We started our business in July 2021 selling crochet plushies. In April 2023 we launched our heart dinosaurs, and they quickly became our bestselling plush. The process behind these dinosaurs started back in July 2022.
1. Design
The first step in our manufacturing process was to create our design. We were originally thinking of bears for our first plush, however we decided to go with dinosaurs!
For the design we commissioned a small local artist, since we didn’t have the artistic skill or resources to draw it ourselves. Other options for designing include drawing on an electronic device or on paper. In our design we made sure to include multiple angles of our plush (side, back and front), measurements and colour references (we used the panatone colours).
2. Manufacturer
When researching which manufacturers to contact we decided based of the following factors:
- Operations — The quality of the facilities and production line
- Certifications/Audits — Have they passed adequate safety certifications and factory audits?
- Reviews — What were other customers experience with them?
- Size — How long have they been in business? How many factories do they have? Have they worked with known corporations in the past?
Based off the above criteria, we reached out to manufacturers to ask for more information. Some questions we asked manufacturers were:
- How much will the sample cost? What’s the turnaround time for the sample?
- How much will (bulk order amount) cost to make? How long is the processing times
- How much is shipping for the bulk order? How long will shipping take?
After this process a clear manufacturer stood out to us, and we decided to work with them!
3. Sample
After choosing our manufacturer, we moved on to the sample creation.
In the first sample (based of the design) we were unhappy with the colour of the dinosaur, the shape of the body and the positioning of the fins. We went through three versions of the sample till we were happy with the final design (it took 2–3 months). When making changes we created a diagram with arrows pointing to all the areas/pieces we wanted to change. It can be intimidating asking for multiple changes, however it’s essential to creating your plushie.
After we were happy with the design the manufacturer sent us the sample for final confirmation. Samples are usually shipped express, for us it took about 1–2 weeks to arrive. Once we approved our sample in person, we decided to place a bulk order. The price of the plush is highly dependent on the quantity of products. Shipping costs were quite high for us, so we had to factor that into our cost.
We’re so happy with all the support we’ve received on our dinosaurs. If you have any additional questions please reach out to us through our email stitchedwithearts@gmail.com or our TikTok or Instagram @stitchedwithhearts
