Twenty-five years.
It’s hard to believe we’ve been making flat bears for a quarter of a century.
When we started FLATOUTbear, we never imagined that 25 years later we would be sitting here, looking back with grateful hearts on a journey that has taken us far beyond anything we ever dreamed.
The idea began with our own childhood flat teddy bears. Growing up, we each had one that went everywhere with us. They sat beside us while we watched our dad work in his antique shop and later kept us company as we spent time with our mum in her homewares shop. Those well-loved bears became such a treasured part of our childhood that, years later, they inspired us to create something similar for other families.
In 2001, we brought that idea to life. By January 2002, our little business was officially registered, and the very first FLATOUTbears were made and packed on Sarah’s kitchen table.
Back then, we did everything ourselves. We packed boxes late into the night, answered every email, wrapped every bear by hand and hoped the next order would come through.
We sold just over 200 bears in our first year. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine those little flat bears would one day find homes in more than 50 countries around the world.
As the years passed, our family of bears slowly grew too. The original FLATOUTbear was joined by Baby Bears in 2007, teddy bear-shaped rugs in 2018, cotton muslin wraps and bibs in 2022, and most recently, our little Minis collection.
At the same time, FLATOUTbear grew alongside our own families. Our children grew up with flat bears by their side, making memories with them just as we had with our own childhood bears. The business was never separate from family life. It became part of the everyday chaos of raising children while building something we loved.
Along the way, we’ve celebrated milestones we never imagined possible. We were honoured with Toy of the Year, opened our little shop in Rozelle, collaborated with Rosa Park on A Balloon Away, and created bears for Qantas’s 100th anniversary.
There have also been some wonderfully surreal moments. FLATOUTbears found their way to Sarah Jessica Parker, Brooke Shields, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Cruise, Kourtney Kardashian and many others. Matt Damon was presented with a bear on morning television, and our Aussie icon, FLATOUTbear Koala, welcomed delegates attending the APEC Summit in Sydney. We’ve also been incredibly proud to support charities close to our hearts, reaching more than $50,000 in charitable giving.
As exciting as those milestones have been, it’s always been the stories from families that have meant the most.
We love seeing babies asleep with their very first bear, toddlers carrying theirs absolutely everywhere, and older children who still keep them close years later. Our bears have travelled to childcare, school, hospitals, holidays and family celebrations. Some have been lovingly passed down to younger siblings, while others have been carefully tucked away as treasured reminders of childhood.
The most worn bears are often the most special. Their wool may be flattened, their tags faded and their seams stitched back together more than once, but every mark tells the story of a childhood filled with comfort, love and adventure.
Of course, those milestones are only part of the story. Behind them were countless ordinary days spent answering emails, packing orders, brushing every bear, reviewing samples, solving problems, making mistakes and changing direction. Like every family business, we’ve learned many lessons along the way and still learning today.
To celebrate our 25th birthday, we’ve been working on something bear-y special. A little book featuring some most well-loved FLATOUTbears.
Families have shared beautiful photographs and heartfelt stories, and putting them together has made us smile and more than once, shed a tear. Some of the bears are almost as old as FLATOUTbear itself. Some have been passed from one child to the next, while others have been repaired many times because their owners simply couldn’t bear to part with them.
Every story is different, yet they all remind us of something beautifully simple, how much comfort, love and security one little teddy can hold.
Even after all these years, we still feel excited every time a new bear leaves us for its new home. We still wonder what it will be called, where it will travel and the childhood adventures it will become part of.
We create the bears, but it’s the families who give them their names, their personalities and their stories. That is what has made these past 25 years incredibly special.
FLATOUTbear has become part of many childhoods and a much-loved member of the family.
