Paddington is coming to theaters January 16, and in honor, I created a fun and furry bear ears tutorial. Now you can dress like Paddington when you go to see the movie, which is based on the beloved novels by Michael Bond and from producer David Heyman (HARRY POTTER).  You just need a few inexpensive supplies to create this fetching headband (do you think cast member Nicole Kidman would wear it?) And hey, don’t forget to check out our 15 Free Paddington Printables after the tutorial!

Thanks to my sponsor, The Weinstein Company, who brought you this fun project!

For this project, I started with a dollar store headband, and added some fun goodies from the craft store — oversized chenille stems (we’re talking GIANT pipecleaners, kids!), some fuzzy brown craft fur, and some pretty red ribbon.

Project Materials:

• A headband
• 2 pieces of giant chenille stem, cut to 8″
• 2 pieces of fun fur, cut to about 2′ x 2″
• 2 pieces of red ribbon or fabric, cut to about 2′ x 2″
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Scissors

To Make a Paddington Headband:

1. Cut two pieces of giant chenille stem to 8″ lengths.

2. Wrap the ends of the chenille stems around the headband to form ear shapes. Wrap the ends of the chenille stems around to secure.

3. Using the ears on the headband as a template, cut two pieces of craft fur in ear shapes. Note: Make sure the fur is facing upward toward the curve of the ear before cutting.

For best results when cutting craft fur, turn fur over so you can see the back of it, then clip very close to the backing fabric with the tips of your scissors. This way, you won’t give the fur an inadvertent awkward hair cut!

4. Stick a piece of fun fur through the ears so all the hair is facing the front of the headband. Hot glue the bottom of the fur to the base of the headband.

5. Pull the corners and edges of the fur piece through the ears and hot glue around them, attaching fur edges to the ear. Be careful to leave the fur front sticking out through the front of the ears.

6. Trim any excess fur edges.

7. Cut a piece of ribbon or fabric large enough to cover the messy back of the craft fur. Trim to fit the ears shape, then hot glue over the back.

Let all the glue dry, and then you’re ready to wear your Paddington ears! And by the way, they’re reversible!

Here’s my tiny assistant August, who tried them on while I was making them.

Paddington – In Theaters January 16

Official Paddington Websites:

• Like Paddington on Facebook
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest
• #PaddingtonMovie

 

PADDINGTON arrives in theaters January 16! More about the movie:

From the beloved novels by Michael Bond and producer David Heyman (HARRY POTTER), PADDINGTON tells the story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) who travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realize that city life is not all he had imagined – until he meets the kindly Brown family who read the label around his neck that says “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” and offer him a temporary haven. It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist.

Starring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and Nicole Kidman.

Free Paddington Coloring Pages and Activities

Paddington loves adventure. Enjoy these fifteen fun, free printable activities!

1. Connect the Dots: PDF
2. Paddington Story Starter: PDF
3. Paddington Memory Game: PDF
4. Map Game: PDF
5. Printable Gift Tag: PDF
6. Learn to Draw Paddington’s Hat: PDF
7. Paddington Word Search: PDF
8. Paddington Fill-in-the-Blank: PDF
9. Paddington Coloring Page (1): PDF
10. Paddington Coloring Page (2): PDF
11. Paddington Coloring Page (3): PDF
12. Paddington Coloring Page (4): PDF
13. Paddington Coloring Page (5): PDF
14. Paddington Coloring Page (6): PDF
15. Paddington Bookmarks: PDF