Danielle’s Story

I was always the “stuffed animal kid”. There was something stuffed and fluffy in my hands at all times. My favorite, of course, is Rabbit (you’ll hear about him later.) I always took care of my stuffed friends, but thoroughly enjoyed playing with them to the point where I’d see stuffing falling out. In a panic, I’d take them to my Mother and she would always (and very lovingly) stitch them back together with whatever thread we had lying around. She’d always take the stuffing and say “we can’t forget it’s memories!” before placing it back inside my stuffed companion. I always admired how my Mom could take something that looked so raggedy and make it like new again. My precious Rabbit (remember him?) began to fall apart eventually, and yet my Mom would continue to sew him over and over again - to the point where I wondered how there was still anything left of him. She never once told me he was too old or worn, and never once questioned me about getting rid of him - she knew how special he was (and is) to me. This held to my heart my whole life (as Rabbit still sits on my bed at 39 years old). 

As I got older, it took it upon myself to fix my stuffed animals myself, and soon I got good at it. I even had friends admire my work and ask me to fix their friends. It soon became a hobby for me. When I had my daughter back in 2011, I knew my craftiness to fix things would eventually come in handy - and it did. My sweet daughter turned out to be just like me - a stuffed animal always in her hands, asking me to fix them for her. With my Mother’s teachings, and my desire to always care for my Daughter’s needs - a passion was reignited.

In 2020 when I lost my job due to the pandemic - I knew I needed to do something to occupy my mind. I downloaded TikTok out of boredom and began to watch countless artists display their amazing work online. I realized I could do the same thing. Why not display my restoration work using all of the tips and tricks my Mother taught me about toy restoration all of those years ago.

Within a week of deciding I would reignite this passion, I was contacted by an incredible family who saw my online inquiry requesting a stuffed animal to restore. 5 days later Max arrived, and the restoration began. This beloved stuffed dog named Max was the true beginning of Fluff Restoration. Without him and his family, I would not be where I am today. I posted Max’s restoration video online and went to eat dinner with my family. By the time dinner was over, I had thousands of requests and pleas to restore their beloved friends. That was the night Fluff Restoration was born.

I am still learning everyday. Studying business, mastering my sewing skills, understanding fabrics and my restoration materials, and gaining the knowledge to keep Fluff Restoration going.

I can’t wait to see where the journey leads us.

Love,
Danielle