No matter how many years have passed, some memories are so strong that they have the ability to bring a smile to your face and remind you of all the good times you’ve had. Yes, it’s the truth that nothing can bring back the one we’ve lost, but what if one could have a physical reminder of that person that would make life just a tiny bit more bearable? Mary MacInnes is a woman that hopes she can do that for her customers by creating her amazing Memory Bears.

Mary hopes that her Memory Bears do exactly that to her customers as she turns the old clothes of her clients’ loved ones into adorable teddy bears which they can hold on to forever. The 21-year-old creates teddy bears from the favorite clothes of people that are no longer with us, their jewelry, or even ashes.

The Memory Bears can also feature a special pocket in the back where one can store letters and other mementos, and while the bears are definitely not considered to be toys, they can be gifted to children in order to help them cope with the loss of someone very special.

Mary studied fashion tech at the Heriot-Watt University and then went on to win an award for Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the age of 16. She began her sewing career in the bridal industry, but she never planned on having a career-making memory bear. Since making her first memory bear as a favor for a friend, she was constantly asked to make more, but because she wanted to concentrate on university and a career in bridal, she had to turn them down.

MacInnes only gave in to requests for bears once she uploaded some photos to her page and it went absolutely viral. It takes Mary about 5 to 6 hours to make a single bear, and her Memory Bears start at about $64 in price, but they vary depending on the customer’s specifications. MacInnes adds that apart from being physically tiring, making the bears is often emotionally exhausting for her. Not only this, she can’t deny the satisfaction she feels when she gives them their Memory Teddy Bears.

MacInnes loves seeing the faces of her customers when they come to pick up the bears, and she says that 80% of them burst into tears. She believes the reason behind it is that the Memory Bears arrive as sad reminders of the past, and they feel like a new life is breathed into the garments. They become something that is much more acceptable to talk to and cuddle, and it can definitely help in the grieving process.

The memories are the last thing left of a deceased loved one and see them molded into a tangible item sure gets the waterworks started.

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