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'I get goosebumps from creating bereavement bears from a loved one's clothing'

Alice Cullinanein Birmingham
BBC A woman with long red hair is standing in front of a yellow background. She is wearing a white short-sleeved top and has tattoos on her arms. BBC
Leah Courtney has made more than 500 bereavement bears in three years

At the end of Leah Courtney's garden in Birmingham sits a shed where all the magic happens to create her bears.

Armed with a sewing machine, stuffing and bags of clothing from the loved one who has died, the mum of two spends hours creating custom bears for grieving relatives, to create lasting memories of those who have passed away.

She started creating the bears for bereaved families when her sister's mother-in-law passed away in 2023 and has now made more than 500 keepsakes, turning the hobby into a full-time job.

"By creating a bear that they can touch, cuddle, appreciate and see everyday, it's like their relative is still there," she said.

Her business, Made From Memories, creates the bears with names and messages sewn on to the body, along with voice boxes and vials of ashes available inside the bear.

"I make sure the arms and legs aren't fixed so you can cuddle the bear; it's very therapeutic for me and I have a very structured rhythm on how it all comes together," she said.

Leah Courtney Two bears are sitting on tables wearing bow ties, made from different materials. On the left, the bear is made from a gingham black and white material. On the right, the bear is made from a gingham material. Leah Courtney
Leah Courtney "dresses" each bear with a bow-tie as a finishing touch, after making them from the loved one's clothing

Courtney has shipped bears as far as Spain and has experienced people crying with emotion at her home on receiving the bears.

"It warms me because when you lose somebody, it's instant. Their presence isn't there, their smell isn't there and it can sometimes feel that they are just gone," she said.

She added that turning their clothing into bears meant they "sat with pride in somebody's house" and was a way to bring relatives "back to life for new generations".

"It gives me goosebumps and when people get emotional, it makes me feel that I've given their relative back in a way," Courtney said.

A woman with long red hair is wearing a white top and sitting at a table with a sewing machine. She is sewing together materials for memory bears. The room she is sitting in is painted purple.
Courtney said she got great satisfaction from making the bears

Since starting the business, she has creating bears from a range of materials like dressing gowns, pyjamas, a 1950s wedding dress for a bride and groom bear, and blankets and beds for pet bears.

"I do feel a pressure sometimes because materials can be delicate and I don't know how the material will handle the change to create a bear," she said.

"I get asked if I wash the relative's clothing and I don't because I'm a big believer of scent of smell linked to memories. I can smell Aussie shampoo and I'll think of my nan."

As a finishing touch to each keepsake, Courtney's daughter is known in the local community for hugging each bear before they are sent off to customers to give them "love for their new home".

"At just five years old she decided her special job would be the bear hugger," Courtney said.

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