You will need-

• Thick Mulberry Paper (NOT the thin tissue kind)
• Paintbrush and Sharp Pencil
• Water
• Mulberry Tear Bear Template
• Fluffing Brush
• Grooming Brush
• Chalks, if using
• Tear Bear Eyes and Noses
• Thin Black Pen, Opaque White Pen
• Tacky Adhesive Glue
• Piercing Tool, Pointed tweezers

Step 1-

Lay your thick mulberry paper rough side down on your table.   Make sure that the smooth side is uppermost. 

Place one peiece of your Mulberry Tear Bear Pattern (i.e. Head, paw, etc.) on top of your paper and trace around it with a sharp pencil.  Repeat this  for each individual piece.  REMEMBER to leave enough room around each peice so that you can easily tear out the shapes!

Step 2-

Once you have drawn around each pattern piece (remember to draw around the ears, paws, legs, arms and feet twice if you are making a full-body bear!) you can then start wetting the paper. 

Using your paintbrush dipped in the water, trace round each pencil outline you have drawn.  If you used a SHARP pencil in step 1, it will have "scored" the paper slightly, allowing the water to follow your line easier.

Work on a few body parts at a time- for example, the head, snout and body- this will allow the water to soak into the paper better and allow for easier tearing.

Step 3-

Once a few of your pieces have been traced around with your wet paintbrush and left to soak in for a minute, you are now ready to start tearing your bear! 

Using your finger and thumb, hold your pattern piece firmly near the edge.  Then using your other hand, gently pull the paper outwards and away from the pattern piece.  If the paper is wet enough (but not too wet!), it should come away easily, leaving a feathered, fluffy edge around your pattern piece.  Repeat with each piece until you have torn them all out.

Step 4-

VERY IMPORTANT! Please leave all your pieces to dry thoroughly before fluffing them- otherwise you will pull out too much of the fibres.

Once dry, take your Mulberry Tear Bear Fluffing Brush and choose your first piece to fluff- if its your first attempt, start with a large body part, such as the body or head as it will be a bit less fiddly.  Holding the piece firmly, start gently moving the brush in a circular movement over the rough, front side of the Mulberry Paper. 

Continue to do this all over the piece until you have 'roughed up' the fibres of the paper.  Don't be too heavy handed or you'll pull out too many of the fibres and your little bear will look as though he has mange! 

Again, do this with each piece until you have them all fluffed up. Please be careful when using the Fluffing Brush on the small pieces due to the sharp bristles.  It is a good idea to hold the small pieces with a piercing tool or pointed tweezers to save your fingers! 

Step 5-

Now, take your Mulberry Tear Bear Grooming Brush and lightly brush over the pieces to tame the newly made 'fur' and smooth it over. 

* * *

If you plan to use chalks to add dimension to your tear bear, then do so now before you assemble the pieces.  Chalk around the edges of each piece using a shade of chalk slightly darker than your paper.  You are now ready to assemble your little tear bear!  

Step 6-

Starting with making Mulberry's little head, place the snout onto the head at the bottom- do not glue it on at this stage, but use it as a guide to see where you want to place the eyes.  Glue the eyes on first, then glue the snout on TOP of the eyes, covering just the bottom of them. 

Now glue the ears on behind the head.  Glue on the Mulberry Tear Bear Nose to the top of the snout and then draw on a little white line across the top of the nose with your Opaque White Pen.  Also with this pen, put a little dot at the top of each eye to give him a little 'twinkle' in his eye!  Use your Fine Tipped Black Pen to draw on eyebrows and a mouth, as well as three dots on each cheek. 

If you like, make him blush by dabbing on some pink chalk to his cheeks before adding his whisker dots! There you have your first little Mulberry Tear Bear head!  Give him a final brush over with the Mulberry Tear Bear Grooming Brush to tidy him up a bit!

Step 7-

If you are making a little "Peek-a-boo" style tear bear, then all you will need to do now is chalk around your paws and add your Mulberry Bear to your project!  Sit his head on at an angle for best effect, with his paws, 'hanging on' to the top of your mount, page, or photo, etc.

If you are making a full size Mulberry Tear Bear, then you will need to chalk all the other body parts (if using chalks) and them assemble the parts to get the pose you require.  Check out our examples throughout the site to get some ideas on how to pose your bears, or make up your own poses!!! 

Step 8-

Now that you have made your first Mulberry Tear Bear, why not get accessorising! 

Take a look in our shop at our Tear Bear Accessories where you can dress your new little friends in hats, dresses, give them bows in their hair or flowers to hold and more...!