Fondant Teddy Bear - Attempt #1

I wanted to try to make a fondant teddy bear. I had no instructions or how-to and had never made one before, so this was going to be a challenge. There are a few changes I'd make on my next trial, these I will list at the end.

Before I started, I coloured my fondant in an ivory colour, I kept some white back for the eyes, sources a tiny piece of red and a little black.

Step #1: The body

• I rolled a large ball of my main colour, ensuring that any creases were rolled out. 
• Then I shaped a cone
• Next, I made an indent about half way up, in the front, to simulate a 'pot belly' of a snugly teddy bear.
• Place this one a piece of grease proof paper

Step #2: The legs

• Still using your main colour, roll a fat sausage and cut in half. This will now make both legs.
• I am unable to give a definitive size and the proportions of your own bear is all personal preference.
• Leaving the 'feet' as a larger ball on the end, hand roll your sausage until the leg itself becomes thinner and the size you'd like for your own bear
• Once I rolled the legs in proportion to the feet, I stood them upright and tapped them on the surface a little, to make flat bottoms on the feet.
• I then cut angles in he leg portion, so each piece would it into the side of the bears body and not bulge out the sides.

Step #4: Affix legs to body

• I fixed teddy's legs to the side, using a dab of water as my glue.
• Once secured, I turned his little feet inward a little.

Step #5: The arms

• Still in main colour, I rolled a skinnier sausage shape to the length I needed then cut it in half to make two arms
• I made indents on the uncut end to make a sort of 'thumb'
• I then cut angles in the other end so it will not bulge on the body.
• Using water as my glue, I stuck them on 

Step #6: His head and face

• Using my main colour, I rolled a smaller ball 
• Using some white fondant I rolled out an oval shape and flattened it with a rolling pin.
• Fix to the head with a little water
• Using a veining tool, I pressed a line down the centre of his 'muzzle' 
• With a scallop tool, I pressed him in a little smile.
• Using a ball tool, I made an indent where I wanted his not to be
• I rolled a tiny piece of black fondant into a ball, shaped it into a small oval and fixed it into the indent I have made with the ball tool
• Again, using a small ball tool, I made indents where I wanted his eyes to go.
• I rolled two smaller balls of black fondant and fixed these into the indents for the eyes
• Insert a cocktail stick into his body
• Place the head on this stick with a dab of water for glue.

Step #7: Ears, face detail and highlights

For the ears:

• I rolled, using main colour, an oval and flattened with a rolling pin
• I did the same again with a white piece of fondant, only smaller
• Fix the white onto the main colour piece.
• Cut in half
• Crease the cut end and fold the bottom only, in half
• Using a ball tool, I made indents in his head where I wanted his ears to be
• Fix on ears

Before I continued, I went around my bear and, using my flattened veining tool, smoothed over each joint to mould the piece to the next so there's no definite seam in the fondant.

I also 'poked' him a little belly button using a small ball tool.

For the eye highlights:

• I rolled two minute balls of white and stuck them onto the black eyes
• I pressed on gently with a flat tool then poked a tiny little hole through to the black,

For the eyebrows:

• These were an absolute nightmare because they're so small.
• I rolled such a skinny sausage shape the fondant almost broke.
• Cut in half and affix above his eyes.

Soles of his feet and toes:

• Roll out two balls of white fondant and flatten
• Fix to the soles of his feet
• Using a toothpick, make three indents on the top of his feet to simulate toes

Step #8: 

• Using my comb tool I went around him pressing in some 'stitching' detail in the following places:
• Up the middle of the front of his body
• Same around he back
• Up the middle of the back of his head
• Down the outsides of both arms
• Down both sides of his legs
• I also added a tiny love heart using red fondant

Changes I plan for my next try:

1. I'm thinking a darker main colour
2. Purchase a quilting tool for the fake stitching
3. Do the fake stitching before I put body parts on
4. Find a better way to do the eyebrows
5. Try not to make him look like he almost has a 'mono-brow'
6. Place whites of eyes on the black before I fix them on
7. Sort out them thumbs
8. Change the way I make his years and fix them on

Check out my "How to" guides for future attempts and efforts

If you can suggest anything else for improvements, please leave me a message below

Usually I'd place this on my Instructables too, but I want to perfect the process before I do