A best friend on the floor

For more than a century, the teddy bear has been a child's first best friend: the one that comes to bed, goes on trips and gets hugged through every bad dream. A teddy bear rug puts that comfort on the floor. The sweetest design is a sitting teddy cut to its own shape, round ears, little paws and all; there are also a round teddy face filling a round rug, a sleepy bear curled up beneath a crescent moon and a teddy bears' picnic on a checkered blanket. Ours are printed edge to edge on soft velvet, so every stitch and button comes out sweetly, and every rug goes in the washing machine.

Teddy bear designs

Design	The look	Best in
Sitting teddy shape	A classic teddy, legs out, cut to its outline	Nurseries, beside a crib
Teddy face	Round ears and a stitched nose on a round rug	Toddler rooms, reading corners
Sleepy bear	A teddy dozing under the moon and stars	Nurseries, bedrooms
Teddy bears' picnic	Bears with teacups on a gingham blanket	Playrooms, kids' bedrooms
Vintage teddy	A worn, patched bear with button eyes	Classic nurseries, grown-up keepsakes
Pastel bear pattern	Little bears repeated in soft pastels	Cute bedrooms, dorms

The story of the teddy bear

The teddy bear is named after an American president. In November 1902, on a hunting trip in Mississippi, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that had been tied to a tree for him, calling it unsportsmanlike. A cartoon of the moment by Clifford Berryman ran in The Washington Post, and in Brooklyn, a shop owner named Morris Michtom and his wife, Rose, sewed a stuffed bear, put it in their window and called it "Teddy's bear." It sold so well that they went on to found the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. At almost the same time, the Steiff company in Germany was making jointed plush bears of its own, and within a few years teddy bears were a craze on both sides of the Atlantic.

The sitting teddy

A classic teddy sitting with its legs stretched out in front is the most recognizable bear shape there is, and it makes a wonderfully cozy shaped rug. Cut to its outline, in sizes from 2.6×2.6 up to 5.2×5.9 ft (80×80 to 160×180 cm), it looks like a giant version of a child's favorite toy has settled on the floor. It's sweet beside a crib, in front of a toy box or at the foot of a toddler bed. Our shaped rugs page shows how they work.

Round teddy faces

A teddy's face, with two round ears peeking over the top, a stitched nose and a gentle smile, fits a round rug beautifully. On a 3.3 to 4.6 ft (100 to 140 cm) rug, it's a soft centerpiece for a reading corner or a nursery; with the ears cut out as part of the shape, it becomes even more playful. Our round rugs come from 2.6 to 5.9 ft (80 to 180 cm) across.

A teddy bear nursery

Teddy bears make one of the most timeless nursery themes: warm, gentle and right for any baby. Pair a teddy rug with honey, caramel, cream and soft beige, a knitted blanket and a few bear prints on the wall, and the room feels like a hug. Choose Premium, 7 mm plush velvet on a bamboo and cotton back, about 700 g/m², for tummy time and first crawls; once your child is walking on a smooth floor, switch to Standard: 5 mm crushed velvet on a non-slip faux leather back, about 500 g/m². Our kids and nursery rugs have more ideas.

Sleepy bears and bedtime

A teddy curled up asleep on a crescent moon, or tucked under a blanket of stars, is one of the gentlest bedtime designs we print. In navy, soft gold and cream, it turns the floor beside a crib into part of the bedtime routine, and it pairs naturally with a moon night light and a starry mobile. For more night-sky designs, see our celestial rugs.

The teddy bears' picnic

The Teddy Bears' Picnic began as an instrumental tune in 1907, and the words added in 1932 turned it into a children's classic about bears gathering in the woods for a secret feast. A picnic design, with little bears around a red gingham blanket, tiny teacups, sandwiches and a honey pot, makes a charming play rug where children can host their own picnic for their stuffed animals.

Vintage teddies

An old, much-loved teddy, with worn fur, a patched paw and mismatched button eyes, has a special nostalgic warmth. A vintage teddy rug in muted honey and cream suits a classic nursery with wooden toys and a rocking chair, and it makes a meaningful gift for a grandparent who still has their own childhood bear. Collectors may know that Steiff has marked its bears with a little metal button in the ear since 1904. For more nostalgic designs, see our retro rugs.

Plush texture, honestly

Some shoppers searching for a teddy rug want the fluffy, curly "teddy" fabric used on coats and blankets. Our rugs aren't made from that shaggy material; they're printed velvet, with the teddy bear as the design. Premium's 7 mm plush velvet is still soft and warm underfoot, and unlike a long, fluffy pile it doesn't trap crumbs and goes straight in the washing machine.

