Plush Guide: How to Source & Sell Custom Plushies
We’re so excited you’ve chosen us as your partners in plush! In order to make the process as smooth as possible, we’ve written up this plush guide on how to order your custom stuffed animals with Stuffed Animal Pros!
Here is a helpful video our team created that walks you through the process:
How to create the perfect plushie with Stuffed Animal Pros
The first step in plushification of your design is to place a Bulk Sample Order. You can do that here ! Before you submit your order, however, please follow these tips.
Submit Clear artwork, drawings, or renderings of the plush you want to create.
Nailing down your plushie concept is paramount. Clearly illustrating your design preferences through detailed specifications, such as design files (EPS or PNG), aids our team in bringing your envisioned plushie to life. A front, side, and back image should be provided. If you don’t have other views, please describe your character’s other angles for our design team in the “description” or send additional info to [email protected]
If you have specific colors you’d like featured in your plush, please select them from our palette when placing your order - or reference them in your description.
Size
Does your plush have clothing, collars, specialty fabrics or materials, or accessories we need to include? Please note that. Some items carry an additional fee and it's good to know all the potential costs up front.
Our most popular sizes are mini (6”), small (8”), medium (10”), large (12”) or extra large (16”).
Identifying Features
Your plush can be sitting, standing, or with lightly stuffed legs for a more flexible or floppy plush that can lie down or be propped up for photos.
If you’d like your plush to have plastic safety eyes or plastic nose, please let us know during this process. Some plush will be better suited for these options while others may require embroidery.
Materials
Our standard plush is 3mm plush velboa - to ensure huggability for years to come. We have the option of using longer plush or faux fur if specified. Please specify this to our team. We use a super soft, hypo-allergenic premium polyfill for our stuffing. Choose the eye and nose options best suited for your plush—we offer embroidery or plastic. Please note the use of plastic will lengthen prototype turnaround time by 1 – 2 weeks due to safety test requirements.
Embroidered
Plastic-ABS
We do not use glue or metal or plastics in other areas of plushies due to safety concerns, however, our incredibly skilled artisans are able to bend the limits of plush-physics with the tools at their disposal. Please message us with specific requests.
It's time to get started on your sample!
Once we have your images, your dedicated project manager will work closely with our talented team of plush artists to make sure the design is fully understood by our team. We reference our color palette’s color codes and use very descriptive and specific language to help our design team capture your vision.
If our designers have any questions, we'll make sure to send them your way as quickly as possible to keep the process efficient and on schedule.
Steps in the Sample Process:
The artists in our design studio will create the pattern by hand.
From there, the pattern pieces are matched with the specific color choices we sent to the studio, and each piece is cut by hand.
After the pattern pieces are cut, the hand sewing begins. The seams have to fit perfectly. The smallest variance requires that they start all over.
And after the sewing, the stuffing begins! They check the shape against the photo for accuracy and then put in the final seam.
At the end of that process, we receive these images from the design team. As your project manager, we check it against our instructions and if it passes, we send the images on to you! You can then provide feedback and we can make your revisions if needed!
Artwork Received
Design Created
Design Arranged
Fabrics Chosen
Fabrics Prepared
Design Sewn
Design Stuffed
Ready for Approval
Things to note:
Revisions are welcome, but they do add time. Communication is imperative in this process to minimize delays caused by revisions. Consult with your team before giving feedback on your initial images so we can revise any changes simultaneously.
Once you’re happy with your bulk plush sample, the most cost and time-efficient method is to roll into bulk production straight away. If you choose to approve the sample images via photos, then we will give you a credit of $150 toward the total cost of your bulk order!
If you’d rather have the sample shipped, we can do that too! Our designers make a copy of your pattern and ship the sample out to you to review in person. (This adds a couple of weeks to the process)
Ready for bulk? Let’s talk process!
After the initial bulk sample order is complete and you’re in love with your plush, starting the bulk order is easy. Simply let your dedicated project manager know that you'd like to proceed or email [email protected] with your request.
Once you confirm the size and quantity, we will send you an invoice for your bulk production. A 50% non-refundable deposit on your invoice is required to secure the production materials. The balance of the invoice will be due just prior to shipment.
Upon receipt of your deposit, we initiate production with the same team of artists who created your approved sample. They will order the necessary fabrics and fillings and will provide your project manager with an estimated date of completion.
When your materials arrive, the designers will get started on your PPS (pre-production sample). This is the first official piece of your bulk order created from your approved sample pattern. Our team will carefully check them against the approved sample and send to you for review as well.
After approving your PPS, our designers begin preparing the rest of the material by cutting your custom pattern pieces and organizing them for assembly.
Approximate production times for bulk orders are as follows:
50-99 pieces: 60-75 days
100-250 pieces: 30-60 days
500+ pieces: 40-50 days
When your order is complete, we will send images of the completed order along with a request to reconfirm your shipping address and phone number for our carrier.
Once the balance on your invoice is paid and the information confirmed, our logistics team arranges shipment and provides us with tracking information. If you've selected air shipment, most bulk orders arrive at their domestic destination within 3-7 days once shipped.
Other options are available on a bulk order for an additional fee.
We can embroider or digitally print your logo
We can also make completely custom care tags with your artwork, website or logo.
Black and white or full color are available.
Order fulfillment
Packaging options
Last step? Share the love!
We love to see our plush creations out in the wild, so please send us photos or links to your unboxing on social media. If you really love your plushies and the process, we would be humbled if you'd leave us a review to help others learn more about our team and what we're all about at Stuffed Animal Pros.
