huggable again. I feel as if I could probably brush him just a bit longer to make him even softer, but am happy with where he's at now.

Now that I know it works, I plan to re-fluff the stuffed bunny my son has had since he was two. In the meantime, little Schnurgle is ever so pleased to be soft and fresh again! 

If you've an old stuffed animal in need of a little TLC, I can now wholeheartedly recommend this!  

A cheap dog brush. Who knew?