Pastel bears and cute rooms

A pattern of little bears in pastel pink, lavender, mint and butter yellow, or a single cute bear with rosy cheeks, is a favorite of cute and kawaii decor. It suits a teen's bedroom, a dorm or a sweet desk corner. For more adorable designs, see our cute rugs.

Teddy bears with hearts

A teddy holding a red heart or a bunch of balloons is a classic symbol of love, which makes it a sweet seasonal rug for February and a thoughtful anniversary or new-baby gift. For more romantic designs, see our Valentine's Day rugs.

National Teddy Bear Day

In the United States, September 9 is celebrated as National Teddy Bear Day, a fun date for gifting a teddy rug to a little one, or for a teddy bear party with every stuffed bear in the house invited to sit on it.

Kids' rooms and playrooms

For toddlers and older children, a teddy bears' picnic or a bear family scene makes a great play rug, and a cartoon teddy makes a friendly bedroom rug. On a hard floor, choose Standard so the rug stays put. Our kids play rugs page has more ideas.

Twins, siblings and gifts

For twins or siblings sharing a room, two teddy-shaped rugs, one beside each bed, or a design of two bears holding paws make a sweet, matching pair. A teddy rug also makes a lovely baby shower gift, and a custom teddy with the baby's name and birth date becomes a keepsake long after the nursery years.

Bathrooms and entryways

A little teddy rug by a kids' bathroom vanity is a cheerful touch. It's a printed velvet rug, not a quick-drying bath mat, so keep it by the vanity or the door, out of the splash zone. Just inside the front door, keep it indoors, out of the weather. Choose Standard for both, for its grip on tile and wood.

Colors

Teddy bear designs look warmest in honey, caramel, chocolate brown and cream. For a softer nursery, try oatmeal and blush or a pale grey bear on white; for a cute room, pastel pinks and lilacs. A caramel bear on cream is the most versatile choice.

Other cuddly friends

For another black-and-white bear, see our panda rugs, and for the full range of animal designs, our animal rugs.

Your own teddy

Want a teddy with your baby's name, a bear in your nursery's colors or a rug printed from a photo of your child's own beloved teddy? Our custom rugs can print it in any size up to 5′11″ × 10′, or cut it to shape. Custom rugs are made just for you and can't be returned, so please check names and spelling before ordering.

Standard or Premium

Standard is best for playrooms, entryways and anywhere with a hard or slippery floor, because its non-slip back stays put. Premium is softer and warmer, best in nurseries and bedrooms. Both are printed the same way, so honey browns stay warm, and both go in the washing machine.

Sizes, shipping and returns

Rectangles come in 2×3, 2.6×3.9, 3.3×5, 4×6 and 5×7 ft. Round rugs come from 2.6 to 5.9 ft (80 to 180 cm) across, and teddy-shaped rugs from 2.6×2.6 up to 5.2×5.9 ft (80×80 to 160×180 cm). Custom sizes go up to 5′11″ × 10′. Every rug is printed to order in 1–3 business days and ships from Turkey; US delivery usually takes 2–5 business days after that. Unused rugs can be returned within 30 days on US orders; custom rugs can't be returned.

Care

Machine wash on a gentle, cold cycle and let it air dry flat. Vacuum on a low setting between washes, and blot spills with cold water right away. The design is printed into the fibers, so your teddy stays soft and sweet, wash after wash.

Famous bears

Some of the world's most beloved characters are bears. Winnie-the-Pooh began as a real toy belonging to Christopher Robin Milne, son of the author A.A. Milne, and took his name partly from Winnipeg, a gentle black bear at the London Zoo. Paddington, created by Michael Bond in 1958, arrived at a London railway station from darkest Peru with a label around his neck that read please look after this bear. Corduroy, from Don Freeman's 1968 picture book, is a department-store bear searching for his missing button.

Real teddy bears have their own history. In Germany, the Steiff company began making jointed plush bears in the early 1900s and soon added a small metal button in each bear's ear, still its signature. In America, the name teddy came from President Theodore Roosevelt, after a 1902 hunting story inspired a toymaker to create Teddy's bear.

Those stories inspire charming rugs without borrowing any character. A small bear with a suitcase and a luggage tag on a station platform is a sweet nod to travelers' bears for a nursery. A bear looking for a lost button on a department store floor makes a cozy reading-nook design, and a vintage jointed bear with a tiny button in its ear suits a grown-up collector's room.

For a new baby, a rug that recreates a family's own teddy, passed down through generations, turns a cherished toy into a keepsake that stays on the nursery floor.