Reuse: How To Make A Doorstop or Bookend Out Of A Stuffed Animal

When I was pregnant with Maddie I bought a Max The Bunny stuffed animal and pretty much every Rosemary Wells Max the Bunny book I could get my hands on. I was pretty much convinced Maddie was a boy when I was pregnant and we'd decided to name him Max.

I believed she was a boy mostly because I wanted a girl very badly and back then I had a belief that what I wanted would never happen.

When Maddie was born, well, we had a lot of Max stuff laying around.

About two years later, Max arrived and the Max the Bunny stuff became more meaningful again. Except, it seems like Max always knew we didn't buy the Max Bunny for him specifically, it was more for the idea of him that turned out to be Maddie.

So he never took a strong liking to the bunny I thought should be his comfort object.

I have a strong loathing of stuffed animals. They are promiscuous little things that sit around and multiply. Every year I have the kids do a one-for-one clear out of their stuffed animal baskets. They get one, they put one in the pile to give away.

Max the Bunny always ends up in the Give Away pile but somehow sneakily makes it back in the house. I can't get rid of Max the Bunny. He's not Max's comfort object but he's mine.

So I decided to put him to work. Max's door doesn't stay open, we called the landlord about it but he said to use Common Sense and stand in front of the door to keep it open. (Kidding. Didn't call him! But wanted to!)

I read an idea in Real Simple and decided to try it out. I transformed Max the Bunny from a good for nothing stuffed animal who lays around all day reproducing and collecting dust. Into a door stop (or a bookend) using dried beans, thread and a needle.

Here is Max The Bunny. (Pardon the light in these pictures. It's winter now, we get 2 hours of daylight a day.)

Here are the pinto beans. I bought a huge bag and I'm not sure what I was thinking.

I used a seam ripper to open up the back of Max. A seam ripper is the thing you use when you screw up your sewing project and undo the stitching you did wrong. Use it with plenty of shits and dammits. (If your kid really loved this stuffed animal, you may want to not have them in the room for the unstuffing.)

Here he is deflated. Poor Max.

Here he is full of beans.

I sewed him up using an invisible stitch I learned in knitting class.

May I get the door for you?

Now Max the bunny has a JOB. Which is more than we can say for the cats.

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Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone! I've been planning what I'd eat since my tonsillectomy. I can't wait to get started!

*I did my best, but the Velveeta Challenge winner was My Wooden Spoon who gave away prizes to get people to vote. I thought about voting for her myself hoping to win the Kitchenaid Appliance of my choice. Oh well. Congratulations to her!

Comments

[Ashley Gailey]

That's a really good idea.

[Michele]

Wow! I love Max!! I still watch "Max & Ruby," sometimes when the kids are not around. I'm going to have to check out our stuffed animal collection and see if anyone is convertible.

[Michele]

Okay, I just went over to My Wooden Spoon to check out the winning recipes. And while I may be biased since I read your blog every day, I thought her recipe looked kind of icky. Let's just say I would make your recipe. Shrimp & Velveeta? Not so much!

[Heather]

Well, I did my part with the Velveeta thing, voted for you and even bought and ate some of the stuff. That was the whole point of the faux contest, recipe thing, no? ;-)

So using this idea, though probably out of sight of my 4yo. It's like a bad version of Build a Bear, but functional and for the price of beans!

Have a great T-day!

[Kelly O]

I took a look at the winning recipe. The word "rubbery" now has it's own visual on the internet! Bleech. Plus, what says Velveeta more than a nacho-esque dish?
PS--I treasure the honesty and good humor of your blog.

[Horrible License Plates]

Dude, can you really bribe people to vote for you? That seems a bit unfair...

[Bridgette]

I think my family is the only family in the world that dispises Max the bunny. My 5 year old starts talking like him - one word at a time... IT KILLS ME! I think it might be therapeutic to rip his little seams out.... but I'm not weird or anything. LOL

[Tricia]

I agree, you should have won. The one that one looked yucky to me. Shrimp and Velveeta?

[Tricia]

The one that won, geez.

[melissaS]

hey guys, let's be nice. She really wanted it and made it happen. Nothing wrong with that.

[Larissa Gaston]

Interesting that My Wooden Spoon won the challenge - the thought of shrimp and Velveeta kinda turns my stomach.

[Larissa Gaston]

I wasn't being nasty, promise.:-) I really just didn't think shrimp and Velveeta sounded very good.

[Amy]

Wow, a prize would not be nearly enough for me to even consider voting for that shrimp recipe. I thought yours was really the best, seriously, and not because I'm a fan.

[brandi]

So hilarious...my husband actually did this last night to keep my son from getting into one of the closets. however, in his version Max the bunny`s neck would be underthe the door keeping it from sliding open...gruesome yes, affective? Most definitely.

[Jake]

The thought of Velveeta with *anything* turns my stomach. If you want cheese, eat CHEESE.

[Jess]

Velveeta is only acceptable with Mexican dishes, everyone knows that! You were robbed! You're still the prettiest though.

[Michael]

She gave away prizes to win the vote? Thanks for letting us know. Maybe it's against the rules somewhere? What a cheat.

[melissaS]

No, not against the rules. She just really wanted to win and used all her resources to encourage people to vote.

It's cool guys. I got paid for my writing for them. I was a little disappointed but no point in demonizing the other recipe.

[A Cowboy's Wife]

Wow...what a way to bring a gal to tears. I wasn't the only one who gave stuff away and I asked before I did it.

It saddens me that people were down talking my recipe before they even tried it. For the record, I hate shrimp but found it quite good. I wanted to create something different and was trying to think outside the box and not go with the obvious mexican casseroles.

People can be so harsh and for no reason.

I appreciate your kind words Melissa. Your recipe was really great and we even made it and all.

[CouryG]

Woo Hoo! I am sooo glad that you hate stuffed animals as much as I do - We do a 2 for 1 swap, they give away 2 and keep 1, every year. I have relatives who swear that I am "ruining" my children's childhoods by not allowing them to keep these dusty, germy, multiplying, dust collectors. So they give them new ones for each birthday, Christmas, Valentines day, Easter, Halloween, and any other occasion. Did I mention my kids are allergic to dust? So this is just a way that my family tortures me.

That is the greatest idea ever, I cannot wait to tear apart my children's animals. And of course stuff them with beans.

[Jessica]

That is one of the greatest ideas EVER! Thanks so much for sharing!

[Jenn @ Juggling Life]

I missed the Velveeta thing, but I love Max-brilliant recycle/reuse idea.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

[Janna]

The shrimp stroganoff thing looked disgusting. I guess I shouldn't say that without having tried it, though I do say "looked."Whereas I appreciate a spirit of adventure in cooking, fish and cheese go together in very particular combinations. Shrimp and Velveeta is not one of said combos.

I voted for you b/c (1)you're recipe would be something I'd actually eat (I'll be honest, I cook a lot but didn't try any of the recipes in the contest...yet?) and (2)I noticed and resented the bribery scheme. I don't think she was the only one. Oh well, let her bask in her purchased glory, at least Obama won. ;)

[Janna]

Oh - I don't have anything her - I just don't think shrimp and velveeta sound good.

[Brea]

Why is she coming here to complain? We're Melissa supporters and are here to do so.
Shrimp and Velveeta is just wrong.
Happy Thanksgiving!